Your wedding stationery is a key part of your wedding planning and wedding day. It will help introduce your guests to the style or theme of your wedding day, provide them with all the important information & pieces that you hand out on the day. The order of service and sometimes place cards are likely to become keepsakes, particularly to close family members. But choosing a style of wedding invitations for your wedding can seem a bit of a minefield as there is so much choice these days with huge range of styles, colours and finishes. From standard folding invitations to opulent gatefold wedding invites. Even pocketfold invites which are perfect for holding all your wedding invitation wording, including the invite itself and any directions, gift list or menu info. Follow these top tips to help you find your perfect wedding invitations.
What’s your style?
This is one of the first major decisions in your wedding planning. You’ll want to consider the impression you want to make with your wedding stationery & how it will reflect on your wedding as a whole. The style you choose will help determine other important decisions along the way. Do you want a traditional, formal invite or do you want something a bit different with a modern feel. As with the other decorative aspects of your day – flowers, table centers etc, your wedding stationery can form an integral part of your wedding theme or style. Remember that the wording style you choose should also suit the style of the wedding invitation & the style of the wedding, so opt for a formal tone with a traditional wedding & a more relaxed, friendly style with a civil ceremony or informal wedding.
The stationery list
When you have decided on your style of wedding stationery you then have to think about all the various elements you will need – wedding invitations, RSVP cards, place cards, menu’s etc. Other items can include order of service (for a traditional wedding), seating plan or table plan, table numbers or names, favor tags. If your budget is tight stick to the essential items such as your wedding invites, rsvps & find coordinating alternatives for anything else. Tricky items to put together yourself are table plans and order or service. Sometimes getting professional help with these is a good idea.
Placing your order
When placing your order you will need a good idea of numbers. As a rule you should add on about 10% more for any last minute guests you want to invite. It is better to order too many and have some spare than too few. Remember that you don’t need a wedding invite per guest, one per couple or family is normal practice.
When it comes to order of service you can usually get anway with one between two depending on how formal the style of wedding you’re having.
Time to post
Allow yourself plenty of time to collect together addresses & address your envelopes before posting. You can handwrite the envelopes or you can print the addresses out on sticky labels, which will save you time. It is usual to post your wedding invitations about 8-12 weeks before the wedding day, however if you are getting married in the traditional, summer wedding months you may want to post them earlier. Consider any overseas guests you may want to invite; you will need to account for the delivery time, so it is a good idea to post theirs before anyone else’s to ensure it arrives in good time.
