the envelope please...

Another winter wedding job completed!  The bride chose classic italic with black ink.  My best wishes to the happy couple! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day-  

 

 

 

escort cards

These days, every little detail counts and escort cards are no exception.  Brides and event hosts alike have really gotten creative with how they let their guests know where to sit.  Here are some examples for inspiration.  Whether they are determined by your location, season, theme, etc...  I am happy to help anyone with creating something as classic or unique as you want to go!

fabulous fall

Needless to say, I've been a little preoccupied over the last few months with the birth of my second child and while some days are completely crazy, I'm loving every minute.  She's just about the sweetest thing I've ever had the pleasure to know- look at those baby blues!

I've also been working and have just completed invitations for a wedding in November and for an after party for a wedding in October.  Both were for dear friends and I was really honored to be able to be a part of both events. 

Now that fall is here and things are calming down on the home front, I'm ready to do more! It's time to start thinking about invitations for late fall and winter weddings. I've also been looking into several options for Escort Cards for events and the options are limitless.  So many fun and creative ideas out there that I'd love to share with a bride or anyone else planning a special event. 
Will post some of my favorite examples soon.  Stay tuned-

labor of love

As I anxiously await the arrival of our daughter (5 days or less!), I am happy at how the painting I created for her nursery turned out.  It is the largest I've attempted (30" x 30").  I was inspired by the dogwoods in our yard this spring.   It really adds to the room and ties in all of the colors of the decor.   

 

kind words go a long way

It's always nice to receive a compliment from a friend or family member, but extra special when you receive one for your efforts from others.  Here is what a bride had to say recently after I addressed and assembled her wedding invitations:

"I truly can't thank you enough for the beautiful work you did and thank you for being so flexible and easy to work with"

I take a lot of pride in my work and try to always do my best.  I really appreciate the kind words and look forward to helping my next bride with her special day!

Wedding Season

As a bride, there's nothing more special than seeing your invitation in print and it's truly official once you have them in the mail!  Having your invitations addressed by a calligrapher shows you went the extra mile to make them look as nice as possible.  The idea of there being one wedding season has certainly changed over the years.  Brides are now planning not only spring weddings, but lovely summer, fall and winter weddings as well.  I just finished a job for an early summer wedding.  The bride chose a classic invitation and a classic, black font for her envelopes and they turned out well!  Wishing the happy couple all the best. 

It's recommended to have your invitations in the mail six to eight weeks prior to the big day, so please keep that in mind when ordering your invitations and give at least a week for the calligraphy.  I am available for all upcoming weddings and any other events that require custom lettering.  I also follow all etiquette rules for formal and informal invitations and can answer any questions you may have for tricky situations.  I offer full assembly of invitations as well as other services- rates available upon request.  Looking forward to the next event I get to be a part of! 

A few examples:

 

Inner envelope detail:

custom letters

When I created my son's "big boy" room, I wanted to add something special above his bed.  I chose the word "dream" in hopes that all of his will be pleasant/ sweet.   I also decided to mix it up with different patterns/ designs that I thought looked good together.  Looking for a custom, one-of-a-kind piece of artwork for your nursery, playroom or child's room?  The options are limitless- I can work with any color scheme, lettering of your choice, words, phrases, initials, monograms, etc... 

birthday party invites

Over the weekend I worked on addressing invitations for a third birthday party.  I think they turned out well!  The options are limitless as far as color, design, etc...  I've been playing around with some new ideas and can't wait until my next job! 

And we're off

Looking back on it, the inspiration to get into calligraphy/ lettering was sparked by my grandmother, Mama Akers.  When I was young, I would spend periods of time at her house in the summer when my parents were traveling.  I had a calligraphy set and taught myself the basics when I must have been around 8 or 9 years old.  My grandmother must have noticed that I had nice handwriting back then and decided to use it to her advantage and we began crafting homemade cards.  What started out as something to keep me busy turned out to be a little “business”.   Mama Akers would cut out card stock the size of an envelope and glue different pictures she’d find and add stickers as well as a border, and I’d write the message for the card, varying from “Wishing You a Happy Birthday”, “Get Well Soon”, “Just a Little Note to Say Hello”, etc…  If you received a card from her between 1985- 1990, chances are you received a homemade “special”. 

While my day to day handwriting is nothing too noticeable, it’s always been clear and concise.  I’ve also developed the ability to mimic many fonts I find. In college, I majored in Design, so I’ve always had an eye for detail and have used that over the years to help friends and others print invitations and do other small design projects.  I decided to take a Calligraphy course at NC State to learn how to do it properly and learn some classic fonts.  After completing the six week course, I’ve decided to take a stab at starting my own lettering business and see where it takes me.  In this booming age of technology, I feel there is still something special about something being crafted by hand rather than a machine.  Wish me luck and please let anyone you know who is looking for calligraphy/ lettering service to check out Lasting Letter Designs!

At this time, I favor the classic italic and uncial fonts as well as a basic script.  Here are examples as well as some invitations I've printed for various events: