Hand Calligraphy - Envelope Addressing

Planning your wedding is a time-consuming task, with many details that require your personal attention. But the good news is that...

Envelope addressing can be delegated!

Hand-lettered envelopes convey the attention to detail you've given to planning your special day, and your guests will know it will be an event they won't want to miss! 

Why should I hire a professional calligrapher?

Professional calligraphers work daily with fine wedding stationery and know how to address envelopes efficiently. They can offer you many lettering styles to choose from, are familiar with which inks work best on fine papers, and can answer etiquette questions regarding your address list.

Ideally, if you decide to hire a calligrapher, plan to do it several months before ordering your invitations to ensure that your preferred calligrapher is available. Most will require a deposit to guarantee their availability for your envelopes.

How many envelopes should I order?

Order a minimum of 10% extra envelopes than you have invitations to send out. This will ensure that you have enough envelopes in case of address changes or other errors. For metallic-coated papers such as Stardream, you might order 15% extra.

Also, if your envelopes come from the stationer pre-stuffed with the invitations, remove the invitations before delivering the envelopes to your calligrapher. In some cases you can request the printer not to pre-stuff the envelopes.

How does PenDance charge for addressing envelopes?

We charge by the envelope or per set of outer/inner envelopes, not by the line. We do not charge extra for using colored inks (other than metallics) or for opaque or lined envelopes.

However, if the envelope paper is soft, such as certain letterpress or handmade papers, we may charge an additional fee since these papers take longer to address.

For monoline styles, we only offer black ink.

How should I prepare the address list for PenDance?

Please see Address Formatting for how to prepare your address list. We offer an Excel template that you can download to enter your guest list information. We'll convert your Excel spreadsheet to label format for your review prior to addressing the envelopes.

Which calligraphy style should I choose?

For formal weddings, pointed pen styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian are always suitable. For casual weddings, you might consider Contemporary Pointed Pen or an Italic style. View our Calligraphy Styles to see samples of pointed pen, monoline, and italic. These styles can also be chosen for creating a custom invitation design.

If you are looking for a less expensive option than pointed pen lettering, you might consider one of our Monoline styles.

Hand-painted watercolor roses can also be added to your envelopes for a special touch.

How do I order hand addressing services from PenDance?

Call us at (281) 558-7856 or toll free (866) 476-6788, or submit a Request for Quote to ensure availability to address your envelopes. We'll need the following information:

• Date of the event
• The date you want to mail out the invitations
• The date you can provide us with the envelopes and your complete list of attendees
• Calligraphy style desired
• Number of addresses
• If you will be using outer envelopes only, or both outer and inner envelopes
• Color of ink required

1. Prepare your address list in spreadsheet or label format, then email it to me. If the list is sent as a spreadsheet, I'll prepare the list in label format and email it back to you for final approval. If you have etiquette questions, please let me know.
2. Plan to provide a minimum of 10% more envelopes than addresses, with no fewer than 10 additional envelopes. If you have metallic-coated envelopes, you might consider 15% extra.
3. If you have additional addresses or changes to your existing list after sending the original list, please email us just the changes, not the entire list again.
4. We'll call or email you when the envelopes are ready to deliver, along with the balance due. We usually keep 3-5 blank envelopes in case of last minute changes after delivery of the envelopes.

Deposit and Due Date

• A 50% deposit is required to reserve time on our work schedule for hand calligraphy. The balance is due when the completed items are shipped or delivered to you.
• All shipping and delivery costs are the client's responsibility. If you should decide to cancel your order, then the deposit will act as a cancellation fee.
• The due date for the completed envelopes will most likely not be able to be moved up once it's set on our schedule. Please have an accurate count of your addresses, and the estimated time you will need to stuff the envelopes, before providing the due date.

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