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I N V I T A T I O N S , S T A T I O N E R Y , P R O G R A M S , G I F T S & F A V O R S
C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
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How To:
Wedding Stationery
From save-the-dates to thank you notes,
here’s what you need to know about all of the
essential paper products.
By Timothy R. Schulte, CTW Features
Stationery is guests’ first impression of your
wedding, so you want to make sure it’s fun,
grabs their attention and gets them excited
about the big day.
You can look at your stationery in three
parts: the save-the-date, the wedding
invitation and enclosures, and the day-
of pieces. Whether you’re getting your
stationery professionally designed or going
the DIY route and designing and printing
them yourself, you’re going to need to visit
a stationery shop to get your hands on
some paper and check out design styles.
Typically, anticipate spending around 5
percent of your budget on your stationery,
including postage, but adjust as necessary.
SAVE-THE-DATE
As soon as you have your wedding date
set in stone – the venue is booked – you
should send out a save-the-date. It doesn’t
matter if it’s a year out from the wedding or
nine months out or seven – the point is you
want your guests to get your wedding on
their schedules ASAP.
You don’t need to go overboard on details;
just your names and the date to keep open.
If you have a wedding website already
set up with details about the ceremony,
reception and accommodations, include
the URL. Of course, you can mention that a
formal invite will follow.
THE INVITE AND ENCLOSURES
Let’s get this out of the way right now:
Do not include registry information on
the invitation – anywhere – it is uncouth!
You’re inviting your friends and family to
join in your wedding celebration; you’re
not inviting them to bring you gifts! (You
can list registry info on your website.)
The actual wedding invite is where you
officially invite your guests. Plan to put
these in the mail around two months prior
to your wedding. For some more creative
ideas for wording your invites (and a quick
primer on the basics), visit offbeatbride.
com and search “wedding invitation
wording.”
The RSVP card (self-addressed and
stamped) is where guests will accept or
decline invitation and, if you’re having a
seated dinner, mark their dinner selection.
List a date in which you’d appreciate their
reply by, usually four weeks before the
wedding date.
You might have all the pertinent info on
your wedding website, but you’ll want to
include a card separate from the invitation
that lays out the wheres and whens for your
reception and accommodations.
EVERYTHING ELSE
The invitation might be the main
attraction, but there are still some paper
pieces you need for the big day:
• Programs: If your wedding is in a house
of worship, this will list info for the
officiant, readings, wedding party, etc.
• Table numbers/names, escort cards and
place cards: Escort cards tell the guest
which table they are at. Place cards show
where at the table they are sitting.
• Menus: An outline of dinner, set with
their place card,
is a nice touch.
• Thank-yous: If you want to get a jump
on showing your gratitude, it can be
worthwhile to invest in stationery with
your newly married name.
© CTW Features