Wedding invitations & on the day Calligraphy stationery

WHAT PAPER AND PRINTING METHODS DO YOU OFFER?

I love working with my couples to find the perfect paper and printing fit for their wedding aesthetic. So if you have a specific material in mind just let me know in your enquiry and I’ll help figure out how to make it happen for you.

Paper & other materials – For invitation suites I most typically work with premium cardstocks, vellum and handmade paper. But for on the day designs I’ve also worked with fabric, adding calligraphy to charger plates and various details like agate slices. It’s about finding the right details for your wedding.

Printing – Most of my couples opt for digital, letterpress or hot foil printing. You can see examples of the different finishes here.

IS ALL OF YOUR CALLIGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATIONS WRITTEN OR DRAWN BY HAND?

Yes, all of the calligraphy, venue illustrations, botanical drawings, watercolour paintings etc are done by hand by me. Many big-box stationery brands use script fonts to be able to turn over a large volume of products. But for me it’s really important to keep the beautiful nature of calligraphy done by hand with a traditional ink and nib. It’s part of what gives the designs a timeless heirloom feel and makes each stroke completely unique to your design. Each element is designed by hand, scanned in, digitised and added to your design before going to print.

WHEN SHOULD WE SEND OUR SAVE THE DATES AND INVITATIONS?

I recommend sending your save the dates when you have booked your wedding venue, or about 6-8 months before your wedding. This will give your guests plenty of time to block out your wedding date in their calendar. If you’re having a destination wedding it’s a great idea to send save the dates between 8-12 months before your wedding to allow your guests to start planning time off and travel arrangements.

I recommend sending your invitation suites approximately 10-12 weeks before your wedding, with a RSVP date 1 month before your wedding. If you’re having a destination wedding or getting married during the summer or Christmas holidays it’s usually a good idea to send them about 3-4 months before your wedding to give your guests that extra bit of time for planning.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE UNTIL I HAVE MY STATIONERY ORDER?

Semi-custom designs and on the day stationery details usually take around 4-8 weeks from the design start date until they’re ready for shipping, depending on your chosen printing method and finishing details.

Bespoke designs usually takes between 8-12 weeks to design depending on design complexity and how quickly you are able to provide feedback on design proofs.

Please email me with your enquiry to check my availability and for an estimated timeline.

HOW MANY INVITATIONS SHOULD I ORDER?

Think of invitations per household rather than per guest as a starting point. Then I recommend adding at least 10-15 extras to give room for last minute additions to your guest list. Reprinting can be costly for an extra small print run due to setup time and printing methods. A few extras are also great as a keepsake and for your photographer to capture on your wedding day.

DO I NEED TO SEND SAVE THE DATES?

It’s completely up to you if you wish to send save the dates. It’s not essential but it is a thoughtful gesture to give your guests more time to plan and block out your date in their calendar. I would recommend sending them especially if your wedding is during busy times of the year like the summer or Christmas holidays, in the midst of wedding season or if you’re having a destination wedding. This will give your guests plenty of notice and you can get a bit more breathing space planning other details and not having to feel like you need to rush to get your invitations out.

HOW DOES THE SEMI-CUSTOM AND BESPOKE DESIGN PROCESS WORK?

You can find a guide to the semi-custom design process on the semi-custom design page here.

I’ve written a guide to the bespoke design process here, this also includes some guidance around pricing.

HOW CUSTOMISABLE IS YOUR SEMI-CUSTOM COLLECTION? IS IT FOR EXAMPLE POSSIBLE TO ADD SOME EXTRA CALLIGRAPHY OR A MAP ILLUSTRATION?

Of course, with my house collection the base of the design stays the same but it is very customisable. Bespoke calligraphy in your choice between my five script styles, wording and colour updates are included in the base price. But I also offer extra customisation for an additional design fee based on the elements you want to add. Whether that is adding the venue name in calligraphy as well or a map illustration I love working with each couple to make the design tailored to their wedding.

I HAVE MY OWN AGATE PIECES/SHELLS/MIRROR THAT I’D LOVE YOU TO WRITE THE CALLIGRAPHY ON. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO?

Absolutely, I love personalising different materials with calligraphy. Just mention this in your enquiry and we can chat about how to make it happen.

WILL I RECEIVE A DESIGN PROOF BEFORE PRINTING?

Yes, I want to ensure you’re completely happy with the designs before they go to print. The semi-custom design process includes a digital design proof and two rounds of revisions. The bespoke design process includes three rounds of revisions before sending your items to print. For handmade on the day items like calligraphy signage and place cards I design a mockup to share with you for sign off to give you a good idea of the look and feel of the design before I create the items by hand.

While I find most couples find the digital design proof enough to envision their stationery before printing I can also provide you with a digitally printed proof for an extra printing fee if you wish. Unfortunately this is not possible for letterpress and hot foil printing due to the printing set up involved, but I can still share samples of the paper if you want to get a feel for the texture.

HOW DO I PAY FOR MY WEDDING STATIONERY?

After our initial consultation you’ll receive your estimated quote. When you have decided to go ahead with your booking the next step is to secure your date in my calendar by paying a non-refundable deposit. On receipt of this payment you are all booked into my diary and we can start the design process where we get into all the details about your stationery design. Looking in detail at calligraphy styles, paper options, colours, printing finishes and all those lovely hand-finished details. Once the artwork is finalised (or design mockups for handmade items) and you have signed off all the items you will receive your final invoice for your outstanding payment before your items are sent to print.

HOW DO I RECEIVE MY STATIONERY ORDER?

After I receive your items from the printer I’ll create the finishing details and assembly if you’ve opted for any of these options. I’ll then package up your items safely to be posted via a 24 hour signed for courier service, or alternative secure postage method when delivering outside the UK. A suitable delivery date will be arranged with you before sending you items.

I’M A STATIONERY DESIGNER/HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT MY INVITATIONS AND I’M LOOKING FOR A CALLIGRAPHER TO ADDRESS THE ENVELOPES. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO?

Absolutely, please email me and tell me a bit about what you’re looking for. I offer five styles of calligraphy so we can chat about which style you like best and I can provide you with a quote for your calligraphy.