Gorgeous stationery not only sets the tone of your wedding day but it also delivers essential information and there’s an abundance of options when it comes to choosing, from unique materials to a range of graphic options, embossing and even personalised calligraphy.

But how do you choose wedding stationary that’s right for you and what stationery will you need?

Creative stationery for your dream wedding

Save the date’s and wedding invitations give your guests the first taste into your personal wedding day style, they offer a glimpse into your colour scheme, their design and the feeling they create when opened builds on the excitement for your big day.

Our guide covers the types of wedding day stationery that are essential and tips & ideas on finding stationery that you will love.

Do your Research

As with most areas of your wedding planning journey, research is key and gaining inspiration for your wedding invitations and stationery can come from a range of sources, such as; bridal magazines, digital blogs and visual social platforms like Instagram & Pinterest.

Keep your inspiration organised and develop your ideas as your planning continues. It’s important to not get overwhelmed and start narrowing down your preferences without overloading on every style you come across. Begin picking out areas which stand out to you the most, this could be font style, quirky text layouts, graphic imagery or just colour tones which you love.

There’s a whole world of wedding stationery to explore which can help to personalise your dream wedding day and to understand the options more we chat to Amelia of Millie Stone UK Wedding Stationer who creates the most exquisite custom stationery for weddings and events worldwide.

Stationery types for your wedding day

Wedding stationery does not stop at Save the Dates and Invitation suites; on-the-day stationery, chosen to include on your big day is often the most integral part especially for logistics such as showing your guests where they should be during certain points of the celebrations.

On-the day wedding stationery which needs to be considered;

  • The Table Plan is a very important part of your wedding stationary, directing guests to where they need to seated during your wedding breakfast. This can often be displayed on a foamex/perspex board or table plan cards can be pinned to a frame for a more creative look.
  • Table Numbers or Names are required for guests to be directed to their respective tables, they need to be marked visibly with stand-out stationery.
  • Effective Place Cards direct your guests to their particular seat. Doubling up your place cards with wedding favours is a great way of being creative with your table decor and gives your guests a personalised keepsake from your special day!
  • Often a Menu is placed on each table setting to remind your guests what they will be eating. A matching menu and place card really pulls together the wedding table setting.
  • Bespoke Signage and an Order of the Day is often a good idea for your wedding guests to see whilst having welcome drinks.

All sorts of materials and custom designs can be used for on-the-day stationary to achieve very different looks to match your general theme and to compliment your styling and décor.

Details you need before discussing your wedding stationary

For Save the Date cards, the main information required is your wedding date, venue and both of your full names. Save the Dates usually get sent out one year prior to the wedding date.

More detail needs to go into your Invitation suite, as this often has a matching information card with the finer details of the day such as; dress code, timings, child policy, parking, accommodation and any formalities guests will need to know prior. 6 months before your wedding is often a good time to get your invitations sent out.

Regarding on-the-day stationery, this is often defined by the RSVP date; after this date, the couple will have a complete guest list with menu choices (if relevant). 2 months prior to your wedding is a suitable lead time for your wedding stationer to receive your guest list and table plan in case of any last minute changes.

What to consider when choosing the perfect stationery for you

In my experience, I believe that the most important part of your wedding stationery is to keep it as clear as possible for your guests. Your wedding stationer should be able to advise on what wording may or may not work and the same for specialist finishes.

For example, having the wording of your table plan gold foiled looks beautiful, but depending on the positioning and lighting in the space, it may not be seen clearly because of the mirror effect.

Also it is important for your scheme to flow, so keeping the same wedding stationery style throughout your wedding is vital for consistency.

How do you make wedding stationery bespoke/personalised?

A lot of my clients know that when ordering their bespoke stationery through Millie Stone, they get a truly unique piece based from their inspirational research images or Pinterest boards. I often use handwritten calligraphy for both my Invitations and on-the-day stationery rather than using modern calligraphy fonts to achieve a unique look.

Within my bespoke designs, my clients get 6 initial designs to choose from and we work together to narrow it down to a piece that compliments their vision. Handwritten place cards or personalised wedding favours really make your guests feel valued.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I love working with people and getting to know my couples as they continue their life journey together. It really does warm my heart to see a couple get so excited about their big day. Getting to know people really helps when designing, as I can spot traits and introduce them to ideas that they may not have thought of before.

Being a sole trader is great as I can offer my brides and grooms that personal and flexible service that is quite difficult to achieve when going through a larger company.

Personalised wedding stationery is an essential part of your wedding planning and day, from important invite details to logistic signage and table setting information, it needs to be a priority on your wedding planning checklist. Consistency of style and design is key to ensure your wedding stationery suite compliments your day.