Vendor Highlight | Letterfool
Brenna Allaman is the talented artist behind Letterfool, a Connecticut-based calligraphy studio creating custom signage and calligraphy for weddings and events. Brenna also happens to be one of our past brides who, alongside her wonderful husband, Jake, planned the most incredible (and colorful!) intimate wedding! Her skill and attention to detail are beyond measure, making each one of her pieces truly unique.
I’m excited to have Brenna join our Vendor Highlight blog series, and delighted for you to get to know her and her magnificent calligraphy work. Continue reading to learn more about Brenna, her process, and the lovely pieces she can create for your wedding or special event!
Tell me a bit about you and your business! How did you get started in the wedding industry?
"I started learning calligraphy in 2016 right after I finished my Master’s degree and didn’t know what to do with my newfound free time in the evenings. I quickly fell in love with it and put in hours of practice each day, eventually finding watercolor calligraphy as my favorite creative outlet. I opened an Etsy shop selling watercolor cards, prints, and custom quotes, and even participated in a few local craft fairs selling my creations. I began to get requests for event calligraphy pieces—chalkboard signs for bridal showers, table decor for baby showers, wedding place cards, etc, and I realized I loved creating these special touches for events. Designing and lettering all of the signage, decor, and day-of items for my own wedding in May 2021 was my favorite (and least stressful!) part of wedding planning, so I decided to open my books and start offering wedding calligraphy services throughout Connecticut.”
What do you enjoy most about calligraphy?
"One of my favorite things about calligraphy is the direct relationship between practice and progress. You don’t need to be a natural artist or have incredibly neat handwriting to become good at calligraphy; you just need to learn the basic strokes and commit to practicing, defining your style, and finding your niche. The more you practice, the more you improve, and there really is no ceiling! Calligraphy can also be very therapeutic as a creative outlet. Sitting down with a paintbrush or brush pen at the end of a long day can really help you to relax and redirect stressful energy into productive creativity.”
What should couples know about your process and about working with you?
"My process is extremely collaborative and everything I create is handmade with love! My only goal is to create beautiful, personalized pieces that my couples are proud to display at their weddings. Like most calligraphers, I’m a one-woman show, so I spare no detail.”
What is your favorite part about working with couples who are planning their wedding day?
"Detail-oriented people are my kind of people! I know I’m going to get along with couples who inquire about wedding calligraphy right off the bat, since that means the little details are important to them too. I love seeing the consideration and creativity of my couples as they decide what types of calligraphy they want to have on their big day, and there’s nothing better than watching a client’s face light up when I can bring the pieces they imagined to life.”
What (or who) inspires your creativity?
"Music is probably what inspires my creativity most. When I started learning calligraphy, I would put on my headphones and sit for hours lettering song lyrics, matching color schemes and layout designs with the themes of a song or album. Whenever I’m going through a creative block, I’ll put on music and just start lettering along, and before too long I’m right back in my creative headspace!”
How early should couples book you to ensure you'll be available for their wedding day?
"3-6 months in advance is the sweet spot to ensure not only that I have availability, but that I can source all of the required materials in time (acrylic, paper, etc). With the strain that the pandemic has put on the supply chain, it’s best to start planning a little earlier than usual.”
What is one tip or piece of advice you'd give a couple for their wedding day?
"Plan, plan, plan—then leave it to the professionals! Everyone advises couples to slow down on their wedding day and take it all in, but it’s hard to do that if you don’t leave your event in the hands of someone you trust. Whether or not you are using a full-service wedding planner, make sure to hire someone outside of your family and friends to deal with day-of coordination—decor setup, event flow, and cleanup. You don’t want to be running around your venue with your hair and makeup done laying out your welcome table and favors, and you definitely don’t want to have to stick around after the last dance and start packing up your decor! I prepped and packed my own decor meticulously (I’m talking Rubbermaid bins with inventory lists and setup instructions taped to the top!) and was able to hand it off to my day-of coordinator and not think about it again for the rest of the night.”
If you don't already, be sure to follow Brenna to stay up to date with her latest wedding and event projects!
Facebook: Letterfool
Instagram: @letterfool
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Brenna Allaman of Letterfool! Will you be including any personalized calligraphy in your wedding day decor and design?
