NYC calligrapher — Order She Writes

Photos by myself and professional photos by Micaela Grace.

Obviously, these my favorite wedding invitations of all time, as they are my own. (lol) Beautifully illustrated by Tiffany Willey, it’s filled with little nods to Justin and I and to the island of Martha’s Vineyard. I designed the invitations (with lots of layout and tech help by Tiffany) and printed them locally at Print Icon here in NYC. (I love those guys!) Captured on camera on the day by Micaela Grace, the rest shot in my apartment the week they went out to all of our guests.

I knew I wanted to incorporate some illustration, specifically watercolor, because Justin and I certainly have a playful energy to our relationship, and by extension, our wedding. But I also loved illustrated storybooks as a kid, with all their intricate detail and color, so many images which I still think about to this day, so illustration was something I wanted to bring in to our invitations. I also really enjoy hidden easter egg images that have special meaning, so it was a ton of fun to commission Tiffany to paint those and work them into the design. The crest features blue ribbon—the ribbon I knew I was incorporating in my bridesmaids bouquets. It shows rose-hips, which grow in dunes all over the island. Mussel shells, which can be found along the rocky beaches in Menemsha, as well as their blue-hued shells which were the entire inspiration for the wedding color palette! The stars represent the incredibly clear skies over the island at night, where you are completely blanketed in a starry sky, as there are no city lights for miles and miles all around you. Of course, we had to include our puppy Alfie, as well as our trusty canvas beach bag we use to tote our things all around each year, beers for him, a spicy margarita for me, and our favorite lighthouse in Edgartown. (Lighthouses have a special meaning to Justin especially.) Tiffany was a beast. She brought my little ideas to life on the page!

It was a risky choice to do the entire main invitation card in one of my more hard-to-read styles, but it’s my favorite style I do, and let’s be honest— everyone invited knew that was coming. (lol) I also LOVE real handwriting done in letterpress, it’s like a piece of art! We did the whole suite in letterpress, which was something else I knew I wanted to be done for the invitations.

I chose to do the outer envelope in the lighter shade of blue, a little more reflective of the airy nature of the wedding I was planning, but with a deep cobalt to anchor (no pun intended) the suite and reflect the boys’ suits and my bridesmaid in the darkest dress. (I feel as though I need to remind everyone, at this point in your reading, that in NO WAY did I think ANY of this was going to translate to my guests, lol. Just fun to do!)

I did want to use vintage stamps but ended up needing quite a lot of stamps for the practical postage anyway, that I was able to just pick out stamps I liked (that added up to the correct value) and still got to pile them on giving a vintage stamp vignette on the envelopes! I absolutely love working with more than just one stamp for invitation envelopes. They are like little tiny pieces of artwork! So beautiful and unique, even if they aren’t vintage.

Lastly, I added a Carly Simon song lyric, which I thought brought a whisper of forthcoming festivities to each guest in a small way, and acted as a small keepsake. Simon a native to Martha’s Vineyard! She still lives there today. The song is called “Menemsha”; a song written about Justin and my favorite little fishing village on the island. Carmela over at Fiore Press did these and they are one of my favorite elements in the whole suite. She printed it so beautifully!

Creating a business for yourself has enough of a learning curve when tackling the nitty-gritty business side: taxes, pricing, invoices, growth, permits…And then there’s actually taking the time to hone your skills and improve the actual work you produce! The last thing you need is hindrance by a bad tool, or missing something that is easy to get and that allows you to work faster, better, and more efficiently. Here are the top five things I’d rather not live without, as long as I can afford them!

A quality pen holder | I tend to use thicker holders, as they work better when writing for long periods of time, allowing my grip to be comfortable and relaxed, rather than tight and pointed. I also prefer oblique holders rather than straight pens. (Oblique pen holders have the little metal flange for the nib that sticks out of the side of it; straight pens don’t have a flange—you insert the nib at the opening in the base of the holder.) Oblique holders are considered more advanced, which can be true to some. I started with a straight pen and gradually moved to the oblique. In hindsight, I still think the oblique is easier! I like the beautiful pen holders by Ink Me This. (She offers so many pretty colors and looks!)

The Nikko G Nib | This nib is probably the most universally used nib for today’s pointed pen calligraphy. It’s great for beginners, too! It’s flexible but still firm, and resilient to a lot of practice before you need a new one. I get mine here. If you head to videos on my Instagram, you’ll see I use this nib a LOT.

An ink stirrer | This seems like a luxury, but if you do any work in larger quantities, I think it’s a ‘must’ and well worth the investment. All you need it to plug it in and drop in the magnet, and you have smooth, constant, mixed ink. (You don’t need to mix all inks, but most of the colors I make do require constant mixing, especially metallics.) I have this one, and it’s amazing.

Something that makes straight lines on paper | This one seems vague. It is! I leave it open because everyone has something that works best for them, and it’s trial and error to see which is the perfect fit. I used something called the Slider Writer, but unfortunately, they don’t make them anymore! Lasers work well, light pads, phantom liners, and templates!

A good white ink | See my post about my favorite white ink, Dr. PH Martin’s Bleedproof White. Not only do I get asked to use white ink a lot, but without this one, I’d be constantly mixing to make something strong enough and opaque enough that it makes an impression.