The Ultimate Guide To Wedding Stationery [With Infographic]

It is easy to underestimate the stress that might be involved in choosing and making all of the required wedding stationery. With wedding planning, there is so much to do and stationery is only one small part of the whole. In reality, the sooner you have this part figured out, the better. Especially as stationary for weddings is required at almost every step of the way.

From engagement party invites to wedding invitation programs and thank you notes. We have created a stationery guide to help you figure out which are absolutely necessary, and in what order, below.

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Essential Wedding Stationery Advice

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• One of the very first steps, which will help you plan accordingly for your wedding stationery is to create a stationery items list. This list will guide you with the when’s and the hows.
• The next will be to decide how; will you be using stationery. Will you be creating your wedding stationery yourself? Your budget and available time would be a good guide for this decision.
• At this point you will want to know how much it will all cost, crosschecking with all the items on your list so you know how much to allot to this.
• There is also the decision of the printing. Would it be digital, letterpress, or calligraphy?
• Would you consider going paperless entirely and cutting costs and time by sending your wedding invitation program, thank you cards, and others electronically?

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These are all factors you need to consider when creating your wedding stationery and more. After determining all these options, you are ready to order your unique and beautiful wedding stationery! If you are looking for elegant wedding invitation templates and stationery ideas, consider TimberWink Studio:

Pre-Wedding Festivities Stationery

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A lot of wedding stationery addresses what happens before the big day. Most of these will go out to a smaller selection of attendants rather than the entire guest list.

Save-the-Date Cards

Save-the-date cards are a little less formal than invitations, but they should still be sent in an envelope with the full address printed. Information should include the name and location of the venue, the date, a note about keeping your eye out for the invitation, and your wedding website URL if you have one.

Engagement Party Stationery

• Engagement Party Invitations
  Like most other wedding stationery, the engagement party invitations should include the date and location. This invitation should also include the names of the bride and groom and instructions on how to RSVP and dress code details.
• Engagement Party Menu
  Whether formal or casual, most modern engagement parties feature a unique menu. You can have fun with this piece of wedding stationery as it’s not meant to be formal. Most couples place this on the table to outline expectations. However, some couples will mail this in advance when complicated menu options are involved.

Bachelorette Party Stationery

• Bachelorette Party Invitations
  Most bachelorette parties are built around a theme or central activity. Provide those specific details so that party goers know how to prepare. It’s also wise to include the name of the hostess with contact details in case there are any questions.

Bachelor Party Stationery

• Bachelor Party Invitations
  Bachelor party stationery is largely similar to bachelorette invitations with the same information being necessary. In both cases, smaller groups can be managed through Email. Whichever method you choose, send the invitations 2-3 months in advance.

Bridal Shower Stationery

• Bridal Shower Invitations
  Typically, a member of the bridal party is assigned host duties and will be responsible for managing the bridal shower. However, you can always have your stationery designed ahead of time to make sure it conforms to your theme and style. These invitations should also be sent out 2-3 months in advance.
• Bridal Shower Thank-You Cards
  Bridal shower thank you stationery requires a bit of planning. You’ll have to gather the address of each guest as well as keep track of which gifts they give you, which you may need some help with. Hand-written postcards sent out within 2 weeks of the shower is the traditional way to go.

Rehearsal Dinner Stationery

• Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
  The rehearsal dinner usually only consists of the immediate wedding party. Wedding stationery isn’t a requirement, but helpful and appreciated. If the bride or groom’s family is handling the rehearsal dinner, they will make the decision. If you are managing the rehearsal dinner, it’s perfectly fine to include a slip card with your wedding invitations.

Wedding Stationery

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A comprehensive list of essential wedding stationery items to help you plan and organize your special day. From save-the-date cards and invitations to ceremony programs and place cards, this checklist ensures you don’t overlook any important details. Download the checklist now to stay on track and create beautiful stationery that sets the tone for your wedding celebration.

Wedding Invitations

• Wedding Invitation Envelope
  The tradition of wedding invitations starts with the envelope. This part of your wedding stationery should address the recipients with the most formal version of their name possible. Include their marriage designation (Mr., Mrs), titles (Dr., PhD), and their full names. There are also formalities for non-binary, widows, and an assortment of other life scenarios.
• Wedding Invitation Card
  The wedding invitation is the centerpiece of your wedding stationery suite. This will receive the highest level of design and adornment and contain the most detail. Send your invitations at least 3 months in advance to allow for travel and childcare plans.
• Response Card (RSVP)
  RSVP cards are separate pieces of stationery that are sent in the same envelope as your invitations. Critical details include a space to accept or send regrets, how many guests they are bringing, and a way to identify their meal preferences.
• Enclosure Card (Insert Card)
  Most commonly referred to as Insert Cards, enclosure stationery is also placed in the invitation envelope and sent at the same time. The details on your insert relate to invitation details but are somewhat separate from the main event. This includes hotel blocks, and transportation, and is best served in bullet point format.
• Reception Card
  Reception card stationery is usually reserved for when it’s a separate venue from the ceremony. In this case, it will include the time guests should arrive, the location, and often directions. Most guests will immediately head to the new location. Providing the time helps keep things organized.
• Wedding Signs
  Decorative and informative displays used in weddings to guide guests, provide essential information, and enhance the overall ambiance. From directional signs to personalized welcome boards, these eye-catching elements add a touch of elegance and organization to the celebration.

Wedding Welcome Bags Tags/Notes

Welcome bags are an above-and-beyond way to greet out-of-towners as they check into their hotel. The tag can be as simple as “Thanks for coming” or as involved as a handwritten notes and a list of recommended tourist experiences.

Wedding Ceremony Programs

The wedding ceremony program is an especially helpful piece of stationery. These are handed out as guests enter the venue and outline what to expect. This keeps them engaged as you move from one portion of the ceremony to the next and identify members of the bridal party they may not be familiar with.

Escort Cards

Escort cards are much larger than the rest of your stationery suite. You can choose to print one out for each guest, but normally you would print one large escort card towards the entrance so that guests can determine which table they are seated at. This can be a simple list or a diagram of the room.

Place Cards

Place cards go hand in hand with escort cards. Once guests find their table, place cards will identify their seats. A written name in front of a chair is pretty hard to misinterpret. Make sure to include last names in case there are repeated first names.

Wedding Table Numbers

Wedding table numbers are an additional step that couples take to match escort cards to physical tables. This extra bit of identification will make it much easier to confirm they’ve arrived at the correct table. Couples can choose numbers or theme-based symbols that are unique to each table.

Wedding Menus

Some wedding receptions serve sit-down menus while others are buffet style. In both cases, a printed menu will let your guests know what to expect and what options they have. As a bonus, menu stationery is a great keepsake, especially if you plan to reproduce the meal for an anniversary.

After The Wedding Stationery

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Even though the wedding is complete, your wedding stationery has a little more work to do. Beyond the standard Thank You cards mentioned below, you may want to also thank your vendors, wedding party, or anyone else who went out of their way to make your wedding happen.

Wedding Thank-You Cards

You can choose to thank guests for attending, or thank them for the specific gift they brought. Many couples choose to tackle this task on the way to their honeymoon. Although you may have heard you can do this within the first year, it’s best practice to send thank you stationery within 3 months of “I do”.

Custom Wedding Stationery

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Wedding stationery comes from a few different sources. You can purchase pre-designed stationery and simply print your details on top. You can also hire a professional for high end results. The middle ground is the DIY approach.

• Canva
  Canva is an easy way to create and collaborate. With many preloaded images, icons, templates, shapes, and textures, you can pretty much drag, drop, and adjust until you achieve the look you’re after.
• Crello
  Crello has a similar interface to Canva. The downside is that you are limited to 5 designs per month. The upside is that animation is super easy, which is great for couples who are doing most of their communicating through social media and their wedding website.
• Adobe Creative Suite
  Apps from Adobe like Illustrator and InDesign aren’t for beginners. However, once you are familiar with the platform you’ll have access to almost unlimited customization and an entire community to inspire and guide you.

Where To Print Wedding Stationery

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Add a list of ways and places to print
There are several ways and methods to have your wedding stationery printed. You can order online, which usually comes with customer support to make sure that everything goes smoothly. If you’ve hired a professional designer, they likely have relationships with professional printers. You can also deal directly with a print shop by bringing in your designs on a flash drive in PDF format.
Common printing methods for wedding stationery include digital, letterpress, and lithography. Each requires a different level of physical effort and will produce different quality, which will affect the price.

How Much Does it Cost to Print 100 Invitations?

The factors that determine the cost of printing wedding stationery are type of printing, type of paper, number of colors, and embellishments. The average cost to print 100 wedding invitations based on these factors is $150 to $500.

How to Print Invitation Cards at Home?

Printing wedding invitations at home isn’t impossible, but it can be difficult. Invitations and other wedding stationery are typically printed on card stock, which is thicker than copy paper. This means that you will either have to sacrifice quality or invest in a higher-quality printer and ink.

As you can see, there are many pieces in a wedding stationery suite. Designing and buying them in bulk rather than one by one helps to ensure design consistency and is friendlier on the budget. It also puts things into perspective, helping you to decide if it’s more practical to DIY, higher a professional, or make use of existing templates.

This guide was created to help those who might be unclear about what items they need to complete their wedding stationery. We hope that we have been able to paint a clear picture and that this guide has been able to help you create the beautiful stationery needed for your big day. Remember that not all are essential, some are definitely optional. A few of which are most necessary are the wedding invitations, save the dates and the thank you cards.

Infographic

Wedding Invitation Timeline

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