Wedding Stationery

For this week’s blog post, we’re going to be talking about a subject that sometimes gets lost in the mix of all of the wedding planning: wedding stationery. Stationery is a great way for you and your future spouse to give insight to your guests about the style of your wedding and the love that you share. It’s also a great wedding item to personalize and make all your own!

While most couples think “all we need are the invitations and save the dates” – wrong! There is an entire stationery album of items you’re going to need in preparation for the big day. Here, we’ll give you a list of stationery items that you will need to think about preparing, and, while some of these items may be optional, they are all stationery tools you NEED to know about. So here it goes…

Before the Wedding

• Engagement Party Invitations – These invitations announce your recent engagement to all of your family and friends. An engagement party should happen about 2-4 months after you become engaged. If you’re limiting the number of guests you are inviting to the wedding, this may be an opportunity for you to include guests that may not be invited to the main event.
• Bridal Shower Invitations – This is really the responsibility of your bridal party or whoever is in charge of hosting your bridal shower. These are done approximately 3-4 months prior to your wedding.
• Bridal Party Proposal Cards – If you’re looking for a fun and unique way to ask your closest family/friends to be part of your bridal party, these cards are the perfect way to do it!
• Save the Date Cards – A save the date is sent out approximately 8-12 months prior to your wedding and announces the official date you and your future spouse plan on getting married and where you will be holding your reception. These cards should be sent out ONLY to those guests that you plan on inviting to the wedding. You can also include a link to your wedding website on these cards.

Wedding InvitationS

• Wedding Invitations – There’s more to it than just one card that states your names and where and what time you will be getting married. This is just ONE of the cards you need in your invitation set as a whole.
• Direction Cards – This stationery item is a MUST-HAVE item in your wedding invitation set. Especially if you plan on having any guests travel for your special day, this gives them something tangible to have with them the day of the wedding to find their way to the ceremony and reception. At Sand Springs, we include complimentary direction cards for all of our couples!
• RSVP Cards – Whether you are having a plated or a buffet-style wedding, RSVP cards are a required stationery item to include with your invitation. Your guests will fill out the total number of people attending and mail it back to you. If you plan on having a plated and served dinner, you will also want to have your meal selections on this card so your guests can choose their meals prior to the big day.
• Wedding Week Events Card (Optional) – This card is helpful to include in your invitations, but certainly not required. If you plan on hosting a welcome party or day-after wedding brunch, this is an item you may want to offer to your guests.

Wedding Day Stationery

• Ceremony Program (Optional) – If you plan on having a longer ceremony, it may be a good option to offer your guests a ceremony program book to help keep them in the loop during the ceremony. This program can include your bridal party names, readings, or any special tributes you may be having during the ceremony. If you plan on being married in a church, be sure to ask your parish if they include complimentary ceremony programs, as you may not need to order any.
• Place Cards – Place cards are used at the beginning of the reception. These cards include your guests’ names and which table they will be sitting at. A typical paper stationery doesn’t need to be used for this item, as so many couples love to offer unique place cards with materials such as wood, metal, or even something electronic.
• Table Numbers – The table number stationery is super important for telling your guests what table they will be sitting at during your reception. It’s important to have a clear view of the number and for it to stand out on the table itself.
• Menu Cards (Optional) – This card helps inform your guests the meal options for that evening, but this is not always a required item of wedding stationery. If you plan on having your guests order their meals when they originally RSVP to the wedding, you can opt out of this.

After the Wedding

• Thank You Cards – These cards are typically sent 1-3 months after the wedding to each guest that attended your special day. While most guests either bring a gift or a monetary gift, this is a great opportunity to say thank you, as you may not have the chance on the day of.
• Wedding Announcements (Optional) – If you plan on having a smaller wedding and can’t invite the number of people you originally intended to invite, announcements are perfect to send out. You can include a photo of your wedding on this card, or it can be handwritten.

So, there it is – wedding stationery is definitely more than just a wedding invitation and save the date card. There are many stationery items that most couples tend to forget. Unless you’re a graphic designer by nature, most couples choose to personalize their stationery and order them online. Some great websites that many Sand Springs couples have used include Wedding Paper Divas, Minted.com, and Shutterfly.com, or you can work with our graphic designer to make custom stationery designs for you.