Guide to Wedding Stationery


Here you’ll find the ins and outs of all things wedding stationery. We know it can be a little overwhelming so we hope this helps.

Types of stationery
There are SO many types of stationery you can have before, on and after your wedding day.

Confusing, right? Here are a few ideas that you can pick and choose from, split into three categories.

Before the day
Save the dates
Invitations
Detail cards
RSVP cards
Envelopes

On the day
Place cards
Menus
Table plan
Table names
Favour tags
Order of services
Venue signage

After the day
Thank you cards


Before the day, Save the dates & invitations
A common mistake is to order one set per wedding guest, when you actually only need one per couple or family.

Don’t forget to add some spares and some for keepsakes!

On the day stationery & signage
Some of these can vary depending on your table layout, venue, and/or design, but here’s a rough guide:

Place cards - one per person
Menus - one per person/a couple/per table
Table plan - one
Table names - one per table
Favour tags - one per person
Order of services - one per person
Venue signage - varies

After the day
Thank you cards
Again, you will only need one per couple or family, plus a few extra for spares and keepsakes.


When to order and send your wedding stationery
Because wedding planning is a minefield with different vendors needing to be booked at different times, here’s a handy guide for ordering and sending your wedding stationery.

Don’t forget wedding stationers can get booked up quite far in advance too, so always enquire before you get your heart set!

Save the dates
Send: 9-12 months before the big day
These can be sent as early as you like - the earlier the better, especially if you’re having a destination wedding.

Order 10-13 months before
If you’d like bespoke stationery then it’s best to get in touch as soon as possible so the ideas can flow.

Invitations
Send: 3-6 months before the big day
Again, these can be sent as early as you like, particularly if you’re not sending save the dates.

Order 5-8 months before

The same rules for bespoke stationery - the earlier you contact your stationery the better.

On the day stationery & signage
Some of these pieces you can only get designed following your RSVP responses, so it’s best to give your guests a response deadline of 6 weeks before the big day.
Allow a minimum of 4 weeks for design, production and delivery, but speak to your stationer a few weeks prior to this to get the ball rolling.


Did that all just sound like a lot of waffle? Contact us with any questions and we’d be happy to help!

Contact us