Getting your wedding invitation wording just right can feel like a challenge. The sheer amount of advice online is daunting! Which “complete guide to wedding invitation wording” is best? Are wedding invitations worded differently in the UK to the US? And which variation of wedding invitation etiquette will fit your family circumstances? If this all feels like an impossible task, I’m here to help. I’m a wedding stationery designer and calligrapher, and I’ve been advising couples on wording their invitations for well over a decade. Things have changed recently, and the loveliest trend in wedding invites is authenticity. Here’s everything you need to know.
Written for English Wedding by UK wedding calligrapher Claire: By Moon & Tide Calligraphy
with images by Lake District wedding photographer Hannah Hall Photography
(full credits at the end of the article)
I’m almost hoping that you’ll scoff at the title of this little article – does calligraphy really work for any wedding budget?! Well, I’m here to tell you that yes, it does. The beautiful art that may once have been the province of the aristocracy can be really affordable. You can hire a calligrapher no matter how much you have to spend on your wedding. It’s just a matter of choosing how and where to include calligraphy in your day. Let me explain!
Winter weddings have a unique magic all of their own. There’s something wonderful about warm candlelight, especially paired with a darker wedding cake and dramatic stationery. The hues of winter hellebores and the gentle sparkle of taper candles, with polished glassware and late autumn foliage are simply breathtaking here. The venue, a gem in the Lake District: Ghyll Barn is located in the Eden Valley. Images are by utterly brilliant, ridiculously talented and bloody lovely Lakes wedding photographer: Hannah Hall, based in Kirkby Stephen.
Discover lots of gorgeous wedding place names at sale prices on Etsy this summer!
These lovely place names are from By Moon & Tide, all handwritten in calligraphy and on sale (also on Etsy) this August.
Place names from L-R, top row first:
- Circular wedding place names with calligraphy, made in the UK from almond colour sustainable recycled card
- Ribbon wedding place names
- Natural green wedding place names with hand calligraphy, made in the UK from sustainable recycled card
- Elegant navy blue luxury wedding place names
- Elegant sage green wedding place names
There are so many reasons I love this photoshoot – I hope you will adore it as much as I do! The Lake District feels like home to me. I can step outside my house and see the fells from where I live. I spend my weekends high in the mountains whenever I can. It’s the most beautiful place in the world.
