Our story · 1983 to today
Every family business starts somewhere. This one started in the corner of a kitchen, with a pen.
1983
Micki took up calligraphy in a corner of her kitchen in Walnut Creek. She lettered a birth announcement for a friend, the friend showed it around and the phone started ringing. She called the business Calligraphy Corner, because that's exactly what it was.
1988
The orders kept coming, so her husband David left his career in banking and together they opened a storefront in downtown Walnut Creek. Micki ran the craft. David grew the business, taking it from birth announcements into weddings and building a network of sales reps and vendor partners across the western U.S. And when a couple ordered the really fancy pieces, the multi-layered invitations, the pocket folds, the ribbon ties, their daughter Tara assembled them by hand, layering the card stock and tying every bow. The whole family ended up in it, the way family businesses go. For the next two decades couples sat at the table, paged through albums and picked the invitation that felt like them. Somewhere along the way, Micki became the town's unofficial wedding etiquette hotline.
2006
By then the work had grown well past calligraphy: invitations, announcements and personalized stationery for every occasion life could throw a party for. After 23 years the name finally caught up with the business. Calligraphy Corner became Inviting Ways.
2010
After 22 years downtown, Micki and David brought the business back home, right where it started. Their son Matt kept it going for a few years after they stepped back. Then life moved on, the way it does.
2026
A wedding still begins with an invitation. But now there's also a website your guests will visit a dozen times before the big day, and most of them look like a form with your names typed in. Matt thought that deserved better.
So Inviting Ways is back, second generation. Matt takes the stationery you love and carries its design all the way through your wedding website. And the design agent is named Michele, after Micki herself. That's her real name, though around here she'll always be Micki.
From the store years
Couples used to mail the store letters after their weddings. The family saved every one. New chapter, same care.
“We spent months pouring over books in store and online. Once we came to you, you made the decision much easier.”
“The colors are perfect, the layout is casual yet elegant. They look beautiful.”
“Your expert advice and most generous assistance will always be remembered.”
The waitlist
Founding spots go to the waitlist first. The first twelve couples get their site for $99 instead of $249, domain and a year of hosting included.