Happy Monday everyone! I hope the weekend treated you well and you're off to a productive week. In honor of National Handwriting Day, I just had to blog about a lovely lady that has the most beautiful calligraphy!! Her name is Emily of Emily Kathryn Designs and she so nicely took the time to answer some questions about what she does & share some tips regarding all things paper for weddings. Emily and I are connected through a mutual client who is getting married in Atlanta, GA this fall. She currently resides in Austin, Texas but is an Atlanta native. So without further ado, I give you: Emily!
1. When did your passion for calligraphy begin?
I've been passionate about words and handwriting for longer than I can even remember! My parents tell me I never spoke baby talk; I guess I was concerned with words right from the get go! I would ask them to repeat words until I was certain I could pronounce them correctly. Then, in high school and into college, I would take "visual notes" - drawing out the words and concepts to help me stay focused in class and to help me remember the lessons. This turned into many doodles of quotes, lyrics + prayers, which eventually led to an old friend asking me to design her wedding invitations! Since then, my business has grown + I continue to learn new calligraphy and lettering skills all the time! It's still one of my favorite ways to take notes during my 9-5, and my favorite thing to get to work on when I get home each day.
2. What would you say to brides who think custom calligraphy is out of their price range?
Focus your budget and your attention on whatever is most important to you! But with that said, don't be afraid to reach out to learn what's possible within your stationery + calligraphy budget. First of all, I offer customization on my Wedding Collection suites, which give you the elegance + craft of hand lettering without the price of a fully-custom suite. And with the wide range of papers + printing methods out there, we can work together to find the right combination that will give you a high quality suite without breaking the bank.
3. How long does the process usually take from designing to printing?
The timeline from vision-to-design-to-print can range greatly, primarily based on the effectiveness of your communication with your designer. For wedding invitations, I typically like to start designing at least 6 weeks before you'd like to have the product in hand. This allows us time for visioning, designing, and iterating, as well as pre-planning deadlines. Different printing methods come with different turn-around times, so that can have a big impact as well!
4. What has been your favorite custom piece to create?
Oh man! My favorite custom piece so far... There are two that come to mind! One is my state outline save the dates, which I now offer as a part of my Wedding Collection, but started as a custom piece! Another is my Top Ten cards, which have also since been added to my Collection. These are a great addition to a welcome bag for out-of-town guests--a fun personal touch from the bride + groom to their guests, and they are so much fun to make!
5. What advice do you have for brides when it comes to calligraphy and all things paper for their wedding?
Your paper is so important to your wedding day! Your Save the Date is the first thing your guests will receive related to your wedding, so you want it to really carry the tone + feel of your big day. For this reason, it's important for the whole suite to feel cohesive; paper goods are a great way to tie all the little pieces of your wedding together. And speaking of little pieces, don't forget to think it all the way through! Your paper defines your guests' experience: from marking their calendar, knowing who's invited, showing up in the right place at the right time, following along during the ceremony, finding their way to their seat at the reception, and even knowing what's on the plate in front of them (hello, food allergies!)... your paper goods are essential to carrying your guests through your beautiful wedding day plans with ease!
And just take a look at some of the beautiful work Emily has created:
She truly has a gift for creating beautiful stationary, invitations, and beyond. If you want to follow Emily and learn more about her business and all the pretty things that she creates, check out her website here and be sure to follow her on Facebook and Instagram!
Thanks for reading friends, and I hope you all have a blessed week! xo