As well as general wedding planning chat, this week’s theme is ‘finding the right stationery for your budget’ – what things affect pricing? Thanks to Paper Tree Design #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 1: Differences in service, technique and embellishments are what makes your stationery either basic or premium #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 2: Level of service will effect pricing: the more bespoke and more time spent making it will make it expensive #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 3: Weight (thickness), texture and finish of card will affect how much it costs, as well as how it’s printed #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 4: For every finish (especially ones done by hand) you add cost: hot foil, spot vanish, embossing, paper cut, trims (ribbon, twins, crystals etc) #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 5: DIY or stationery in kit form will save on price – get wedding party to help make them together #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 6: Buy in bulk – think about all your stationery in one go from the outset rather than separate pieces at different times #UKWedLunch
According to the infamous shampoo advert, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Whilst you have been living and breathing all things to do with your wedding, the first time your guests may have any idea about your big day is when your wedding invitation or save the date card lands on their doormat.
Here’s my guide to planning and sending your wedding stationery to make sure that first impression counts:
why
There are many reasons why it is important to send invitations. Firstly, you want to share your good news with people and to invite them to celebrate your special day with you. Knowing how many guests are going to be at your wedding will also give you a clearer idea of the number of people to cater for and the venue size required.
But this is about more than just logistics, this important piece of mail will set the scene, the tone, the theme and your guests’ expectations of your special occasion. It also acts as way to educate and organise your guests so that they know what is expected of them too.
What you say, when you send it, to whom you address it and what it looks like all provide the first experience your guests have of your wedding. So it’s really important that you plan your stationery wisely to make the best first impression.
how
There are three different routes you could go down with your invitations – the traditional way of sending out paper stationery, the more technological (and environmentally friendly) path, or a combination of the old and new which might involve paper invites but collating the RSVPs electronically.
Whichever route you take, it’s great to
coordinate the stationery with the theme of your wedding
coordinate all the stationery as a whole
ensure that you have a consistent look and feel with everything that you do online and offline
order all your paper stationery at the same time to save on costs
don’t forget to factor in the cost of envelopes and stamps to your budget
Bear in mind that the more people you invite, the more postage you’ll have to spend and then multiple this by how many times you send different stationery from the suite (ie save the date cards, invites, added info etc).
what
Think of your wedding as a big marketing campaign – you need to consider promotion of it before, during and follow up afterwards to get the best results (and response) from your audience! A well informed guest is a happy one and communication is key so your guests don’t encounter too many unforeseen surprises that they haven’t accounted for.
Here is the full suite of paper stationery to consider. I’ve included some US trends that we are starting to see more of in the UK especially in more formal weddings (of course this list covers all types and styles of wedding day, so omit the elements that do not suit your big day):
Pre-wedding day
Engagement announcements
Engagement party invitations
Be my bridesmaid / best man cards
Hen party / stag do invitations
Save the date cards
Wedding invitations
Day
Evening
Information sheets
Schedule of the Day
Accommodation
Gift list
Map / directions
Special requests (ie diet / high chair etc)
Song requests
RSVP cards
Rehearsal dinner invitations
On the wedding day
Order of service / Programme
Table plan / Escort cards
Table numbers
Place name cards
Menus
Signage / labels
Pew cards / reserved seating
Favours
Buffet food
Post box
Guest book
Post wedding day
Thank you cards
Cake boxes
when
Pre-wedding day
10-12 months before the wedding day – send your save the date cards (or add a note in Christmas cards to save on additional postage).
4-6 months before the wedding day – send out the invitations (consider sending them out in waves if you want to see how many people reply positively and then decide whether you could ‘bump up’ any evening guests to be all day guests if you have some people that can’t make it). Include extra information documents to provide details of the day and give the guests details of how to contact you to confirm their attendance. Put a date on the invites to tell guests when you need to have their RSVP back to you.
6-8 weeks before the wedding day – check any last minute changes to your guest list and chase any outstanding RSVPs so that the table plan and place cards can be produced and you have a final number for order of services and menus for the day.
Post wedding day
asap after the wedding day – send out wedding cake in boxes to any friends or relatives that couldn’t make the big day.
2 weeks-3 months after the wedding day – etiquette dictates that a you should respond to people in a polite time frame as soon as you receive their gift (or as soon as possible after your return from honeymoon) to thank people for their gifts and attendance.
who
Once you’ve decided on what you’re going to send and when you are going to send it, you need to consider who the invite is going to and who it is coming from.
If your wedding day is going to be quite casual then your invitations should reflect this, whereas if it’s formal then the style and wording of the invites will be different to fit with this theme. The look and feel should mirror the content too.
There are so many variations on what you write inside the invite, as there are many factors that will influence the wording of stationery. For example, every family has different circumstances, it depends who is ‘hosting’ the wedding and often who is paying for the wedding. Here’s my advice on the elements to include which can be adjusted for all the different scenarios:
Start the invite with who is hosting the wedding (whether this be the couple, the bride’s parent/s, groom’s parent/s, both sets of parents, or a mix of all of the above)
Use ‘request the pleasure of your company’ (or can be more casually put like ‘please join us’)
Write in the passive 3rd person for a more formal style
List the bride before the groom (use bride’s first and middle names only for formal invites, plus groom’s full title)
Include the time, date, month, year
Indicate the venue with full address
Note if there is a reception or meal afterwards (including when and where this will be held)
Provide RSVP date and return address
To avoid confusion, it is often better to be really specific about who you are inviting and to which parts of the day they are invited to, so that they are not left in any doubt. Other things to note (so that all guests are on the same page) is whether there will be:
a dress code
children invited
plus ones for single guests
Above all else, ensure that your invitations (and other stationery) reflect your personality and the look and feel of your special day. As long as you’ve got the important information on them (who, when, what, where) you can then add your own personal touches so that it fits your wedding day.
[Photography credits – Paper Tree Design]
According to the infamous shampoo advert, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Whilst you have been living and breathing all things to do with your wedding, the first time your guests have any idea about your big day is when your wedding invitation or save the date card lands on their doormat.
This important piece of mail will set the tone, theme and your guests’ expectations of your special occasion. What you say, when you send it, to whom you address it and what it looks like all provide the first experience your guests have of your wedding. So it’s really important that you pick your stationery wisely to make the best first impression.
Look out for a forthcoming post on the wording of your stationery. Meanwhile, focusing on what it looks like and to help you wade through the sea of stationery, the hugely talented Suzanne from Paper Tree Design has put together this guide to help you find the right stationery for your budget.
You have set a date and secured your venue so your mind turns to stationery, where to start? The options are endless and mind boggling, and when you are surfing stationery sites from the sofa sometimes it is difficult to understand why pricing can be so different between suppliers. When you are choosing your venue there are things to help you with this, star ratings, facilities and services, but when it comes to stationery the differences in service, technique and embellishments are what makes your stationery either basic or premium.
The Service
There are 4 levels of service in stationery that will effect the pricing, Off the shelf, semi-customised, customised, and bespoke, in short, the more time the stationer spends on making your stationery, the more it will cost:
1. Off the shelf –This is the cheapest option and is exactly as it sounds! Youpurchase a pack of pre-printed generic wedding cards for you to fill in the date, location and guest name. These are the cheapest because the supplier gets thousands printed at a time and there is no extra art working for the supplier to do.
2. Semi customised – This is where you choose an existing design from a supplier and they place your copy in to the invitation (venue, time and date etc.)
3. Customised – A customised design is where you have the option to personalise an existing design to fit in with your theme. This can include changing colours, having your initials added in to the design, and having a choice of card types or trims etc.
4. Bespoke – If you have a specificidea in mind for your stationery and you cannot find an existing design to reflect this, then bespoke is for you. You will work closely with the designer who will design something around your theme ideas. This is at thepremium end of the stationery market because you are paying for a designer’s time to create something for you. If you are considering this option then it is wise to allow at least a month for a design to be fully approved and ready for production.
The Product Quality
There are all sorts of card available for use in stationery in different weights (thickness), textures, and finishes, the thicker the card the more it costs, as itwill any with specialist finishes and textures. The weight of card used can be the difference between an invitation looking ordinary or luxury so when you are comparing prices have a good look at what is being used, if it is not stated on the website then ask.
When you start reading the information on a stationer’s website you will come across all sorts of terms, litho pint, digital print, letterpress, embossing, hot foiling, laser cut, paper cut, duplexed, spot varnish. What do they all mean?
Printing – Printing on a invitation is more likely to be digitally printed these days as digital is suited to smaller quantities. Litho requires the making of a printing plate which makes small quantities much more expensive. A printed card on a standard board with no extra finishes or embellishments will always be the cheapest option. It is worth remembering that digital printing may not be suitable for some of the specialist papers.
Letterpress Printing – Letterpress is a traditional printing technique which involves inking a plate (printers tray filled with raised blocks) and pressing in on to the card stock, which leaves a deep impression. These days there are more hi-tech ways of making the printing plate but the process is the same. For small quantities it can be expensive but if you have a large number of guests it is more affordable.
Finishes
There are all sorts of lovely finishes that can turn a standard invitation in to something a bit more special, but bear in mind that for every finish you add cost. Below is a list of a few terms and what they mean:
1. Hot foiling – This adds metallic areas to the design.
2. Spot varnish – This adds a shiny or mat surface to areas of the design.
3. Embossing/ debossing – This adds texture to the card, either raised (embossed) or pressed in to the card (debossed).
4. Duplexing – If a card is duplexed, it means it is made up of two different boards sandwiched together of different colour or texture.
Laser cut, die cut, paper cut
The process of cutting out shapes or patterns from card (or other materials), the main difference being if it is laser cut then the gaps in the design are burnt out with the laser, if it is described as die/machine/ paper cut then it is cut out using a tiny blade. Cut invitations are usually made up of 2 or 3 layers (the cut, an inlay card & printed insert) which makes for a more luxury product.
Trims
The use of ribbon, baker twine, crystals and other trims to finish off your stationery can really help to make it look special, but beware when you are looking at and comparing prices between stationers. You may see a beautiful photo of your chosen stationery suite tied together with twine and finished with a gift tag or other embellishments, and the costs look in budget, however some stationers charge separately for theseextra finishings and you can find yourself paying £1.00 or £2.00 more per invitation than you had budgeted for, for the invitation in the picture. Anything that has any element of hand finishing adds time and therefore cost to the stationery, so check the small print!
Top tips
1. Help yourself – If you are really struggling for budget enquire about what could be provided in kit form in order to save on price.
2. Buy in bulk – Think about all your stationery in one go from the outset (invites, order of service, name cards, table numbers, menus, table plans etc) rather than separate pieces at different times. You can save if you buy ‘before the day’ and ‘on the day’ stationery all from the same supplier.
3. Compare the quality – Read the descriptions carefully and make a list of the differences in a notebook together with the prices, so you don’t forget when you start comparing price.
4. Beware the hidden extras – Double check the price list and ask if it is not clear.
5. It never harms to ask – If you have your heart set on something but you are worried it is out of your budget, then just ask if it can be modified to help with the price.
how
when
