In a digital age it’s perhaps somewhat surprising that there has been a resurgence in popularity for handcrafted wedding stationery.

Yet wedding invitations set the tone for how guests envisage your wedding, so it’s worth considering how to incorporate the beautiful classic art of calligraphy into your wedding day.

And there’s something quite special about receiving a handwritten card adorned with the sweep of pure black ink on crisp white envelopes.

But recent trends have seen wedding calligraphy isn’t just reserved for paper either. A quick search on Pinterest shows it featuring on everything from mirrors and chalkboards to pumpkins and stamps offering a more personal and thoughtful touch.

Calligraphy artist Sally Jane, explains: “With modern calligraphy and hand lettering very much in vogue, lots of couples are turning to simple, minimalist wedding invitations.

“It’s great to see couples paying more attention to all the final touches with their stationery – hand lettered place cards and wedding breakfast menus, fabulous signage for welcome signs and drinks menus and embracing the charm the handwritten envelope brings.”

Sally, who runs Sally Jane Calligraphy based in Halifax, shares her top tips on things to consider when looking for a Calligrapher for your wedding.

1. Style

Think about the style, colours, themes of wedding stationery you would like and what you have the budget for. Save the date cards, invitations, place cards, table numbers, menus, table plan, signage, envelope addressing and thank you cards are all things that can be handwritten.

If you are looking to use a calligrapher, ask for samples and quotes.

You can even request a new script that incorporates elements from multiple styles but keep in mind the nature of your wedding; traditional weddings call for more conventional scripts while for a more relaxed event, a modern, laid back script could be used.

2. Preparation

Consider timings – hand lettering takes time, for most jobs I ask for at least 2-3 weeks lead time. Bear this in mind as invitations need to be sent out in good time, especially if your wedding falls in the holiday period. Consider how far in advance you’d like to receive your on the day stationery to avoid last minute requests.

3. Quality

Not all paper is created equally where calligraphy ink is concerned!

Calligraphers may ask for a sample envelope from your wedding invitations to check your chosen ink colour takes to the paper without any issues. In order to account for mistakes (calligraphy can be a messy business) it’s best to include 10-15% extra plus it’s always a good idea to have some spares for any last minute additions!

In order to account for mistakes (calligraphy can be a messy business) it’s best to include 10-15% extra plus it’s always a good idea to have some spares for any last minute additions!

4. DIY

If you fancy giving calligraphy a go yourself, have you considered a course?

Our Introduction to Modern Calligraphy workshops involves a relaxed, fun three hour class where we go through the basic elements of calligraphy; learning strokes, shapes joining letters.

Click here to visit Sally's Facebook page.