Here in the New York area and all over the country, many people have had to postpone their weddings for a while. This has caused a rash of trying to get the word out to many who had already been invited to the happy occasion. For many people, wedding stationery may mean only invitations. But there's a lot more wedding paper involved than just your invitation suite. Wedding stationery sets the tone for the day as well as being informational and giving your guests the information that they need. Beyond stationery that you might need before your event, there's also stationery that you may need on the day of and after your wedding day as well. Given the rush of cancellations that have taken place in the last month, many have also found the need for informing their guests about changes to wedding plans. Here you'll find definitions of all the stationery you might be using for your wedding day.
Pre-Wedding Stationary
Engagement Announcement – He popped the question! You said yes! Capture the moment and broadcast it to your nearest and dearest!
Save the Date Announcement – Once you’ve picked out your wedding date, you’ve got to let others know to save the date on their calendars. Save the date cards are a fun way to present yourselves as a couple and let everyone know the date well in advance. You can even make your save-the-date card a magnet so that the refrigerator door reminds your wedding guests of your up-coming big day.
Engagement Party and Shower Invites – Even family and wedding party members can work with a stationary designer to print beautiful invitations for pre-wedding festivities.
Wedding Invitation Suite – Wedding Invitations hold their own special place in the world of stationary. From the wide variety of envelope sizes to the almost endless selections of paper weights and styles, your wedding invitation lets the guests know the tone for your wedding day. Among the most popular of wedding invitations is the one printed on heavy paper stock. A heavier weight card stock will range from 65 to over 200 lbs in some instances and will come in a variety of finishes such as linen, vellum, pearlescent, and matte. Beyond the type of card stock you select, there are also a wide range of printing applications that range from personal ink-jet printing to offset printing, foil-pressed printing for that metallic bling, letterpress that requires a heavy enough card stock to leave an impression in the paper or raised embossed printing that offers a tactile quality to each character. Each type of wedding invitation reveals details of the couple and the nuptial event to come. In addition to the wedding invitation itself, the following cards are also included in the envelope: the reply card, the addressed and stamped reply envelope, reception card, and accommodations card. Oftentimes blotting paper is included, though no longer necessary its traditional charm is always appreciated. The wedding invitation should be mailed between 6-8 weeks before the wedding and its arrival is always a source of great joy to its recipients.
Wedding Stationary
Wedding Programs – The wedding program is the table of contents to your wedding. Listing a veritable who’s who of the wedding party and key family members, it evens the playing ground a bit and allows all in attendance to know the general activities of the day. Many couples include engagement photos and words of thanks for help in planning and attending the wedding. A beautifully designed wedding program can also become a treasured keepsake for each guest.
Menu Cards – An elegant addition to the place setting, menu cards inform all guests of their dining choices at the wedding. Again, not mandatory, but a thoughtful gesture from the bride and groom to remind wedding guests of the banquet that awaits them.
Place Cards – Even though the reception hall may have their own place cards, designing your own place cards for your wedding guests ensures the integrity of the overall wedding theme.
Social Media Announcements – A small table card offering the couple’s preferred hashtag prevents the guests from posting pictures on the wrong social media sites. If the social media announcement is printed at every table, everyone is happy!
Wedding Favors – From CD covers, to bookmarks, to journals, to candy bar wrappers, the customized stationary that you offer at your wedding is only limited by your imagination. However, with a creatively adept wedding planner, you will design and plan a wedding with all the details that you dreamed of and more.
Post-Wedding Stationary
Thank you card – You’ve got to send a thank you card for all the presents that you’ve received as a couple. Rather than just picking up a generic box of cards from your local big box store, why not design thank you cards that coordinate with the rest of your wedding stationary? Your wedding theme will be continued on your thank you cards, thus putting a neat little final bow on your nuptials. Your stationary designer can even include a few pictures from the wedding in the design of your thank you cards. Not only will your guests love your thoughtfulness as you graciously thank them for the wedding gift, they will appreciate the professional wedding pictures that they can admire for years to come.
Stationary - I get this thrill from seeing “From the Desk of” on letter paper or note cards. If you’ve changed you name after the wedding, this is a great excuse to select personalized stationary. Equally elegant, fun, and modern is the contemporary take on monograms. Working with your stationary designer, you can have customized note cards or letter stationary and envelopes for any occasion. With an endless possibility of paper stock, font designs, and ink colors, in your new life as a couple you will always have the correct writing equipment at hand to leave a good impression.
Selecting wedding stationary can be fun and satisfying, but even more important, their are real reasons that each part of the stationery becomes necessary. There are a plenty of choices to select from that reflect your style and personality. Years later you can look back with fondness at all the stationary pieces that announced, celebrated, and graciously thanked others for attending your wedding day. If you're looking for more tips on how to plan or change plans for your wedding, sign up for blog!
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