General Stationary Advice
When should I order my stationery?
We recommend ordering your stationery at least 6-9 months before your wedding. We normally get fully booked for the summer season by about Easter , so it is definitely best to book your order in as far in advance as possible!
When should I send my invitations?
Traditionally, they are sent out about eight weeks before your wedding. However, if your wedding is in a peak holiday period, it is safer to send them out at least 3-4 months beforehand (unless you have previously sent out Save the Date cards). You are very likely to have to chase some RSVPs up so make sure you allow enough time.
How many invitations do I need?
Some people make the mistake of thinking that they need one invitation per guest -but you actually only need one per couple or one per family. For single friends living together, it’s preferable (but not essential) to send one each. Similarly for adult children living at home, it’s nice to send them a separate invite to their parents but not completely necessary.
How should I specify whether children are invited to the wedding?
If you wish to invite children, their names should be included on the invitation. If your wedding is to be child-free, parents will normally assume that unless their children are named, they are not invited.However, it may be a good idea to include a short polite note on the invitation such as "Although we would have liked to include all children, we unfortunately only have capacity to accommodate children of close family members". This can be a tricky situation, but you will most likely find that most parents are secretly grateful for an excuse for a day out without the kids!
What should I include on my Guest Information?
Just give some thought to what information you would need if you were to be a guest at your Wedding. The most common information to include is a paragraph each on: Directions and full postal addresses of the Wedding and/or Reception venue(s), Accommodation, Local taxi numbers and Gift List.
And a little bit of guidance about the types of stationery available…
Save the Dates
A great way to ensure that your guests have plenty of notice of your big day. They are especially important if your wedding falls on a bank holiday weekend or in the school holidays or if your wedding is abroad and guests need to book hotels and flights. Send Save the Dates around 8-12 months before your wedding.
Invitations
The most important bit of stationery! Ensure that you choose your wedding invitation to complement the overall look that you are going for for your big day, even if it’s just simple classic elegance. Invitations are available in a wide variety of styles, formats, colours and prices. Also available with presentation boxes, or our exclusive 3D card envelopes, for the extra special touch. Aim to send invitations out around 6 months prior to your wedding.
Guest Information Card
Use this for giving guests any information you think they may need to know. Normally you’d include about a paragraph each on: Accommodation, Directions/Transport, Local Taxi Numbers and Gifts. You may also need to give guests menu option to choose from if your venue requires this.
RSVPs
Reply cards allow guests to let you know if they’re able to attend, and saves them having to go out and buy a response card to send to you. They also have a space for any dietary requirements and come with a pre-addressed envelope.
Table Names/Numbers
Place in the centre of the reception tables to show guests which table they need to go to. Many people choose names rather than numbers – examples of name ‘themes’ customers have had in the past are: names of places they have been on holiday, favourite restaurants, pets names, names of dances, the word ‘love’ in different languages, names of precious stones, and names of footballers!
Menu
The ideal way to let guests know what they’ll be having for the wedding breakfast. You can also include wine details. Menus can either be in booklet format (we recommend 1 or 2 per table) or flat card format, which can have guest names printed on to form individual place settings. Some venues may provide their own menus but you may prefer these to match your stationery instead.
Table Plan
When placed at the entrance to your reception these are a real focal point and always provide the ‘wow’ factor! They also have a practical purpose by telling your guests where to sit. Available framed or unframed.
Order of Service
These booklets are essential for Church weddings as they set out the religious service and include the words for hymns. How much detail you provide is up to you, you can either just include headings (plus hymn words) or can write out the whole text for readings and the vows as well. Check with your Church as they may have specific requirements on this. You can also include names of the Wedding party and a short Thank You paragraph at the end. Orders of Service can also be useful for civil ceremonies - they can be used to set out the order of the ceremony and/or the timings for the day, as well as a Thank You paragraph.