Hand lettering is such an art and I have so much respect for anyone who can do calligraphy! Maybe it's becaue I want to live vicariously through them and make my handwriting look like it came out of a swanky 20th century novel… But for real! The time and effort it takes to artfully draw each and every letter on each and every wedding invitation envelope is really mind blowing! This is exactly what Claire of Claire Cohen Lettering specializes in – prettifying your wedding invitations (and more)! As Claire says, invitations are the very first impression your guests get of your wedding day – why not take it one step further and knock their socks off with some beautiful hand lettering! Plus, Claire created an absolutely beautiful address stamp for me, so I can say first-hand that her work is truly incredible! So here we go, I'm so proud to introduce Claire!
Tell us about your company.
Claire: I started Claire Cohen Lettering in 2014 after I began learning calligraphy for my own wedding. I truly love being a part of the biggest day of one's life and assisting brides with their details from the save-the-dates to the welcome sign at the wedding venue. I specialize in wedding calligraphy: envelopes, place cards, painted signs, mirrored signs, chalkboards, gift tags, etc. I also love the smaller creative projects that have been brought my way: lettering the inside of a family bible which was a gift to the bride and groom; calligraphing on an ornate marriage certificate; or the gold ink gift tags that go on the outside of the “will you be my bridesmaid” gift box. Have I mentioned how much I love gold ink? I do, it's true.
What attracts brides to your business?
Claire: It's all about the details. I mean, who DOESN'T get excited when they receive a fancy envelope, with raised glossy ink, and their name written in the fanciest way possible? Those kind of wedding invitations kind of make me want to go out and buy a new dress for the occasion, just saying. Wedding invitations are the guests' first impression of the details of the wedding they are being invited to. The calligraphy on the envelope sets the tone for all of the paper goods, whether printed or hand-lettered, to follow. Hand-written calligraphy can be incorporated throughout just about every written item in the wedding, and adds that special touch.
What is trending in calligraphy design that brides and grooms might appreciate?
Claire: Gold Ink! Silver Ink! Rose Gold Ink! It's all amazing. It's all so lovely. What says “you're invited to my fabulous wedding” more than gold ink? Nothing. That's right. Nothing.
Do you have any advice on how brides can save money on their wedding?
Claire: I love to help brides be budget savvy. (If it means more champagne, and less costs on the invitation budget, I'm okay with that!) When wedding planning, most brides do not realize that (generally speaking) the cost of a calligraphed envelope does not include the return address. I always suggest letting me create a custom hand-lettered stamp, instead of the cost of me hand-lettering each and every return address. This way, the bride will have the return address stamp to keep, and the calligraphed address matches the same lettering on the return address stamp. It's basically a win.
Leave us with some fun facts about you and your company!
Claire: I love meeting with local brides in person. However, I gladly work with brides outside of Nashville and shipping is of course, always do-able. I'm a native Nashvillian and a resident of East Nashville. I live here with my super supportive husband and golden retriever. Current work can be viewed on my website and images from my messy desk, showing the process of all the calligraphy-ness, can be viewed on my Instagram.
Did she say rose gold ink? Don't mind me, I'll be over here Pinning Claire's wedding invitations for inspiration… 🙂
Keep up with Claire Cohen Lettering on her website and of course her Instagram page (link above!). Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful work with us, Claire!
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