Just engaged and no idea where to start with your wedding stationery? Expert stationer Lisa Forde shares her handy timeline so you know what you need to order and when to send it.
Before you order
“There are a few important things to consider before you start ordering wedding stationery,” says Tree of Hearts founder Lisa Forde. “Have you finalised your guest list and got everybody’s addresses? Have you booked your venue and secured your date? And have you decided your wedding theme and colour scheme? Without this, you could have a messy stationery journey – and no one wants to have to resend invites if dates change or they’ve forgotten who has or hasn’t had their invite. Once you’ve got this all sorted you’re ready!”
Not sure where to start? Luckily, Lisa’s listed the most important elements to consider below, as well as a good idea of when to send them.
Samples: 9-12+ months before the wedding
“Before you start ordering stationery, consider what themes and colour schemes you want at your wedding,” Lisa adds. “From then, you can start ordering wedding invitation samples to see what you like best.
“Not only does this mean that you can see the invitations in real life and check out their quality, but you can also try a few different stationers and see what their service is like.
“We recommend choosing your invites before the rest of your stationery and then match them accordingly.“
Save the dates: 6-12 months before the wedding
“Save the Date cards let everyone know the date of your wedding, and can include a few key details,” Lisa explains. “Many people choose to match them to the rest of their wedding stationery, so you want to have chosen your invitations already.
“Save the dates are one of the most important pieces of stationery to have as they make wedding planning easier, as well as giving guests a sneak peek of your day!
“If you are having a destination wedding or a wedding in a busy holiday period, you may want to send your save the dates up to a year in advance, allowing guests to book time off work, book hotels and flights, and save money for your big day.”
Wedding invitations: 3-6 months before the wedding
“Your invitations are your most important and anticipated pieces of wedding stationery so make sure you send them with lots of time to spare.
“Take into consideration the time it will take for your stationers to create and deliver your invites, as well as how long it will take for you to choose, personalise, and send them to guests.
“Make sure you include RSVP cards and guest information cards in your invitations. This makes managing your guest list so much easier and will help you plan the next stages of your wedding, such as meals and seating plans. Specifying an RSVP date is essential to getting your replies back and will prevent you paying for unnecessary things down the line.”
All the extras: 2-4 months before the wedding
“Table confetti, favour tags, menus, order of service, place cards and table plans can be ordered at any time throughout your wedding journey, but we recommend you order any little extras or venue decorations around two months before the big day to help you get ahead, and so that you haven’t got so much to worry about at the last minute.
“Buying those little extras in between the more essential pieces of stationery helps spread the cost, so your bank account doesn’t suffer too much in one go!”
Thank you cards: 1-3 months after the wedding
“It’s hard to imagine life after the wedding, but sending thank you cards is an important final part of the journey so you can thank guests for coming and for any gifts that you received.
“We recommend sending thank you cards a couple of months after the day. This gives you enough time to settle into married life, and go on your honeymoon, without making guests wait ages for their card.”
Thank you to Lisa for her tips – visit Tree of Hearts to browse their stationery selection, or get more wedding planning inspiration here.
