PERFECTING YOUR PAPER TRAIL

PERFECTING YOUR

PAPER TRAIL Wedding Stationery Trends for 2022

by Fiama Mastrangelo

Wedding stationery holds the key to making a great first impression with guests. After the engagement photos get posted to social media, friends and family anxiously await the arrival of their personalized wedding invitation. The “Save the Date” will find its forever home on loved ones’ fridges and serve as an everlasting reminder of an epic celebration of romance. Place cards with delicate typography set the tone for the reception to come and complement the centerpieces that have been painstakingly assembled to perfection. At each step of the wedding guest’s experience, stationery is there to guide the way.

An integral part of the wedding planning process, stationery functions as a roadmap for guests to follow, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. The invitations and signage contain important messages about the “who, what, where” while the place cards and “Save the Date” notices signal the overall aesthetic and vibe of the event.

Though each style of stationery is as unique as each couple’s love story, some common threads have popped up within both the national and local wedding scenes. Stationery artists and designers from Pensacola weighed in on some of the most popular trends for the 2022 wedding season.

NATURAL INFLUENCES

Local printmaker Caitlyn Cooney is the owner of Charlotte Mason Print Co., a local company that uses the letterpress printmaking method to create their products. Cooney has seen an influx of natural influences on her clients’ stationery requests. “Wedding stationery trends generally follow the same trends as floral and fashion,” Cooney said. “In the last year or so, I have seen a big demand for a more ‘natural’ vibe—think earth tones and textures more than bright colors— romantic and relaxed fonts, handmade paper and understated floral elements,” she added.

A stationery collection designed by Scripted Calling

ARTIST-DRIVEN AESTHETICS

Local clients are seeking to incorporate their favorite artists’ unique styles into their dream wedding designs. Charlotte Mason Print Co.’s letterpress method is unique to the brand, as historical printmaking shops can be a bit of a rare commodity these days. Clients of Cooney’s are seeking out her specific artistic style when they contact her for stationery requests. “We are fortunate because letterpress has its own ‘style.’ You can’t miss a hand printed invitation. We use heavy cotton paper, custom mixed inks, and curate every detail down to the stamp,” she explained. Coupled with handdrawn designs, Charlotte Mason Print Co.’s distinctive style attracts clients who are already fans of the soft, industrial influences.

Melissa Callaway, the owner of Scripted Calling, is a modern calligrapher in Pensacola, and well known for her delicate hand-lettering style. Though Callaway is versatile in her talents and lettering styles, many of her clients bring samples of her previous works as a starting point for their consultation. “I’m pretty open to whatever it is that the couple is looking for, and if they reach out to me, I think that they’re trusting my creative vision,” Callaway said.

BRIGHTER, BOLDER COLORS

Callaway has seen a recent uptick in bold colors for wedding invitations in the 2022 season. “Green is always a big one, especially for lush, tropical themes, which are coming up for the summer,” she explained. Deep teal colors, and vivacious pinks have also been trending with Scripted Calling’s clientele. Gold remains a popular color for lettering on Callaway’s orders.

CLASSIC PAPER DESIGNS

Though many couples are seeking out bold and unique designs, there is still a great demand for classic stationery styles. Callaway continues to see invitations and place cards on specialty paper with embossed lettering.

Emily Caudle, the owner of Call a Graphic Artist, has seen a major increase in brides looking for traditional invitation styles. As many brides have opted for more intimate gatherings in the past two years, Caudle’s clients have gravitated towards traditional, hand-lettered calligraphy on the invitation envelopes. “She wants them to be kind of a keepsake,” Caudle added, referring to the bride’s vision for personalized envelopes.

CLEAN, MODERN LINES

Both Callaway and Caudle have worked with many brides who are looking for clean and modern styles for their wedding stationery designs. Callaway notes that modern styles and shapes have been another highlyrequested design element. She also observed that brides have leaned towards “not so much wording or verbiage being included on invitations.” They really just want “very clean text lining and layouts,” she added. Scripted Calling is perhaps best known for its signage work in weddings, where Callaway’s signature modern calligraphy style can be seen delicately adorning acrylic cutouts and cake toppers with sleek, modern lines.

A collection of letterpress invitations by Charlotte Mason Print Co.