Your complete wedding stationery checklist
[a guide]

Prior to the big day, you should arrange for:

Save the Dates. Once your date and venue have been booked, it’s time to send out the Save to Dates – around a year in advance we would say! These are not the formal wedding invitations and so many couples think they require less attention to detail. However, this will be the first insight that your guests get into your big day, so we would certainly advise to begin carrying across your wedding theme from this point. The purpose of this wedding print is to give your invitees enough warning to reserve your wedding date so that they are able to book annual leave if required or arrange for travel and hotels.

Wedding invitations. Without these, there’s a chance that your wedding may appear quite quiet! Wedding invitations are an essential, so details such as the date, time, exact location and other information such as local hotels and menu options will need to be clear. By using an invitation maker, you can create stunning invitation cards that reflect your unique style and leave a lasting impression on your guests.. Alongside this, these are your one and only wedding invitations, so go as over the top as you wish! From minimalistic and elegant and matching with the overall theme of your wedding, to vibrant and oozing with the excitement that is overflowing, take whichever route you wish!

RSVP cards. Along with the invitations, you will need to insert an RSVP card. These needn’t be larger than A5 and their objective is to simply allow your invitees to inform you of their attendance and any other information such as special requirements on the day, from allergies to the need for wheelchair access. A simple trick for RSVP cards is to create an individual pattern or design for each and keeping a record of all, allowing you to know who the card has been returned by even if the handwriting is unreadable, smudged or if a name has been entirely forgotten!

For the big day itself, you should have:

An order of service. Although not a necessity, order of services can have two roles for the guests and wedding party. One is to clearly instruct attendees of the order of events within the marital ceremony, and the other to treasure as a keepsake and reminder of the day. These are typically kept minimal and elegant as to not distract from the ceremony unfolding infront of each of the guests but can have a photograph of the happy couple or venue displayed on the front or back.

A seating plan. A table plan is a part of your wedding stationery which you can get creative with whilst keeping the arrangements organised. With an endless choice of themes and materials to print upon, from mirrored glass to recycled cargo wood, allow your seating plan to become a memorable piece of your wedding décor.

Table indicators and named place cards. As a follow on from the seating plan, why not allow your table indicators to reflect the same theme, no matter the shape, size or form of material utilised. From standard numbering, to emotive words connecting with the happy couple or the overall theme of the big day itself, table indicators can easily be entwined within the centrepieces to produce a stunningly organised and decorative area for dining. Each table should also consist of place cards, printed with dietary requirements from the RSVP upon them, allowing catering staff to know who is to be served with what.

Menu. The purpose of a menu here is to allow guests a reminder of what they ordered when the formal menu was sent with the wedding invitations. Typically, these would remain elegant and minimalistic as not to distract or spoil the decoration theme upon the dining table itself.

After the big day, you should arrange for:

Thank-you cards. Once your wedding day has passed, what better way to remind your guests of the fantastic day you had and the gratitude you bear for their attendance and gift than with a wholesome thank-you card. These can be designed specifically for each recipient with photographs of them from your big day, individual messages or shaped cards to create that distinctive effect. You may also choose to match them with the Save the Date an original invitation, allowing them to keep a full matching set as wedding day memorabilia.