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Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nP<\/span>ersonalised prosecco cups for a hen party, resplendent in rose gold. A wedding seating chart that blithely informs you that you\u2019ve been placed next to the bride\u2019s cousin\u2019s weird best mate. Bits of \u201crustic\u201d signage emblazoned with word-salad slogans screaming that it\u2019s always \u201cwine o\u2019clock\u201d somewhere. What unites all of these disparate objects? They\u2019re all covered in the calligraphy-style scrawl of a certain ubiquitous typeface. It\u2019s swishy, it\u2019s swirly and it\u2019s coming to a celebration near you.<\/p>\nAttended a baby shower or hen do at any point in the past decade? If so, you\u2019ll probably be all too familiar with the sweeping brushstrokes of this particular style of font, which softens the contours of the most angular-looking consonants and adds a sense of homespun charm to the most passive-aggressive of instructions. \u201cIt\u2019s that casual, handwritten-style script font,\u201d says Vaishali Shah, <\/strong>founder of design agency Creative-ID and wedding stationers <\/strong>Anaya Cards. <\/strong>\u201cBreezy, a little boho, and meant to feel personal, even if, ironically, it\u2019s become the complete opposite of that.\u201d <\/p>\nIt has taken over wedding season, in particular, with all the speed and persistence of a particularly virulent form of Japanese knotweed, cropping up on invites, menus, name cards and banners. Just seeing the words \u201cHappily Ever After\u201d written in this script is enough to throw me into a cold, clammy panic. Did I book the correct regional Travelodge for the correct Bank Holiday weekend? Did I ever respond to that in-depth survey about fancy-dress options, sent round by a school friend\u2019s maid of honour?<\/p>\n
In the absence of any universal or official name, I\u2019ve come to refer to this completely unavoidable typeface as part of \u201cthe \u2018Live, Laugh, Love\u2019 font family\u201d, thanks to its steadfast presence on pieces of homeware imploring us to embrace this cheery-slash-cheesy <\/strong>approach to life. Eleanor Hancock, founder of Number 75 Design branding agency, <\/strong>reckons it is \u201cthe font equivalent of a \u2018prosecco o\u2019clock\u2019 sign\u201d. <\/strong>\u201cIt gives off big \u2018blush pink balloon arch meets rustic trestle table energy\u2019,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\nWhen I ask Shah for her thoughts on the font, she paints a similar picture. We\u2019ve all attended multiple versions of the same hen party. As a style, she adds, it is \u201cfriendly and easy to digest\u201d, and she\u2019s not surprised that it\u2019s become so prevalent in the wedding industry, because those curly letters are a simple way to evoke a sense of \u201cromance and softness\u201d. <\/p>\n
In more technical terms, it has been designed to reflect brush pen calligraphy, resulting in shapes that are less structured than traditional Copperplate or Spencerian calligraphy, explains Marie Boulanger, design lead at typeface specialists Monotype. \u201cThere is usually a fair amount of contrast\u201d \u2013 that\u2019s the variation in brushstroke thickness \u2013 and a \u201cslight exaggeration of the curves and position of the letters\u201d, she adds. <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>This curly script seemed to emerge on Pinterest about a decade ago (Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHancock says that she first started to notice the style \u201ccreeping in around 2015-ish\u201d, when \u201cPinterest was basically drowning in it\u201d. And she has had first-hand experience of its popularity. A few years back, she had \u201ca dirty little side hustle in the wedding and event world, creating bespoke signage, invites, menus, seating plans\u2026 you name it\u201d. <\/p>\n
What started as a small, fun project \u201cquickly snowballed when people saw the work and started requesting that <\/em>exact calligraphy style\u201d. Inevitably, she\u2019d end up writing out the same phrases over and over again: \u201cPop the Prosecco\u201d, \u201cLove, Laughter and Happily Ever After\u201d and \u201cWelcome to Our Forever\u201d were among the greatest hits. Essentially, she confesses, \u201cif it could be printed onto a Kraft card or painted onto a wooden pallet, I probably did it\u201d. <\/p>\nIn the age of social media, Hancock notes, a particular aesthetic can proliferate quickly. <\/strong>\u201cOnce something becomes algorithm-approved, it spreads fast,\u201d she explains. \u201cBefore you know it, every bridesmaid is ordering signage in the same swirly script because \u2018that\u2019s just what you do\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\nAnd so we end up adopting these styles almost by osmosis, because they become synonymous with certain milestone events (it\u2019s a bit like the grown-up version, I suppose, of when everyone thought Comic Sans was the height of cool for primary school projects). \u201cThe algorithms push the most popular content to everyone, and if you don\u2019t really know what you\u2019re even looking for, it can be very hard to form your own opinion,\u201d agrees Boulanger. She\u2019s getting married soon, and says that \u201cdoing research for my own wedding, with all sorts of inspiration tools, really opened my eyes to how blended everything felt\u201d.<\/p>\n\n
\nBefore you know it, every bridesmaid is ordering signage in the same swirly script<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
Eleanor Hancock, Number 75 Design<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
It wasn\u2019t until 2017 or so that the typeface reached a \u201ctipping point\u201d, Hancock says. \u201cThat was the year it left the cool corners of Etsy and elbowed its way onto every high street in the UK. Suddenly, it wasn\u2019t just brides and event stylists using it. It was everywhere<\/em>. Mugs, doormats, cushion covers, wall art, nail salons, prosecco flutes, eyebrow bars. If it had a surface, this font was slapped on it.\u201d It proved particularly irresistible for fast homeware designers. Framed prints offering homespun wisdom and\/or jokes about enjoying gin a bit too much? They had the perfect font for that.<\/p>\nDesigners I speak to pinpoint the rise and rise of free graphics tools like Canva as a big factor in the font\u2019s ubiquity. \u201cI do think that the proliferation of people using Canva made design easier and therefore fonts like this [became] much more common,\u201d says brand designer Emily Cecile, founder of Pretty Deep. She\u2019s referring, of course, to the platform behind every other pastel-hued infographic you\u2019ve scrolled past on Instagram. <\/p>\n
Tools like this have created what graphic designer and art director Rachael Nichols calls a \u201ctemplate culture\u201d, with Etsy sellers offering pre-set designs for customers to buy, download and tweak. \u201cDesign is a popular hustle to pick up as you can quickly generate digital products and host an online store without much time or cost commitment,\u201d Nichols adds. And if they see that a certain font style or aesthetic is performing well, sellers will speedily roll out similar styles to meet the demand. <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>The rise of Canva and Etsy have made it easier for couples to opt for a DIY approach to their wedding (Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCustomers, then, can add in their event details or mess around a little with the colour scheme, without having to do too much of the aesthetic legwork. The end product looks pretty serviceable, albeit eerily similar to every other paper invitation that\u2019s landed in your letterbox recently. But given that organising a wedding, in particular, is an incredibly expensive endeavour \u2013 earlier this year, Hitched\u2019s National Weddings Survey estimated the average cost to be \u00a323,250 \u2013 it\u2019s hardly surprising that the DIY approach is so popular. \u201cA couple planning their wedding and trying to save money will be thrilled to type \u2018wedding fonts\u2019 and find hundreds of similar options for free,\u201d says Boulanger. <\/p>\n
This style, she adds, \u201chas an exaggerated quality\u201d and \u201cis not focused on legibility\u201d. How many times have you strained to read a pertinent detail on a wedding invite because it\u2019s enveloped in brushstroke swirls? Essentially, then, it is \u201cdecorative, not functional\u201d. And \u201cthat is how a lot of traditionally feminine qualities and activities are perceived and constructed\u201d in our culture, she notes, often <\/strong>seen as \u201csuperfluous, perhaps even frivolous\u201d. Of course, Boulanger adds, \u201c<\/strong>I don\u2019t think anybody is consciously making that stretch, but it has contributed to making this aesthetic \u2018feminine\u2019, and the algorithms did the rest.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
\nA couple planning their wedding and trying to save money will be thrilled to type \u2018wedding fonts\u2019 and find hundreds of similar options for free<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
Marie Boulanger, Monotype<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Hancock agrees that the font \u201cticks every box marketers think <\/em>women want\u201d. She also reckons that it appeals because it still \u201cfeels personal\u201d, even though we all know it\u2019s mass-produced. \u201cThat faux-handwritten style gives the illusion that someone\u2019s lovingly penned it just for you, even when it was actually downloaded from Etsy and printed on 40 tote bags,\u201d she says. \u201cIt creates that emotional illusion of intimacy and care, which is what these events trade on.\u201d And, she adds, \u201cfor group events like hen dos or baby showers, where you\u2019ve got multiple personalities, ages and style preferences to consider, it\u2019s the easy middle ground that nobody argues with. It won\u2019t offend your nan or your boss.\u201d <\/p>\nFor her, and plenty of the designers I\u2019ve canvassed, this type has long passed into the realms of cliche. \u201cIt\u2019s not inherently bad, it served a purpose!\u201d Hancock says. \u201cIt gave a generation of women a visual language to express celebration,\u201d she concedes, but now \u201cwe\u2019re ready for what\u2019s next\u201d. Shah, meanwhile, thinks we\u2019ve fully hit \u201cfont fatigue\u201d. Instead, she\u2019s noticing \u201cmore brands, brides and hosts leaning into sleek, modern fonts\u201d that are \u201cstill feminine, but more minimal and grown-up\u201d. <\/p>\n
Boulanger, though, is more wary of writing it off entirely. \u201cThis style is a cliche,\u201d she says, \u201cbut it rose to prominence because it\u2019s a very approachable calligraphy style, easy to replicate and it communicates a whimsical, handmade feel.\u201d For a moment like a wedding, when, let\u2019s face it, cliches are rife but also somehow lovely, \u201cthese connotations make sense and I think we\u2019ll continue to see brush script fonts for a little while longer\u201d. But she does have a caveat. \u201cYou won\u2019t see any on my stationery, though.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Personalised prosecco cups for a hen party, resplendent in rose gold. A wedding seating chart that blithely informs you that you\u2019ve been placed next to the bride\u2019s cousin\u2019s weird best mate. Bits of \u201crustic\u201d signage emblazoned with word-salad slogans screaming that it\u2019s always \u201cwine o\u2019clock\u201d somewhere. What unites all of these disparate objects? They\u2019re all covered in the calligraphy-style scrawl of a certain ubiquitous typeface. It\u2019s swishy, it\u2019s swirly and it\u2019s coming to a celebration near you. Attended a baby shower or hen do at any point in the past decade? If so, you\u2019ll probably be all too familiar with the sweeping brushstrokes of this particular style of font, which softens the contours of the most angular-looking consonants and adds a sense of homespun charm to the most passive-aggressive of instructions. \u201cIt\u2019s that casual, handwritten-style script font,\u201d says Vaishali Shah, founder of design agency Creative-ID and wedding stationers Anaya Cards. \u201cBreezy, a little boho, and meant to feel personal, even if, iro…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3803"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}