Choosing your Wedding Stationery

Your wedding stationery is the guests' first glimpse of your style of wedding; modern or traditional, colourful or simple chic, handmade or printed - the choice is immense. When you are choosing your wedding stationery it is important to coordinate it, from your wedding invitations to your place cards, with a similar theme. Wedding stationery should express your personality and reflect the theme of your wedding, as well as informing your guests. There are literally thousands to choose from, so take time to form an idea of what you want, whether it is about colour (matching flowers, bridesmaid's dresses), motif (hearts, flowers, cupids, etc), invite shape (tall, square, conventional), presentation (embossed, arty, 3D, printed), or style (romantic, traditional, chic or thoroughly modern). Don't forget to consider wedding calligraphy to give your wedding stationery that professional touch. As all wedding stationery needs to be personalised, whether using DIY wedding stationery or a wedding stationery service make sure that you order it well in advance.

What wedding stationery will I need?

Whether you are hand making DIY wedding stationery or using a professional wedding stationery service, it is important to have all the wedding stationery that you need well before the wedding.

List of required stationery:

Save the Date cards
Invitations and envelopes
Reply / Acceptance cards and envelopes
Order of Service
Menu
Place cards
Thank you cards

Sending Save the Date cards

If you are having a summer wedding, or a wedding abroad, your guests need to know plenty of time in advance in order to save up and book holiday. Send out your save the date cards a year before the wedding, to ensure your friends and family can secure your special date in their calendars. When your wedding invitations arrive, they are more likely to respond with a yes. Indeed it makes it very hard for guests to turn down your invitation, which isn’t always a good thing! Your 'Save the date' can be as simple as a postcard or can be as innovative as a fridge magnet, just keep in mind when you are choosing, that it is the first impression of your wedding on the guests.

Printing your own invitations

In these days of "make do and mend" it is inevitable that a few companies have launched ranges of DIY Wedding stationery kits that can be printed at home, although most couples planning to print their own wedding stationery design it themselves too. Although it may at first seem cheaper then the wedding stationery services, remember to factor in the considerable cost of ink cartridges and good quality paper or card. If you are making your own wedding stationery, it is still important to coordinate your wedding stationery, for example using a similar design in your 'save the date' cards and wedding invitations. If you are using a DIY wedding stationery kit, professional wedding calligraphy can give your wedding stationery the luxurious finish you are looking for.