Pandemic Bride Chronicles Part Four: Why I Said No to Invites But Yes to Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Amanda Dumouchelle

This post is dedicated to calligraphy artists with a special thanks to Patricia Okrasinski Heffner, Oh Eleven Studio.

Early on it was clear that our intimate affair would not have one detail that may shock you: invitations. Our guest list consists of family that we talk with daily, and we did not feel attached to an invitation keepsake like I know many other couples do.

Yet, I also knew that I wanted an understated but elegant experience, including what I call the art of the hand: calligraphy. While I do not want to spoil all of our details, here are three questions I believe can be useful in your calligraphy artist search:

1. What is their process? As an event professional, I appreciate intentional planning, which is why I knew that our calligraphy artist needed to be skilled not only in their art form but also had to see art in every aspect of our wedding. Ultimately, we partnered with Oh Eleven Studio, whose process involved sketches and curating custom materials to make our vision come alive before we even discussed calligraphy styles. We were impressed by how thoroughly she incorporated our cultures, preferred art aesthetic (minimalism + elegance), and venue. Frankly, Patricia blew our minds with the options she gave us and I am thrilled with where elements are headed.

2. What is your calligraphy style? I think there is a myth that calligraphy means scripted font only and that is simply not true. Given who we are, we opted for a font that had a softer brush stroke so that we and our guests could easily read the information within our decor elements. Which brings me to three lessons:

• Calligraphy can be beautiful without being impossible to read

• It is okay to have two different calligraphy styles for header and text

• Your calligraphy artist should be able to accommodate more than one style. If they are limited, or only do it “their way,” then they may not be the artist for you.

3. Where can calligraphy have the greatest impact? There are so many answers to this question beyond invitations including, but not limited to: favors, welcome cards, menus, thank you letters, etc. To identify where you can have the greatest impact, answer this question: What is your wedding centered on beyond the obvious things such as love and devotion?

For us, our wedding is centered on food and culture and had to have impact across international borders. When we thought of who we are as a couple it was easy to identify the two ways that we are predominantly incorporating calligraphy. Also, I would encourage any multi-lingual couple like us to ask for a written acknowledgement that any translation and subsequent accents will be strictly adhered to.

As I continue to reflect on every choice we have made, I can honestly say that all of our vendors have become an integral part of our intimate wedding, which has felt effortless in almost every way.

Late last week we saw the proofs for the calligraphed elements at our wedding and we both knew that we made the right decision and that we had the right artist.

Therefore, if you are unsure about calligraphy given your wedding size, I highly encourage that you consider including at least one element in your wedding design because, as the saying goes, There is beauty in everything, and, on your day, you deserve an abundance of it.

p.s. Don’t forget to follow along with our journey via IG @belajoyful.