Today we’d like to introduce you to Haley Betlem.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Haley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in San Diego California and have obsessed over pretty papers and penmanship for as long as I can remember, but I started thinking about calligraphy seriously when I was engaged to be married. I began searching for artists to hand letter our wedding envelopes and I came up empty. Nothing really connected with me so I bought a little calligraphy kit, did them myself, and never looked back. While my envelopes were a little rusty at the time, I fell in love during the process and today I marry my calligraphy with luxury cotton papers, custom dyes that I make from natural ingredients, and lots of gold! I’ve been hand lettering my heart away for years now and am proud to say my work has been featured in The Knot, Style Me Pretty, and Martha Weddings.
Has it been a smooth road?
Brides know what they want, and they want their wedding to be perfect, and rightfully so! But with that said there’s a lot of pressure to deliver an exceptional product. I would say I’m a perfectionist so I think the hardest part is learning to relax a little along the way, reminding myself to breathe, and just enjoy the journey.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I specialize in hand-torn wedding day of paper goods such as table numbers, menus, place cards, and seating charts. I make my own dyes (or watercolors) from natural ingredients and I think that specifically sets me apart from other vendors in my niche.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
While there’s a massive digital market, I have seen calligraphy and bespoke hand-torn paper goods becoming more and more popular which makes me very hopeful for the future of the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BetlemCalligraphy
- Email: betlemcalligraphy@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betlemcalligraphy/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/haleybetlem/pins/
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