Everything you’ve ever wondered about wedding stationery
Co-written by CK & Co. Events & Cody Calligraphy
We have heard from so many couples over the years that stationery is super confusing when they first start planning their wedding, but it really doesn’t have to be!
We’re here to bring you expert advice when it comes to everything you have ever questioned regarding your wedding stationery so that you feel confident and prepared to take it on head first!
Timeline
Below is our recommended timeline for all of your stationery pieces:
Save the Dates (12-6 months out)
Invitations (12-8 weeks out)
RSVPs Due (1 month out)
Thank you cards (within 3 months)
If you’re planning a destination wedding or have a lot of “out-of-town” guests coming to your wedding, make sure to give guests as much time as possible to submit their time off requests, book hotels and arrange travel plans.
Start early
The best way to set the tone for your wedding’s design palette is to start immediately as the first thing your guests receive are the Save the Dates. It is super important to ensure everything that will be featured on the day of, such as decor, dresses, flowers, etc. are translated through your stationery so that all of the details are cohesive.
If you’re stuck on how to incorporate your design palette into your stationery, here are some tips:
Inspiration from your venue. Perhaps you’re getting married at the beach which allows you to bring in hues of blues and focus on natural fonts. A wedding in the forest would go great with darker hues and a strong font.
Don’t be afraid of unique shapes & sizes. Nowadays, we’re seeing more unique styles of invitations for playful and modern weddings. Circular, arched, square, etc. The options are endless! Check out this blog post for lots of fun ideas to incorporate into your wedding.
Your personality and love story. Above everything else, your invitations should reflect your personalities. Don’t be scared to express your creativity! A trend we’re seeing for 2021 is illustrations. Whether it be the couple themselves, their venue or their pets, this is sure to bring a non-traditional and one-of-a-kind twist!
Below is an example of how to translate your inspiration and palette into your stationery while maintaining unique elements to each item. (Inspiration - romantic, soft, delicate, organic)
Online VS Physical Save the Dates
There is no wrong choice when it comes to choosing between online or physical Save the Dates. We have tips for each option!
Online: We highly recommend choosing a website that allows you to work on multiple things in one place to keep everything organized. Our choice is: withjoy.com. With this website, you are able to create and customize your wedding website, save the dates, guest list, invitations & rsvp, and registry! There’s also a mobile app that guests can use to access all of the details on the go! With Joy offers countless design templates and the option for guests to literally save the date straight into their calendar. You can track who has seen and not seen your save the date and it’s super easy to start collecting your guest’s information.
Physical: Don’t worry about confirming too many details in time for your save-the-dates to go out. All you need to include in the design is your names, wedding date, and maybe location (city, or venue if you have it confirmed). This just gives people time to put your date in their calendar and think about booking travel or time off work if they need to. Because this design will be a bit simpler and include less information, you can have some fun with different shapes, like square or circle die-cut save-the-date cards.
How a wedding planner can help with stationery
Not only will we help with finding the perfect stationery designer for your needs, we can also advise on designs, help you organize your guest list, manage your RSVP’s, and if you’re choosing to assemble your invitations yourself, we can help with that as well! There are no tasks that are too small or big. As your wedding planner, we are there to advise and assist with every last detail. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you execute a seamless event!
Invitation options and what a stationery designer really does (+ can do for your wedding!)
Custom Invitation Design
A “from-scratch” design that is uniquely yours. Looking for a custom venue sketch of your reception venue? Have a unique concept or theme for your day? Or maybe you and your partner have an amazing story of how the two of you met, and you'd like to incorporate this into the design of your suite. With a fully custom design, the opportunities are truly endless.
Semi-Custom Invitation Design
You love beautiful stationery, have a colour palette in mind and know what you like / don’t like when you see it, but you don’t have a specific design vision. When you choose one of the designs from a Semi-Custom Invitation Collection, you still have lots of opportunity to customize: envelope colours, paper types, printing methods (usually digital, letterpress, or foil) and so much more!
Envelope Addressing, Embellishments & Assembly
The tedious little details that can actually add up to a lot of time and headache if you do it yourself! This is also where we can have a lot of fun with the presentation and how your guests receive your beautiful invitations. There’s nothing better than receiving a beautifully personalized piece of mail.
Wedding Website Design
Some stationery designers can also set up and design wedding websites! Cody sets up With Joy sites for her clients that collect your RSVP responses, and she writes custom code to incorporate design elements from their invitation suites.
Postage Curation & Design
The design of your stationery doesn’t have to stop at postage! Some stationery designers will offer vintage stamp curation services and can even design a custom stamp for you through Canada Post!
Day-of Stationery & Signage
All the little details on the day: place cards, seating charts, welcome signs, dinner menus, vow books.. The list goes on and on!
The hidden value of a stationery designer that nobody knows about:
When you book a stationery designer, you also get a printing, paper & post office expert wrapped up in one! Your designer can teach you about the differences between flat printing and letterpress and which paper types work best for each. If postage budget is a concern, they can coach you on choices to keep your suites within standard lettermail rates. Stationery designers work with the post office every day and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to those sweet post office tips and tricks, like having your postage hand-cancelled. Your designer can also help you navigate tricky Covid update wording.
Just like in the wedding planning process, having this expert at your disposal is invaluable. There will always be cheaper or “DIY” options out there, but both a planner and stationery designer knows exactly how to maximize quality within the constraints of whatever your budget may be.
Since we’re in the middle of a pandemic (thanks COVID!), we thought it would be beneficial to mention how COVID can affect your stationery plans.
Cody has a whole blog post about Covid wedding stationery tips, but these are the most common questions:
If I have to postpone, how do I communicate this to my guests?
The Change-the-Date card, whether sent digitally or physically mailed, is a nice way to communicate this information in a timely manner. It’s designed and written much like a save-the-date, and includes the most important information necessary. It can also include directions to your wedding website, or include an additional details card if there are new venue details or other important information you’d like to communicate.
What if I have to downsize my wedding guestlist after my invitations have been sent?
No one loves the thought of rescinding an invitation, but the good news is that right now, folks are generally much more understanding that plans may change and that they may not be able to attend an event due to public health restrictions. No one is going to be mad at you for making safe and responsible choices!
Rather than a Change-the-Date card, what you can send is a Change of Plans card, letting the guests who have been cut from the guest list know that unfortunately, you will no longer be able to celebrate with them in person as originally planned. You could use this opportunity to send them livestream information if you are offering that service, or let them know that you look forward to celebrating with them one day when it is safe to do so.
How do I even send invitations right now when things are so uncertain?
The Covid Insert Card has become a bit of a staple in the invitation suite. Many of my clients have chosen to include an extra little note or letter to their guests. It assures your family and friends that you are thinking of them, keeping an eye on current public health restrictions, and that you will communicate any changes to them ASAP. This little extra insert helps you set up expectations in case plans need to change.