Every bride needs wedding stationery. Most brides think all they need is invitations, but you will also need pre-nuptial thank you notes, invitations to brunches and showers with corresponding notes, to-do lists using a fun design or quote to inspire you along the way, save-the-dates, wedding invitation ensembles, programs, favors, guest books, post-nuptial thank you notes, and your personal stationery with your new monogram. This is where an experienced stationer becomes your best friend.
We hear all the time, “But they are just going to throw it away after the wedding,” or “I don’t want to spend a lot of money on the invitations.” Wedding invitations are your guests’ first impression of the wedding. Is it going to be formal or casual? Does it have a theme? What are the colors being used in the wedding? If you’re planning a fabulous wedding, do you really want to send a cheap invitation? Think of the impression you can make of your most important day.
Wedding invitations have evolved so much in the last few years. Gone are the days of ecru versus white invitations, engraved versus thermography and black ink. Colors have exploded onto the scene as well as letter-pressed invitations, which is a very old process brought back to life. Pocket fold invitations using a theme or color combination make receiving an invitation from you so very exciting. Not only is all the information able to stay together but your colors and details are right there to tell them all about the wedding!
Wedding stationers are also able to help you navigate the important etiquette rules that are being rewritten for today’s society. Couples worrying about family dynamics can feel assured that their situation is not unique and a solution can be found.
Look through magazines, wedding invitation albums, and the secret wedding box your mother has had since you were born (and you thought they just threw the invitations away). You will find invitations that inspire you, colors you love and fonts that speak to you. Next, make an appointment with your favorite stationer and plan on having some fun. You may find that custom invitations are the only way for you to get exactly what you want. If that’s the case, plan on having about four months time to get everything just right. From design to proofing, to printing, to sending the envelopes to the calligrapher for addressing, to stuffing, sealing and stamping, your invitations should always be a true reflection of the love you and your fiancé have for one another along with the personality and mood of the wedding day.
