Vendor Spotlight-Hardink Calligraphy
Happy Thursday!! Today we are featuring Elizabeth with Hardink Calligraphy, she creates custom calligraphy pieces for brides. Tell us about your company
My company is called Hardink Calligraphy. It is a creative design studio specializing in custom calligraphy for weddings, businesses, and special events. My creative alternatives to traditional calligraphy allow me to celebrate the classic art of hand-written correspondence in a modern way. I put pen to paper from a home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, but work with brides and businesses all throughout the country. Starting in January 2013, six of my twelve lettering styles will be featured through Bella Figura, an artisan letterpress company in Syracuse, New York.
How did you get started in creating wedding stationery?
I started creating wedding stationery throughout my own personal wedding planning process. I was in search of the perfect invitation and I just couldn't find anything that I felt fit my personality in the way that I wanted it to. After exhaustive searching I decided to create something myself. I guess you could say I was my first customer :) People loved the personality of my invitation and I realized I loved the process of creating it and things just sort of took off from there.
Explain the process of creating custom wedding stationery with a bride
The process of creating stationery with a bride is extremely fun, but can be a little overwhelming for some brides, so I like to start out with a meeting (or phone conversation for out of town brides) just to get a general idea of what she likes, what her wedding will be like, etc. etc. Once we determine exactly what pieces she's looking for and whether she wants full or partial calligraphy then I show her my style sheet so that she can choose the lettering style that best fits the look and feel of her wedding. After she selects a style and we finalize her wording I send her digital proofs of her pieces to make sure they're exactly what she's looking for! Once she approves the look I send her (or her printer) the final files to have printed.
What other products do you offer?
In terms of physical products, my best selling product is my rubber/self-inking stamps. The stamps are offered in a variety of sizes and can be address stamps, logos, signature stamps, etc. I also sell customized hand-lettered Moleskine notebooks.
In terms of design products, outside of wedding invitations and envelope calligraphy I offer a variety of other wedding related products...wedding signage, place/escort cards, tags for out of town bags, calligraphy for programs, menus, etc. Recently a groom contacted me about lettering the note that he's delivering to his bride on their wedding day. I was very touched by that special request.
I also do a lot of work outside of weddings. Personalized stationery and invitations for other events are big sellers. I also do logo design and calligraphy for businesses. Basically if something has letters, I can offer it!
Some personal questions about Elizabeth:
Mac or PC Mac
Tea or Coffee Coffee
iPhone or Blackberry iPhone
Favorite Song Right Now Love is a Verb by John Mayer
Photo Credits: Lotus Blossom Photography and Donald Yeager Photography