Choosing a Wedding Calligrapher: Answering Frequently Asked Questions About Shipping, Destination Weddings & Budget!

Weddings

January 18, 2022

If you’ve been spending some time on Google or Pinterest, dreaming about your wedding day vision, I’m guessing you have found at least one wedding vendor you would LOVE to work with, but they aren’t local to you. I get it! While certain things can be shipped, in most cases it IS a little easier to work with a local wedding vendor. But don’t worry! Today, I am going to break down three of my most frequently asked questions as a Hoboken wedding calligrapher including some tips on shipping (if you are planning a destination wedding), and some money saving tips for your wedding calligraphy! When it comes to choosing a wedding calligrapher, it’s worth doing a little extra leg work to find the right fit!

Photography Credit: Carolyn Jorgensen Photography

Does your wedding calligrapher need to be local?

Although some vendors absolutely need to be local (like your caterer!), a wedding calligrapher is often a “grey area” but there are a few things to consider! Ultimately, wedding calligraphers have different styles so, similar to wedding photographers, you need to find someone you love, first and foremost.

That being said, it’s always a good idea to start the search locally, especially if you are dreaming of working with heavier items (like mirrors!). If you know you want larger display pieces, local is the way to go, if possible. If you chose to work with a wedding calligrapher located somewhere else, make sure to factor in travel and delivery fees. On top of that, when you choose a local wedding calligrapher, you may also have access to some extra perks: like access to rental inventory (I have mirrors, frames, signs and more in my rental inventory!) and being able to visit your wedding calligrapher’s studio in person for a design consultation (and ideally touch and feel the different materials!).

With lighter items like invitations/place cards/paper signage and even some acrylic signage, it doesn’t matter as much. Those items can be designed virtually and mailed to you.

If you are having a destination wedding, should you choose a wedding calligrapher local to you OR local to your destination?

As a Hoboken wedding calligrapher, my couples get married all over the tri-state area which means that a lot of my couples do choose destination wedding weekend locations like Upstate New York. The truth is, it’s up to you if you would rather use someone local (and take advantage of in-person meetings!) or if you would rather choose someone local to your wedding destination (and then not worry about shipping or transporting your pieces!).

With that said, if you ARE choosing to work with a local calligrapher and then move things yourself, here are a few care tips to make sure everything arrives safely!

When you are transporting larger signage (like a mirror seating chart!), be sure to use bubble wrap, blankets, or sheets to protect your items during transit. You can truly never have too much padding!
When you are transporting mirrors or acrylic wedding signage, make sure to avoid any extreme temperatures to preserve the ink.
For smaller pieces, pack everything in boxes or plastic bins for safekeeping. Make sure to include packing material so nothing is rattling around during your trip!

Keep in mind, when you work with a professional and experienced wedding calligrapher, they should be able to advise you on the best materials and options for your travels. When couples work with me, I always make sure that EVERYTHING is safely wrapped (whether you are traveling to a local venue to driving upstate), so you can rest assured that your signage and stationery items will remain safe during the drive!

Photography Credit: Off Beet Productions

If you work with a wedding calligrapher, does everything have to be custom? Can you mix and match calligraphy pieces to save money?

Weddings are an investment, and it’s normal to try and save money where you can. In general, no, you don’t want half of your signage to be custom calligraphy and half to be ordered on Etsy or some other budget-friendly option you found on the internet. It disrupts the flow of the signage and it’s usually pretty easy to tell what’s handwritten professionally by a calligrapher and what’s a printed computer font. It really takes away from the calligraphy you’ve invested in, so much so that I actually have an exclusivity clause in my contract asking that if you hire me as your wedding calligrapher, you don’t bring in another wedding calligraphy or stationery designer (including online vendors like Etsy!).

With that said, I know that wedding calligraphy is an investment, and I want to help you make the most of it! If budget is a concern, there are still ways to work with a professional wedding calligrapher and save some money! First, consider working with a wedding calligrapher that offers rentals so that you can have cohesive calligraphy without needing every single piece to be created custom. You can browse a few of my rental pieces here, and I go more in-depth about what should be purchased vs. rented here. I am always adding to my collection so if there is something you are curious about, just ask!

On top of that, there are ways to recoup a little bit of your investment back after the wedding as well. Items like mirrors can be reused or resold (as opposed to acrylic which will always be a one-time use). Not only is this great for your wedding budget, but it also makes your wedding day more sustainable and earth-friendly. If this is something you’re interested in, here are some of my favorite ways to throw a low-waste wedding!