This week’s tips are going to be a little different… we are bias in thinking that photography is the BEST part of wedding planning, but we’re here to help you with the entire process (to the best of our abilities). We are experts in our field and can only speak to our own abilities. With that being said, we would love to bring you input from other professionals in the Wedding World. This week, we want to share tips about wedding invitations and calligraphy! Please welcome Holly with Sablewood Paper Company!Hi! I’m Holly – the calligrapher, stationer, graphic designer, and creative mind behind Sablewood Paper Company in Seattle, Washington. Sablewood is a bespoke and semi-custom wedding invitation and décor studio I founded in April of 2015. I strive to create pieces that speak to my clients and their guests, each one telling a unique and heartfelt love story that not only serve as beautiful wedding pieces, but as lifelong heirlooms.

I moved from Florida to the Pacific Northwest in June of 2017 and have been lovin’ every minute (but I’ll get back to you once winter kicks into gear)! When I’m not writing pretty calligraphy or attending an industry event, you can likely find me cuddling with my husband and our two cats (Benson & Stormy), reading my way through my library, or trying to find a way to cram an entire season of TV into one evening (currently watching: Outlander and The Handmaid’s Tale).

Here are my 5 Ways to Get the Most from your Wedding Stationery and Be Less Stressed!

1. Plan ahead. Here’s my suggested timeline for what to do after you get engaged: Tell your friends and family, choose a date, and then contact your stationer. If you’re planning to send out save the dates, you’ll need to do this 8-12 months before your wedding date (8 months for an in-town wedding, 12 months for a destination wedding). The more time you give your guests to plan for your wedding, the more likely they will be able to come! A typical wedding suite takes about 1 month from start to finish to create and should be mailed 8-10 weeks before your wedding: you may have several rounds of design proofs to look over, printing can take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks depending on what your pieces are, and the design itself is a time- consuming process. It’s always better to start early than scramble at the last minute, which saves you a headache and possible rush charges!
2. Stationery sets the tone for your wedding. There are always ways to cut corners when it comes to saving money on your wedding, but your stationery should not be one of them. Months before your guests set foot at your ceremony or reception, you’ll mail them a save the date and invitation suite that requests their presence at your big day. What do you want that invitation to say to them, besides the date and time of the ceremony? Without even saying a word, your invitations set the tone for your wedding from the paper choice, to your fonts, to whether the addressing was done in calligraphy, to even your stamp selection.
3. With all of the options out there, how do you choose a stationer? When deciding on who might be the best 􀁿t for your invitations, the most important things to consider are your budget, the style of your wedding, and what kinds of invitations you like. Peruse Pinterest and Google images and make note of what pops out at you. From there, find stationers or calligraphers near you by visiting your favorite wedding sites (I recommend The Knot, Style Me Pretty or Borrowed & Blue). Contact a few stationers who catch your eye and tell them what you’d like! Make sure their style complements yours (check out their Instagram accounts to see what kinds of work they typically do!) and you’ll definitely end up with something you love.
4. What about calligraphy? If you’re interested in booking a calligrapher to address your envelopes or create your invitation suite, make sure you do it sooner rather than later! As a calligrapher, it’s so stressful for both myself and the bride when we have a two-week deadline to meet before we print. I generally require one week for every 100 envelopes I need to address, and that’s just guest addressing (2 weeks per 100 envelopes are requested for guest addressing and return addressing).
5. Are stationery and calligraphy even an important part of my wedding? Three years ago, when I was getting married (before I was a calligrapher, back when I was only a graphic designer), I knew that my only living grandparent, my grandfather, wouldn’t be able to attend my wedding because of his health. I sent him an invitation despite that, hoping it would make him smile. This past spring, when he passed away, I flew to Texas with my dad to help him go through my grandfather’s things. My invitation was hanging perfectly straight on the fridge, not a speck of dust on it, more than three years later. Even though he couldn’t come to my wedding, my grandfather kept that wedding invitation I sent him and he treasured it. I still tear up recalling that memory. Some people may consider your wedding invitations “just pieces of paper”, but to the people who love you, it’s so much more than that.

Thank you so much for sharing your insight with us today Holly! Your work is stunning and we were blown away at the amazing quality! Please let us know if you want to see her work in person (because pictures do not do it justice!).

Happy Planning,

Nicole and Ryan