What is Live Calligraphy Anyway?
When I tell people I’m a calligrapher, most people ask “oh so you do like wedding stuff right?”. To which I respond - I do! (Insert wedding calligraphy elevator pitch) But I also do live calligraphy and engraving! The next question is almost always “Uh… what’s that? I didn’t even know that was a thing.” Well - let me tell you about my favorite part of my job.
Live Calligraphy (also known as On-Site Calligraphy) is when you have a calligrapher/engraver on-site at your event to provide calligraphy personalization as a complimentary service or gift for their guests. It’s a way to elevate your guest experience by providing an extra luxe gift. It also doubles as interactive entertainment during the event. When planning an event or wedding, you’re typically planning something that is a few hours long. Between eating, drinking, and mingling, you often want something extra for your guests to participate in so everyone’s not walking around like “what do I do with my hands?”
The more common choices are usually a photo booth, a band for dancing, or maybe some sort of entertainer (here in Las Vegas we have a lot of circus performers at events. Being married to one, I’ll always hype them up, but that’s not why we’re here haha). I have found that incorporating something interactive and also personal really connects with the guests. This is where live calligraphy comes in. Let me paint you a word picture:
Let’s imagine you’ve been invited to brand launch, VIP status. The brand has put on a cocktail hour and invited influencers, local business owners, marketing agencies, and other professionals in their industry. You’ve arrived, grabbed a drink, eaten every appetizer that’s been passed around, and introduced yourself to one or two people you met at the bar. You were given your swag bag - likely stuffed with a bunch of standard branded items that, while probably usable, will sit in your pantry for decades. But wait! There’s a small line of people here - which obviously means there’s something interesting and desirable at the end of that line. You wait just a few minutes and now you are standing in front of an artist who is going to hand engrave your name - in stunning calligraphy - on the sleek, branded, powder coated tumbler you just got in your swag bag! Something that was going to be like every other water bottle in your pantry, just became your go to vessel for your favorite drink. You tell her your name, you interact for a few minutes as she carefully and effortlessly hand engraves your name into the surface. It’s like those satisfying lettering videos except right in front of you. Talk about a luxury experience.
This then leads to sharing on social media, word of mouth excitement to friends and colleagues about what a unique and personal experience this brand is dedicated to. That is successful marketing.
I love this type of work because I get to interact directly and immediately with the people who receive my art. See the way my art connect me to these people and connect these people to the brand or company I am hired by is the reason I do the work I do. It connects people with each other. It connects people with emotion. Art is important.
