The experts at With Love Weddings solve all your wedding stationery woes, with top tips on styles, when to order, how to be cost effective
and more…
Stationery can seem so confusing; consultations regularly begin with ‘we just don’t know where to start!’ Couples now want a wedding that conveys more of their personal style, luckily wedding stationery has evolved to complement this. However, this means design choice can be very daunting as there are now so many to choose from!
Save the date cards or the invitation are the first glimpse of the wedding your guests will get, so the stationery sets the tone for your big day. It is important then, to choose a design which reflects your personalities and the feel of the day, for example a formal wedding in a grand house is quite different to a relaxed outdoor celebration, so as a simple plan we suggest the stationery should follow suit.
Wedding stationery timeline:
Next, couples worry about when to order wedding stationery, but there is no need to as there is a logical timeline to this. Once the date and venue are booked you want everyone to know! This is the ideal time to start thinking about your stationery.
Save the date cards are typically sent out about 10 – 12 months before your wedding, this is especially important if your wedding is in the busy holiday season or you are getting married abroad. You order these as soon as you can.
Invitations and all the details should be sent out about 3 – 4 months before the big day. This gives guests enough time to RSVP and you enough time to plan your celebration with numbers confirmed. As a top tip always give guests an RSVP by date. Order these about 5 months before the wedding to be sure you can get them out when you want to.
Any on-the-day stationery, for example Order of service booklets, menus, place cards etc you need to order about 4-6 weeks before the wedding day.
How to be cost effective:
I always ask my customers what they want from their stationery – an odd question you may think, but if you only want to invite your guests and you don’t want the coordinated reception venue, then spend on your invites and RSVPs. Similarly, if you want spectacular table settings, then forgo the RSVPs (add an email address) and spend on gorgeous place cards and table menus instead.
The budget you have will determine the choice of finish. Digital is the most cost effective printing method and it gives amazing colour and finish. There are plenty of other methods to choose from including letterpress (a technique where text and imagery is pushed into thick paper leaving an indentation), or popular at the moment is hot foiling (printing with metallic foil) but they do usually come with a higher price tag.
If you want to save money you could consider doing a little DIY. I wouldn’t recommend trying to create any of your stationery if you are all fingers and thumbs, but even the less creative among you can cut costs by adding the ribbon yourself or making your own ‘belly bands’!
Our top tips:
- Don’t forget you need one invite per household you don’t need one per guest.
- Always order 10% extra invites in case of any changes to the guest list you may need to make. And also order one extra set to have as a keepsake.
- Always include all the information your guests need with the invitation. Think like a guest – what would you like to know, maybe directions, hotel ideas, taxi numbers…
- If you are unsure of colours (or keep changing your mind!) order a simple save the date card and add the colour accents later with the invitations and on the day stationery.
- Don’t leave everything until the last minute; the best stationers need a little time to do their paper magic!
Find your perfect wedding stationery now at withloveweddings.co.uk
