| Your wedding invitations are the first impression | | | | CHOOSING THE RIGHT STYLE OF WEDDING |
| that your guest will have of your forthcoming | | | | STATIONERY |
| wedding and the overall style of the celebration. | | | | So you have decided the number of guests you |
| So when the day comes to announce your | | | | are inviting and the wedding stationery items that |
| wedding to all your friends and family, you will | | | | you will need but how do you choose your |
| want to make sure it is with impact and style. | | | | stationery and order it? The wedding invitations or |
| From the save the date card or wedding invitation | | | | save the day cards that you send out will give |
| to the wedding breakfast stationery and thank | | | | your wedding guests the first view of the style |
| you cards, your wedding stationery sets the | | | | and feel of your wedding day. It's the first |
| scene and tone for your wedding day and stamps | | | | opportunity for you to showcase your big day |
| your style on the wedding that will leave a lasting | | | | and let everyone know what is in store. |
| impression on all your guests. | | | | Your wedding stationery should reflect the style |
| SET YOUR BUDGET | | | | or theme of your wedding as well as the |
| Unless you are in a lucky position not to have to | | | | appropriate formality of the day. |
| consider costs, probably the first decision to make | | | | Many wedding stationery designers will offer a |
| before you start to consider your wedding | | | | wide range of styles and colours while others |
| stationery requirements is to establish your | | | | may specialise in one type of invitation style such |
| budget. If you are having a large wedding, the | | | | as letterpress for more formal invitations or |
| cost of wedding stationery can soon mount up. | | | | handmade invitations for a more luxurious touch. |
| The idea of bespoke wedding invitations may | | | | The first thing you need to decide is the formality |
| appeal to you but if you are have 200 guests you | | | | of the wedding. Formal wedding invitations would |
| need to know that you can afford the costs of a | | | | general suit a more traditional wedding. Typically, |
| bespoke designer! Similarly, you may like the idea | | | | formal wedding invitations are of a classic design |
| of hand crafting your own wedding stationery for | | | | using simple, traditional fonts. The wording is often |
| that personal touch but be sure that you are up | | | | engraved onto high quality cream or white card in |
| to the challenge of sticking, gluing or printing | | | | black, silver or gold using techniques such as |
| dozens of invitations when you have dresses to | | | | letterpress or thermography, or you could hire a |
| buy, photographers to interview, cakes to choose. | | | | calligrapher to professionally hand write your |
| WHAT STATIONERY DO I NEED? MAKE A LIST! | | | | invitations. |
| To set a budget it helps to make a list of all the | | | | For more informal weddings there are many |
| invitations and other stationery that you NEED | | | | styles of invitation to consider - contemporary |
| and then if the budget allows you can consider | | | | wedding invitations, handmade wedding invitations, |
| the additional extras that you can afford to add | | | | printed designs, photo cards, humorous; the list is |
| those stylish extra touches to your wedding. Place | | | | endless. Certain design studios also offer a |
| names, menus, favour boxes - the list is as long | | | | bespoke service for brides who have their own |
| as you wish to make it! Here's our guide to the | | | | ideas about their wedding stationery but who |
| wedding stationery you may wish to consider: | | | | need an individual design service. |
| - Save The Date Cards/Engagement | | | | Themed weddings are also becoming increasingly |
| Announcement | | | | popular. The theme may simply be a range of |
| - Wedding Day Invitations | | | | colours that run throughout the wedding and are |
| - Evening Invitations | | | | incorporated into the wedding stationery, |
| - Rsvp Cards | | | | bridesmaid dresses, flowers, table decorations, |
| - Information Cards | | | | venue decorations and so on. Or you may choose |
| - Order Of Service | | | | a more structured theme such as a beach theme |
| - Order Of The Day | | | | (sand, seashells, nautical, tropical), nature, floral, |
| - Guest Books | | | | seasonal (Christmas, Easter, Summer, Autumn) |
| - Table Seating Plans | | | | landmark cities (New York and London are not |
| - Menus | | | | surprisingly popular themes!), cultural (oriental, |
| - Name Place Cards And Table Numbers/Names | | | | South American, Caribbean) musical (Jazz, |
| - Favour Boxes | | | | country) historical (Tudor, medieval). Almost any |
| - Cake Boxes | | | | theme can be adapted and incorporated into your |
| - Thank You Cards | | | | wedding stationery! |
| - Photo Albums | | | | Once you have decided which style you are |
| - Personal Wedding Wedsites | | | | looking for, the quantity and the budget you can |
| HOW MANY INVITATIONS AND WHO TO | | | | afford the next step is approach wedding |
| INVITE? | | | | stationery shops or designers to discuss your |
| Before ordering your wedding stationery you | | | | requirements, order samples and finalise prices |
| should be clear about the quantities you will | | | | and ordering times. Some companies may offer |
| require as some companies, particularly bespoke | | | | to send you one or several FREE Samples, |
| stationers, may need several weeks or even | | | | others, particularly bespoke studios, may ask for |
| months notice to produce extra invitations. It | | | | a small fee for sending samples, though this is |
| could also work out more costly to make | | | | usually refunded if an order is placed. |
| additional orders. You should allow one invitation | | | | Once you have chosen your invitations you should |
| per family or couple. | | | | agree a production time with the designer or |
| If you are inviting children, their names should also | | | | studio to make sure that you will receive your |
| be included on the wedding invitation. Younger | | | | invitations and the rest of your stationery in |
| adults above 16 would probably appreciate their | | | | plenty of time. Bespoke wedding invitations in |
| own invitation. It is also courteous to send an | | | | particular can take several weeks to complete. |
| invitation to the groom's parents, the priest | | | | During busy periods, such as the beginning of the |
| minister and any guests that you already know | | | | year, many studios are inundated with orders and |
| cannot make it but would find an invitation | | | | you may have to wait up to six weeks for your |
| thoughtful (perhaps a relative abroad). Always | | | | wedding stationery (though most suppliers will |
| make sure you order some extra invitations in | | | | produce invitations first and then complete the |
| case you make mistakes or have to invite guests | | | | rest of the order several weeks before the |
| on your reserve list. So who should you invite? | | | | wedding). If you have left insufficient time to |
| Here are some points to bear in mind when | | | | order your wedding stationery you may wish to |
| compiling a guest list - | | | | consider the larger outlets which have many |
| - What is our budget. How many guests can you | | | | off-the-shelf invitations to choose from. |
| cater for within our budget? | | | | MAKING YOUR OWN WEDDING STATIONERY |
| - Start your guest list early as it can be a long | | | | Many brides choose to make their own wedding |
| and complicated job! | | | | stationery for budget reasons or simply to add |
| - The first guests on your list should be those | | | | their own personal touches to their wedding |
| people who you really care about, close family | | | | stationery. This can be a great way, to get into |
| and friends you see on a weekly basis. | | | | the spirit of the wedding and add your personal |
| - Then you can consider people who have played | | | | touches. You could make a party of it and invite |
| an important part in your life in the past. | | | | your bridesmaids to help create! Before you |
| - Consider if you want to start inviting work | | | | consider the DIY option, you should make sure |
| colleagues. Do you want to invite them or do you | | | | that you are up to the task. Some designs may |
| feel under pressure to invite colleagues? | | | | appear to be very simple but you may find |
| Remember, if you invite a couple of colleagues, | | | | yourself battling with printers that cannot print on |
| others may be offended. | | | | the card you have bought and ribbons that you |
| - Consider the opinions of those who are | | | | cannot tie into tidy bows. The whole experience |
| contributing financially to the wedding - should | | | | could end up being very stressful and almost as |
| they have a say in the guest list? | | | | costly as buying your invitations from a |
| - Do the bride and groom have similar size families | | | | professional studio. Remember you may need to |
| or would it be sensible to invite more guests from | | | | buy a paper cutter, adhesives etc., not just the |
| one side of the family? | | | | card and embellishments. |
| - Do you want to entertain children at the | | | | Have fun and good luck with your wedding |
| wedding? | | | | arrangements! |