Planning a wedding is not easy and aside from the location, that stunning dress you need to track down and your guest list, perhaps the biggest challenge is your wedding stationery. Your wedding stationery is not only your chance to make a first impression on your guests, it is also the item that is most often saved by guests to remember your special occasion. Below are some tips to help you when creating your wedding stationery set.
Wedding Stationery Must Have’s
• Wedding Announcements/Save the Date Cards – Sending out a wedding announcement letting your guests know of your wedding date and location is the first step in getting an idea of how many guests will be attending (Be sure to include an RSVP card with return envelope and postage). Though you want your wedding stationery to be consistent, it is sometimes a good idea to avoid excessive decoration on these initial mailings. Things like envelope liners and seals can usually be reserved for your wedding invitations. This is a good way to save a bit on your wedding stationery overall.
• Your Wedding Invitations – Being the centerpiece of your wedding stationery, your invitations is where you will likely want to spend the bulk of your wedding stationery budget and pay close attention to detail. Wedding invitations are your chance to let your guests know how formal (or informal) your event will be and are an important element in setting the overall tone for your entire wedding. As mentioned above this is also the item of wedding stationery most guests will save in order to remember your big event so take time to make sure you’re making the impression that you want. Envelope liners, envelope seals, ribbon, floral accents and multi-layered designs are a few things to consider.
• Reception Cards/Directions – These wedding stationery items should be included with your wedding invitations and though you want them to be consistent with the style of your wedding stationery, single sheet cards with little to no adornments. It is important that your directions to the wedding/reception are printed clearly. Poor printing quality to lead to maps that are hard to read and you don’t want your guests getting lost.
• Menus and Table Cards – These reception and dinner items should also match the overall feel of your wedding stationery. Table cards can usually be made with a single folded card and nothing too fancy in the way of design. Something to consider with menus is a two layer design that matches your invitations. This is an easy way to add consistency with your wedding stationery since most guests will not bring their invitations with them.
Wedding Stationery – Important Details
There are many details that you can include that can make sure your wedding stationery is as perfect as your event. Paying attention to the following suggestions can go a long way in adding additional quality and a lasting impression.
• Return Postage – Make sure you include return envelopes and postage. Making your guests pay for a stamp is poor wedding stationery etiquette and should be avoided at all costs.
• Use Calligraphy Fonts – When printing the text for your wedding stationery a calligraphy (cursive) font style is highly recommended to add elegance.
• Your Requests – If you prefer to not have children at your ceremony, make sure to let your guests know. Be as clear as you can here to avoid any confusion.
• Double Envelopes – When delivering your wedding invitations, place them, envelope and all, into a cheaper outer envelope to ensure that they are not smudged during postal delivery.
• Envelope Seals – Adding these to the envelopes of your wedding stationery add a high degree of quality for minimal extra cost. Wax seals and paper seals work equally as well here.
These are just a few things that go into the making of a quality wedding stationery set. Like most bride’s to be, I’m sure that your wedding stationery is something that is not only important to you, but something you want to make sure you get right. Keeping in mind the things above can hopefully help you to achieve this.