FAQ
The questions we are asked most.
How the site works, how the paper is made, what things cost and when they arrive. Open any question; if yours is not here, write to us.
Ordering and proofs
How does ordering work?
Design in the Suite Builder, request the proof, approve it, pay. Nothing prints until you approve the proof, and the proof is the file we print; nothing changes between the two.
How long does it take?
A proof arrives within one business day. Flat ink and raised ink print in about a week; foil in two; letterpress, where a plate is cut and the paper is pressed by hand, adds about sixty days. The studio pieces, shells, globes and portraits, are made in the time shown on each product.
Can I change my mind after the proof?
Yes, twice, at no charge. The price you saw is locked to the proof.
What if I do not have all my guest addresses?
Upload what you have; the address book tells you how many envelopes would ship blank and lets you acknowledge that or move the order to the closest quantity we offer.
Paper and print
What papers do you print on?
Signature cotton, smooth white, pearlescent, double and triple thick, 100% recycled, vellum, and a set of bright and dark coloured stocks. Order a sample kit to hold them first.
What is the difference between letterpress, foil and raised ink?
Letterpress presses the ink into cotton from a cut plate; you can feel it. Foil stamps a metal leaf; it shines. Raised ink is thermography: glossy, slightly domed. The preview renders each the way it prints.
Can I use my own font or artwork?
Yes. Upload a font on the proof request and we embed it after checking the licence. Your own art is placed as drawn; photographs become the liner, the back of the card, or the invitation itself.
Pricing
How is a suite priced?
By piece, by quantity, by paper and by finish, shown live as you design. Foil and letterpress carry a one-time plate setup per piece. Taxes and shipping are added at checkout.
Is there a minimum?
Twenty-five of each piece for printed suites; studio pieces are made one at a time, so one shell or one globe is a complete order.
Do you offer trade pricing?
Yes, through the Design Trade Program for planners, designers and photographers, and business accounts for companies and nonprofits.
vowbabySONG and vowbabyBOOK
How does a song work?
Buy a key, answer a short brief about the two of you, and a custom song is written and produced from it. Lyrics or a poem alone, for hand-lettering, is the $9.00 questionnaire in the studio.
What is a vowbabyBOOK?
A hardback or softback that holds the story: the vow book, the baby book, a life remembered. Reserve one and the studio writes back to begin.
The studio
Who makes the studio pieces?
Elizabeth James Messenger, founder and chief artist: wet-ink calligraphy, watercolor, the globes and the shells. Every piece is made by her hand.
Can shells be different on each one?
Yes. Choose more than one personalization and write one line per shell; escort cards and place settings are made that way.
What do I send for a portrait?
A reference photograph after purchase, to the address on the receipt. Nothing is painted until you confirm the reference.
vowbabyWOW
What is vowbabyWOW?
Our giving: Wishes, Opportunities, Wonder. A share of every order funds personalised paper, songs and books gifted to people in the hardest chapters of their stories. It is company-funded, not a charity, and we do not collect donations.
Can I nominate someone?
Yes, when nominations are open on the WOW page. Anyone who knows the story can nominate; the recipient's own consent comes before anything is made.