A friendor Surprise!

Planning our wedding has had lots of ups and downs, especially because of the budget. We have really had to prioritize and cut things, whether we want to or not...Lately it seems like everything is getting cut. So I was super excited to hear that we are being gifted a wedding service, I would have otherwise had to cut- Calligraphy!

I love Calligraphy and beautiful handwriting and really wanted it on our invites, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen, other things were moved up on the priority list and calligraphy was one of the first items to go.

I started researching places to learn DIY calligraphy, but even that would eat at our budget. After realizing I couldn't afford to pay someone to teach me, I started doing self-taught trials. They came out ok, but the perfectionist in me has not been happy with the results. There are some things, you just need to leave to the professionals.

In comes my aunt, she is a professional calligrapher. She has been doing wedding invites as a side job for years. I never thought to ask her, because I knew we couldn't afford it, and I didn't want to take advantage.

Last week, she spoke to my mom and offered to do the calligraphy on all the invites and escort cards for both myself and my sister as our wedding gifts. I am beyond happy. I have seen her work before and it is beautiful. She has a traditional style, which is exactly what I'd like. I wish I had a sample to share, but unfortunately, you'll have to wait and see.

I've seen her work multiple times, as she has done the calligraphy for many cousins (think large Irish Catholic family---25 cousins on just one side!). So I know it will be beautiful and even more special because it is a gift done out of love.

I still plan on learning calligraphy for my sister's shower, but it's one less thing to worry about for the wedding.

Has anyone else been gifted a service for their wedding? How are you finding ways to save on your budget?