What wedding stationery do you need?
30th June 2020
You’ve booked your venue, made your guest list, and picked your wedding invitation design, but what wedding stationery do you actually need from your wedding stationery designer? Follow our simple wedding stationery guide and avoid any expensive last-minute panic printing.
Wedding stationery is an essential part of your wedding day, for starters without it your guests wouldn’t know where or when to turn up! To help take the overwhelm out of your planning I have compiled a simple checklist and guide to wedding stationery items for you to refer to.
Before the Wedding Day Stationery
Save the date (optional)
If your wedding date is not for a long time, on a popular bank holiday, in a peak holiday season, abroad or has had to be postponed you may wish to let your guests know in advance of your special day. All our House Collections Wedding Stationery have a coordinating save the date option.
Save the date cards are not official invitations, you will need to include your names, the date, and location of your wedding. You don’t even have to send this to all your guests, you may just want to send them to the most important people on your list.
Be my bridesmaid/best man/maid of honor… (optional)
This type of card has become more popular over the last few years, a nice gesture asking those who are special to you to be part of your wedding day, it is also more personal than a text!
Main Wedding Invitation Stationery
Wedding invitation
This is the most important part of your wedding stationery, it will invite your guests to join you for your wedding day. It will need to include the couple’s name, the wedding date, time, and location (both ceremony and reception).
If you have a separate day and evening guest list, Ellie and Liv can create two invitation designs for each of these guest lists.
For guidance on your wording for your invitation please refer to our Simple Guide To Wedding Stationery Invitation Wording
RSVPs
For some weddings, this has become optional, with couples preferring guests to email their responses, but as someone who loves stationery and the excitement of receiving post other than bills, the RSVP is essential.
Ellie and Liv offer a variety of RSVP designs, for example, the Simplicity RSVP is a card that your guest would return in a supplied envelope. For the Minimal Tone’s RSVP, it’s a postcard that only requires a stamp and on the Floral Bloom invitation, it is attached to the main invitation with a perforation to detach it.
The main thing to remember with an RSVP is the RSVP date because without this some guests will leave their reply to the very last moment!
Information cards (optional)
These are optional but great to include in your wedding invitation. Without these, you may find many of your friends and family will be texting and phoning wanting details for a gift list, directions, maps, accommodation, and menu choices. When you’re planning your wedding the last thing you need is more admin!
TIP: It is also a great way to guarantee your guests all book into the same hotel, it was great fun after my brother’s wedding being able to have breakfast the next day with lots of the guests recapping over their special day before.
An information card can include as little or as much information as you want, some previous weddings I have worked on have produced small booklets or included two cards when they wanted to include a lot of information or was planning a destination wedding.
On The Wedding Day Stationery Items
Order of service/ceremony booklet (optional)
The order of service/ceremony booklet is used for the main wedding ceremony. It contains the names of the bridal party, name of the officiant, the itinerary, songs, and readings. These booklets can differ greatly between various religions and can also be used for civil ceremonies.
Any additional information can be added to these making them more personal to the day such as quotes or poems or, “in memory of” tributes to loved ones who have passed on, or a thank you to the parents and guests.
Order of the day (optional)
This can be an alternative to your Order of Service/Ceremony Booklet, often favoured in civil ceremonies or it could take the shape of a large sign that everyone can view, telling guests what time to expect the Wedding Breakfast, speeches etc.
Seating plan/table plan
Seating or table plans are usually displayed at the entrance of the reception area and show your guests a plan of the table layouts so they can easily find their seats. A plan can be anything from a simple board with lists of the guest’s names on to a more creative solution of small cards held in an ornate frame.
Place/name cards and favours
Place cards are placed at the seat of each guest to inform them where to sit. Place cards can be anything from a simple folded card to a more elaborate item that incorporates your favours. This is one of my favourite bespoke favours and place names I have designed, using recyclable glass coke bottles.
Table numbers/table names
Table numbers or names are placed on each table to identify the table to your guests, these work in co-ordination with your table plan and place cards. You can be really inventive with table names personalising them with places you have visited, favourite films or songs, book quotes. I love to see couples getting really creative with these. There are some great examples on the Ellie and Liv Bespoke page.
Menu (optional)
A Menu Card informs your guests of the meal ahead from food options to a set menu and choices for those with dietary restrictions. Menus can be incorporated into place cards and personalised to your guest’s meal choice or can be one simple card placed on each table. Menus are not essential for a buffet.
Additional signage (optional)
Signage can be for anything from ‘help yourself to our wedding cake’, to fun photobooth instructions or ‘please sign our guest book’. All signage can be tailored to your wedding requirements and coordinated with your wedding theme.
Guest Book (optional)
A traditional wedding idea for guests to write their well-wishes to the happy couple. You may wonder why you want one of these but there is nothing nicer than to look back and reminisce and remember your wedding day. The great thing these days it doesn’t have to be just a traditional book, why not have a polaroid camera and props so your guest can take silly pictures to stick with their message, or a finger print tree, signed photograph, plates, message jar, digital video message. If you have any exciting ideas to discuss contact me and I’d love nothing more than to help make you vision a reality.
After The Wedding Day
Thank you cards (optional)
After your wedding has passed there is nothing nicer to keep the memory of your wedding alive than to send your guests a small card thanking them for their gift or for attending your wedding. These could feature a photograph from your wedding or co-ordinate with your wedding stationery.
It may seem like a lot of items to consider but at Ellie and Liv both our House Collections and Bespoke wedding stationery can be tailored to your day, you can order just simply an invitation or go for the complete stationery list. Just remember it is your day and there is no right or wrong rule book to follow. If you want to discuss your exciting wedding ideas or looking for more advice on the wedding stationery you will need, please contact me at Ellie and Liv we are more than happy to help.