Why Hire a Calligrapher?

Why not?  You spend a great deal of time choosing that perfect invitation.  One that will match your style and personality.  You pour over huge books and web sites.  You work on the perfect wording and colors.  Who can blame you?  This is the first impression that your guests receive about your wedding and you want to make sure it’s a great one!  Your invitation sets the tone for your special day.  You even pick out the perfect stamp.  Why have less than impressive addresses? 

Labels & Etiquette

I know that many brides try to save money and address the envelopes themselves.  This is fine if you have nice handwriting and you follow the proper addressing etiquette. But if you know that your handwriting is not going to compliment your invitations, find someone's who will or hire a professional Calligrapher.  PLEASE, don't put an address label on it.  First off, it is not proper wedding etiquette.  Second, you have just taken this beautiful and expensive piece of stationary and reduced it to look no different than something you would send out "bulk mail".  

When looking at your invitations, include the envelope in the entire picture.  With the proper addressing, it can flow with your invite and look like a piece of art.  And think about how exciting it is to receive something so special in your mailbox.  What anticipation you are creating for your wedding day!  You are telling your guests that this is going to be a fabulous event - down to the very detail.

Family & Friends
Since starting my business in 2005, I have been contacted by several brides who are in a panic.  They have allowed a family member or friend to address their envelopes and they are horrified.  Please don't assume that just because someone says, "Oh - I can do Calligraphy!" Or  "I took a class on that, I can address them for you." that they actually can do it to your liking.   Calligraphy is an art and it takes years of practice to be good at it.  I look at the work I did when I started years ago and cringe.  It was good - but it is so much better now because I do it EVERY DAY.  I am constantly working with different inks, colors, textures and font styles. Not just occasionally for fun.

If a friend or family member offers to do it for you, take the time to look at their work.  Have them give you some samples.  Otherwise you may be highly disappointed and embarrassed to send out those invitations.  And you will have to order new envelopes and start over.  Don't put the strain and stress of that on your relationship.  A professional Calligrapher is going to be able to help you with the proper etiquette rules, complete everything in a timely manner and they are going to be able to match colors and fonts to tie everything together for you. 
 
Printing the Addresses Yourself
More and more brides are opting to print the addresses themselves on their home computers.  While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I still receive phone calls from panicked brides because there are several things they did not consider.  Wedding envelopes can often be thick or have a lining. They don't like to go through an average printer.  They can get jammed and crumpled up very easily.  Also getting them aligned properly can be a great difficulty and you wind up with crooked addresses.  So now you have wasted several hours and several envelopes and you are highly frustrated.  Even though you started out trying to save a few dollars, now you are ordering new envelopes, having them rushed because you are on a deadline and you are still hiring someone to help you.  I think hand-written envelopes have a much more personal feel, but if you are going to have Computerized Calligraphy, find a professional to do that as well.  One who does it regularly and has the proper equipment to do so.

One Less Thing for You to Worry About
You have so many things to worry about while planning your perfect day.  Why not hand the envelopes and your guest list over to someone and allow them to do it for you?  Sometimes just the thought of addressing them can become overwhelming.  Most Calligraphers will even stuff and stamp them for you for a small fee.  How cool is that?

Do your research early, while you are setting up your budget.  If you work the Calligrapher into the stationary budget, you won't have to hesitate later.

Brides are finding that the beautifully hand written address on the front of the envelope help to put that special, finishing touch on their invitation and their guests are RAVING about this gorgeous invite they received in the mail.  

So, again I ask, why not?