How To Book Your Wedding Stationery
Your wedding stationery is the first impression that you give your guests. From save-the-date cards to wedding reception favors, your stationery really sets the tone of your celebration from start to finish. Today I am walking you through everything you need to know about ordering key wedding stationery. I’ll cover where to begin, what you need, and how to prepare!
To start, let’s talk about what the term stationery entails. Wedding stationery is anything that you have printed for your big day. This includes a wide variety of things, such as:
Save the Dates, Invitations, RSVP Cards
Details Cards, Envelopes, Envelope Addressing
Stamps, Place Cards, Menus
Thank-You Cards, Cards and Gifts Sign, Welcome Sign
Guest Books, Bar/Food Signs, Place cards and seating charts
Programs and timeline of events, Vow Books
Guest Book, Favors, Kids Activities
Once you’ve found a company and design that you love, it is easy to go through this list and order the stationery that you need as things come up. There are so many incredible stationery companies out there, but a few of my personal favorites for semi- custom are Print Mark & Anthology Print and for custom are Rose Blossom Weddings, and Ann Elizabeth Print Studio. These companies make it stress-free to design and bring to life the beautiful stationery that you need.
Let’s walk through the bare minimum stationery that every couple needs for their wedding day: save-the-date cards, invitations, RSVPs, and thank-you cards.
Save the Dates
Save the dates are the announcement of your wedding day and location to your guests. They are the very first thing that your loved ones will receive from you and your future spouse, and they are so important!
When to send: For local weddings, you should send your save the dates 4-6 months before the wedding date. For destination weddings, you should send your announcements out 8–12 months before so that your guests have plenty of time to make travel plans.
What to include: Wedding date and general location
Invitations
Next on the list are the wedding invitations. This is THE most important piece of wedding stationery that you will print. Thanks to your save the date cards, your guests already have a tentative idea of when and where the celebration will take place, but the wedding invitations fill in the blanks and give your guests all of the information they need to attend your big day.
When to send: For local weddings, you should send the invitations out 6–8 weeks before the wedding date. For destination weddings, plan to send invites 12 weeks before the big day.
What to include: wedding date, time, location, and photos (if you want them on your invites).
RSVP
Répondez s'il vous plaît. The RSVP is crucial to know how many guests plan to attend your wedding, which affects how much food you order, how many tables to set up, how to lay out the ceremony location, etc. In this day and age, the RSVP doesn’t actually need to be printed. There are several options for collecting RSVP responses!
Physical mail | This is the traditional way of collecting RSVPs. Most guests know how to respond this way, but it does cost you extra in paper, envelopes, and postage
Online | This is a simpler way to collect RSVPs, but some guests are less familiar with how it works. The best way is to send a details card rather than an RSVP card with your invitations and include a link to your wedding website on it. My favorite wedding websites are WithJoy and Zola, but Minted and the Knot are also great options. You can put ALLLL of your information on here for guests to refer back to!
Combo | If you're worried about some of your older guests being able to respond but don't want to pay for everyone to receive a physical RSVP card, just send it to certain guests. The rest of your guests can find the link to your website on your details card! This is a great way to utilize both options to create an intentional guest experience.
When to send: RSVPs should be sent out 2-4 weeks before the wedding.
Thank-you cards
Finally, you should always send thank-you cards to the guests and vendors that participated in your wedding celebrations. Whether they sent a gift from your registry or steamed your dress before the ceremony, a thank-you card is a perfect way to show your appreciation.
When to send: Thank-you cards should be sent within 1–3 months after the wedding.
♥ The Everson Events Team
