Blog « Boston Hearts Weddings

Blogging the Bride: Calligraphy

If you follow my blog, you know that I love all the little details that go into making a wedding interesting and special – it really is the little things that make the whole thing unique to each couple. Calligraphy is one of those little things that brings the whole event to another level of fabulosity. Most brides put a lot of thought into their invitations, but not everyone thinks so much about the envelope. Well, Nicole is not one of those brides. Read on to hear all about Nicole & Chris’ wedding calligraphy from their designer, the wonderful Jan Garver of Janscript Elegant Calligraphy:

I’m so excited to be a part of this wedding! Nicole and Chris came to me with very clear ideas about what they were looking for to set the tone for their special day. First and foremost, they wanted something with a “classic look,” but “different.” Nicole attended art school and has an artist’s eye, and she was determined to create an event that everyone would remember…without going overboard. She told me that she didn’t remember ever receiving a wedding invitation that caught her eye immediately and made her want to open it, so it was her goal to find a calligrapher whose work would accomplish that, because she believes, as I do, that the entire tone of the event is set by the first thing the guests see: the invitation envelope.

When Nicole and Chris designed their invitation with the wonderful Lynne Johnson of Inviting Company, they chose a combination of fonts: for the body of the text, they went with a classic, easy-to-read block type; and for their names, they chose an elegant script. The printing is being done in a muted charcoal, which softens the effect on the white paper and makes it less stark than the traditional black.

Once the invitation was designed, the search for a calligrapher was on. Nicole told me that when they got to my website (www.janscript.com), she was immediately struck by the first lettering style on my sample page, a style that I created, called Janscript:

It’s a combination of a classic Italic and a more masculine Foundational (or Roundhand), and it is probably my most-requested style. Nicole said that she did a double-take when she saw it: “It stands out, but it’s not too much.” She and Chris immediately saw how well it would complement the two typestyles on their invitation. They were also considering Italic with Flourished Capitals (below), but kept coming back to my unique style.

I’m a firm believer in going with your first instinct when it comes to calligraphy, because there’s a reason why that was your first instinct! There are no rules to choosing a calligraphy style for your invitations; you should choose the one that you are drawn to. Many people mistakenly believe that the addresses should match the invitations, but that is impossible because then it wouldn’t be calligraphy. Typeset fonts are vastly different from calligraphic alphabets. Obviously, there are some calligraphy styles that will not complement your invitation as well as others, and I will always counsel my clients if I feel they have chosen something that wouldn’t lend itself to the tone they are trying to set. But the bottom line is: choose a style that you like!

Once Nicole sent me their guest list, I went over it with her and adjusted everyone’s name (by asking questions about people’s full names and marital status) to reflect proper etiquette. This is one of the many services that I provide to my clients (at no additional charge) because I believe that a calligrapher’s job does not begin and end with “writing pretty.” I consider it my responsibility (and privilege) to educate my clients and make sure their invitations are absolutely correct. How an invitation and the envelopes are worded reflects not only on my clients, but also on me. Over the years, I have become a self-made etiquette expert, and stationery companies and acquaintances consult me on a regular basis about the proper way to do things concerning paper.

For Nicole and Chris, I will be matching the charcoal ink, which will really pull the entire invitation together. I think their guests will receive something that they will really want to open (carefully, I hope!), and I look forward to contributing to their special day. I’m excited to tell you about the table cards we’re going to do – they are sure to be remembered! Thanks to Nicole and Chris for choosing Janscript Elegant Calligraphy!