What ‘On The Day’ Wedding Stationery Do I Need?

‘On the day’ wedding stationery for your ceremony

Welcome signage

If your ceremony is at the same venue as your reception (or even a separate venue), you may like some welcome signage that can gently guide your guest on where to go.

With clever wedding signage, you can save yourself from being asked the same questions repeatedly. Or shock horror you discover all your guests are in the wrong place at the wrong time because they were unsure where to go.

Welcome signage can include welcome boards, order-of-the-day or directional signage. If you have a wedding planner/stylist or work closely with your venue, it can be good to chat about these ideas with them, as they will know the venues better than anyone.

Order of the day

This is like your welcome signage can be a large board that gives you a running order of times and events through the wedding. A place to highlight times for the ceremony, photographs, wedding breakfast and evening celebration.

Order of Service

These little booklets are placed on guests’ chairs during the ceremony. They guide your guests through your wedding service and inform them about what they can expect to happen. An order of service usually includes readings, hymns, religious traditions or actions. If you are concerned about using lots of paper, simply provide just one per couple rather than per guest.

Vow books

These little books can come in many shapes and forms. They can be a little notebook you write in before your wedding, taking notes for your vows or collecting small mementoes that remind you of each other.

Alternatively, if you are a little nervous you can have your vows printed inside, as a small reminder to follow if your mind goes blank. If you want to surprise your other half with your vows you can submit them to me separately so no surprises will be spoilt before your wedding. 

Vow books create lovely heirloom pieces you can pass down to the family. Or why not have them printed on seeded paper, so you can bury them in the garden after your wedding. Binding your love together as wildflowers grow.

‘On the day’ wedding stationery for your reception

Table Plan

A table plan tells your guests where they will sit during your wedding breakfast or meal. Some people have moved away from this tradition and prefer to keep things more relaxed. Allowing their guests choose their own seats.

If you would prefer a table plan they can take many forms and be a great way to keep your guests reassured they are catered for. You can select a large board or framed design. Have individual hanging table cards hung from a vintage frame, and maybe an olive tree like one of my couples who married in Italy. They could be labels on bottles or individual seating cards that your guests collect from a table during drinks. A table plan can be great fun and a place you can let your personality shine.

Table Names or numbers

Naming your tables makes it easier for your guests to find their seats. You may want to choose traditional numbers. Or why not make them more personal and name them after your favourite locations, meal, books, game or pet. Tell a little story about each one to entertain your guests whilst they wait to eat. Table names can add personality to your wedding and get your guest chatting the minute they sit down.

Place names

Once your guests have found their table, now they can find their seats. Traditionally couples used small tent-shaped cards. Today many couples add personal touches with individual flat cards or place names combined with individual menus. Or double up with your favour and add guests’ names to little jars of honey, a mini bottle of gin or wildflower seed packets that your guests can take home. Why not thread some dried flowers into them. Place names can be such a creative area of your wedding

TOP TIP – Get your stationery designer to group the place names and menus together for each table. So when you come to set your table on your wedding day you aren’t having to search through 83 place names to find Uncle Harry who is sitting on Table Two. Saving you or your wedding planner time and stress.

Wedding menu

If you have personalised menus or a few guests with allergies or intolerances, individual menu cards can work well. Combine them with your place cards and bind them together with a pretty silk ribbon, a metal clasp, fine twine or a wax seal.

If you have one set menu, you can choose to have one or two menus on each table so that your guests can share.

Menus are one of my favourite things to design. I love to pretend I’m a guest and pick out what I would like to eat. Who can blame me when you couples certainly have some delicious menus to choose from.