Tips for Choosing a Calligrapher

The word calligraphy literally means “beautiful writing” and has existed for hundreds of years. It can deliver a classy and elegant touch to any formal occasion. Even with the many advancements of printing technology and the emergence of new, sophisticated fonts; many people still want professional calligraphers to write and/or address their wedding/party invitations. You may want to look for online reviews (EasyEventPlanning.com may have reviews of calligraphers in your area). Keep the following in mind when choosing a calligrapher:

Style

There’s script calligraphy and non-script. Script is considered cursive, whole non-script is printed handwriting. The swishes, twirls and loops of a flourished italic style are becoming more popular. You can choose to feature and oversized first and last name with smaller addresses. Modern, understated calligraphy is growing in popularity (non-script style).

You can get creative with ink color – try chocolate brown, white, silver, rich gold or sage green.

Ask the calligrapher if (s)he is able to offer any custom features (painted stems, flowers, etc).

Look online for samples of calligraphy you like and ask your calligrapher can replicate that style.

Cost

Since calligraphers often charge by the piece, calligraphy can quickly become costly so consider your budget. Some calligraphers offer specials if you purchase a certain number of pieces or if you purchase at a specific time of year. If using them for invitations, you may be able to buy one invitation and make copies. Ask about discounts for both writing the invitations and addressing the envelopes. Also, inquire about their payment and cancelation policies.

Paper

Some types of paper are more conducive to calligraphy, so be sure to check with your calligrapher before making any purchases. You may decide not to go with calligraphy at all if you have you heart set on a particular paper style.
 

Time

Calligraphy is a detailed craft, and can take a considerable amount of time to complete, so allow enough time. If you’re using a service out of town, allow some extra time for shipping. If the worst thing should happen and that package gets lost in the mail, will they have time to produce another set?  Pay for the extra shipping insurance. You’ll want to allow extra time for proofing as well.
 

Other considerations

You’ll obviously want to see samples of their work. Do they deliver (if using a local calligrapher)? If so, is there a fee?

Ask them how long they’ve been in the business, what made them choose this and if they’re doing this as a full time job.

Ask for references from their last 3-4 clients. Did those clients find them easy to work with and responsive? Were they happy with the end product?

Ask them how many extra envelopes to order (to allow for a few “oops”).

Inquire about the packaging used for shipping. You don’t want any of those invites to show up damaged.