Since the envelope of your wedding invitation is the very first glimpse your guests receive of your upcoming wedding day, then making it special may be a priority to you. A machine cannot match the extra care of a calligrapher’s hand. Calligraphy, literally meaning beautiful writing, is appropriate, and in most cases expected, for formal events.

Where to find a calligrapher:

• Contact your local calligraphy guild. Most states have at least one calligraphy guild/organization.

• Ask family and friends if they can recommend the calligrapher they hired for their wedding.

• Yellow pages (look under “calligrapher” or “calligraphy”)

• Online search: go to your favorite search engine and type in “your city/state + calligrapher or calligraphy” example “new york city calligrapher”.

What to ask a calligrapher:

• Ask for their style sheet to be faxed or mailed to you. If you are not in a rush, request it to be mailed so that you can see their calligraphy on the envelope they address to you.

• Do any of the lettering styles match or complement the font printed on your invitation and return address? Examine the lettering styles, ask the calligrapher his/her professional opinion and ultimately go with the one you like best.

• How long will it take the calligrapher to complete your assignment? Most calligraphers have a 2-3 week turnaround time for scheduled work.

• Does she/he use gouache, waterproof ink or regular ink? Gouache is a versatile pigment that leaves a pleasant raised effect on paper and works well on most papers. Gouache color is usually solid and there is little or no color variation.  Waterproof ink should be considered for Spring mailings (or any other rainy season in your area). 

• Ask for a copy of their rate sheet. Most professional calligraphers start at $3 per outer envelope (may vary on location). For tight budgets, contact your local calligraphy guild or schools that teach calligraphy, to find student calligraphers that may charge less. When pricing calligraphy services keep in mind that calligraphy is an art form (not regular handwriting), that is labor intensive and time consuming.

• Do you have to leave a deposit? If yes, how much?

• Ask for a letter of agreement. This will confirm, to both parties, the details of your arrangement (deadline, quantity, total cost, lettering style, lettering color, pick-up appointment or courier shipment, etc...).

 Tips:

• Book your job early, at least 2 months in advance for most calligraphers (some calligraphers are booked 6 months in advance). For calligraphy design work (ex. invitation, program and menu) contact your calligrapher several months in advance.

• Always order extra envelopes and invitations. Usually calligraphers ask for an additional 15% extra envelopes. The extras will cover any typos that the calligrapher may make, any errors you may have on your mailing list, returned envelopes and last-minute additional guests.

• For envelope addressing; give a complete mailing list (table list for place cards). Some calligraphers will charge a set-up fee for addressing additional envelopes after the job is complete.

• Check etiquette books on how to properly address envelopes before you type up your mailing list.

• Always submit a typed alphabetized or numbered mailing list to your calligrapher (not in grid/table formats) in a clear font with a point size of 12-14. This will help avoid any miscommunications and will make it much easier for you when you proof, stuff and mail your invitations.

 Additional Fees:

• Expect an additional charge for heavy, dark and/or lined envelopes (lettering on such paper requires additional work from your calligrapher).

• For last minute jobs, a rush order fee may be added to your bill. Try to avoid this by scheduling your job well in advance for a date when you know you will have your envelopes and mailing list ready.

 Ways to incorporate beautiful calligraphy into your wedding:

Envelope addressing, place card addressing, table number cards, seating charts and personalized favors. Calligraphy Design (usually a calligrapher creates one master camera-ready copy, which is taken to a professional printer for reproduction): Invitation, monogram, menu and program.