If you’re in the midst of planning your dream wedding, at some stage you’ll be needing to choose some stationery.
Wedding stationery has come a long way in recent years, with designers constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. This is obviously great news if you’re getting married but with all of these incredible options available, it can be difficult to know which one is right for you.
I thought I’d put together a handy guide with some tips to help you navigate the world of wedding stationery and help you find your perfect wedding paper.
CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING STATIONERY DESIGN
Whether you’re looking for save the dates and invitations or day stationery items such as place cards, menus or seating plans, the first thing you need to think about is what style you’d like to go for.
Sit down as a couple and take a moment to go through Etsy or Pinterest and discuss your likes and dislikes when it comes to the designs you’ve seen You may very well have a clear idea of what you want already but if you’re still deciding, here are a few things you can think about.
TAKE INSPIRATION FROM YOUR WEDDING VENUE
Your venue will (in most cases) be the very first thing you book for your wedding, so it would make sense for it to inspire other aspects of your day too. Whether you’re getting married at a grand Manor House, a pretty farmhouse in Italy or a whimsical garden, your chosen venue is likely to reflect you as a couple and will dictate the overall vibe of your day.
A festival style wedding is more likely to be relaxed and non-traditional, so you could opt for bright and colourful stationery designs to add to the fun. An elegant chateau wedding might inspire a romantic stationery design with a fine art feel, lots of swirling calligraphy and delicate details. You can even make your venue a focal point of your stationery by including a venue drawing. Or perhaps there is a beautiful rose garden on site that you’d like to reference throughout your designs.
INTEGRATE YOUR WEDDING COLOUR PALETTE
If you’ve chosen your wedding colours already, why not search for a design that works well with your palette? After all, it’s important that all of your details are cohesive and don’t clash on the day. And if you’re unsure of your colour palette when you’re first ordering your save the dates or invitations, opting for something monochrome or neutral is always a great option.
TAKE INSPIRATION FROM THE SEASONS
If the first two ideas haven’t got your imagination fired up, why not draw some inspiration from the season you’re getting married? Autumnal leaves for an October/November wedding, a festive feel for a December wedding or maybe a touch of cherry blossom for couples getting married in spring. Chances are that your colour scheme will be inspired by the time of year anyway, so incorporating that into your stationery design is a great way to keep everything cohesive.
LOOK AT DIFFERENT PRINT FINISHES
Once you’ve got an idea of the sort of design you might like, it’s now time to look at the different print methods available. Most invitations on the market will be created using digital print but there are other options out there.
If you have the budget for it and are looking for something a little more luxury, then a more traditional print method like letterpress can really bring a design to life, especially if you’re having a more minimal, text-based design.
Hot foil printing is another print finish that can add a touch of luxe (and sparkle) to your stationery and pairs beautifully with digital print.
And last but by no means least, blind embossing creates a raised area (of text or an illustration) on the paper without any ink or foil. It adds an elegant and tactile feel to your stationery.
MAKE SURE YOUR DESIGNS MATCH YOUR STYLE
At the end of the day, the most important thing is ensuring that your wedding stationery reflects your unique style as a couple. Whether that be sleek, modern and minimal or loud, creative and colourful. If you look in the right places, you’ll be sure to find the right design for you.
CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING STATIONER
Now you know how to niche down your wedding stationery style, the next task is to find the right stationer. (If you’re planning on designing your invitations yourselves, feel free to skip this part, as it won’t apply to you.)
Every wedding stationer out there has their own unique style, so it’s important that you do a bit of research and don’t just book the first one you happen to stumble across. Here are a few tips for finding the right one.
LOOK AT THEIR PREVIOUS WORK
When searching for a wedding stationer, make sure to have a really good look through their previous work. Their website should be a great place to start, so take a good look to ensure that their style aligns with yours.
Each stationer you look at will specialise in something different, whether that be bespoke watercolour illustrations, colourful retro designs or elegant letterpress printing. You’ll want to book someone that will be playing to their strengths when it comes to your designs.
LOOK AT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES
Check out their profiles on socials, it should tell you a lot about them as a business and as a person too. Through platforms like Instagram, you’ll be able to see which venues they’ve worked with and which suppliers they usually collaborate with. You’ll also see a wider range of their work and possibly find out a bit more about the process and how everything’s made too.
CHECK OUT THEIR REVIEWS
When booking wedding suppliers, it’s always a good idea to have a look at client testimonials to see what other couples have said about working with them. Take a look to see if they have a reviews section on their website, or if they have an Etsy page (or equivalent) there should be reviews on there too!
ORDER SAMPLES
It’s always a good idea to order samples when looking for wedding stationery. Photos can be deceiving, so it’s important to get a real sense of the look and feel of the paper and to get a closer look at the print quality.
WHERE TO SHOP FOR WEDDING STATIONERY
In addition to the obvious places like Google, Pinterest and Etsy, it’s definitely worth having a look around Instagram for your stationery. Use the search function to seek out stationers with your preferred style.
Another tip is to take a look at the suppliers you’ve booked already and see if they’ve worked with any local wedding stationers. It’s more likely that their style will align with yours if you’ve already booked a supplier they like to work with.
You can also ask your wedding venue if they can recommend anyone. They’ll often have a preferred suppliers list with trusted businesses they’ve worked with before, so you can be sure that you’re in good hands.
Or if you prefer to see things in person, wedding fairs and venue open days are a great way to see what’s out there and see some wedding stationery up close.
-
Hopefully my top tips help you find the perfect wedding stationery to tell your unique love story.
All photos by Natalie Stevenson Photography.