Every detail of your wedding day is important, but there’s nothing that influences as many different parts of your wedding as your stationery does. Your wedding stationery is there at every moment of your big day. Your save the dates give guests their very first impression of what your wedding will be like (you can check out save the dates here). Your guests will hold their orders of service in their hands through the entire ceremony. Menus, place cards and table numbers take pride of place at your reception. Thank you cards remind guests of the big day, bringing back memories and showing your gratitude. On top of all that, stationery is permanent: it’s something both you and your guests will be able to keep as a souvenir, and will last forever in scrapbooks and memory boxes. It pays to get your wedding stationery right!
With so much riding on the big decision, how can you choose the right stationery for you? What do you need to consider? There are two big things to think about.
Part 1. What cards do you want to include?
Your choice of cards may depend on your budget, as well as your own preferences. Make a list of what cards are crucial, and what cards would be nice but are not necessary. Usually your main invitation suite will include:
- Save the date
- Wedding invitation
- RSVP card
- Wishing well card
- Thank you card (to be sent after the wedding)
Most people also choose to order on the day stationery, including:
- Order of service
- Place cards and/or escort cards
- Table numbers
- Seating charts
- Menus
Other possible stationery choices include:
- Information card
- Map
- Signage
- Pew/seating cards
- Favour cards
- Bridal shower or bucks party invitations
- ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’ and ‘Will you be my groomsman?’ cards
- Belly bands
Obviously this is a lot of stationery! Most people choose to keep it simple with just the main suite and a couple of pieces of on the day stationery. The choice is completely up to you.
Part 2. What style should your wedding stationery cards be?
Once you know what cards you want to include in your stationery suite, you can start to think about what style they should be. This can be influenced by a number of different factors, including:
- How formal or casual your wedding is going to be
- Whether your wedding is indoors or outdoors
- How many people you are inviting to your wedding
- What season of the year it will be
- If there is a particular theme for your wedding
- If you have chosen a specific colour palette for the wedding.
These factors will help you pick a style (e.g. vintage, minimalist, tropical), colour palette, and print type (e.g. foil, letterpress, digital print).
Once you’ve chosen the right cards for you, and the style that works best, you’re ready to place your stationery order. Choose a reliable company with great reviews, and consider ordering a sample pack if you’re not sure what to expect.
If you pay careful attention to all these things, you’ll end up with wedding stationery you love and that perfectly matches your celebrations: the ideal start to a day you’ll never forget!
This was a guest post by Maddison Wallace from Paperlust. Maddison is head of content at Paperlust. She is a communications professional who loves words and drinking cups of tea.