When you’re in the process of planning your wedding, there’s often a big focus on the stationery you need before the day (e.g. save the dates and invitations) and while that’s super important, it does mean that the on the day stationery tends to get pushed down the list.

So what is on the day stationery? It’s any stationery item that you’ll have for your actual wedding day and can include anything from the order of service and table stationery to the seating plan and signage. 

On the day stationery can be an afterthought for some couples, but in some ways it’s just as important as your invitations as it’ll feature in many of your wedding photos and helps to tie all of your styling together, creating a cohesive look.

I’ve put together a guide below for some of the more popular day stationery items. You may not need all of these for your wedding but hopefully this will give you an idea of what’s what and ultimately help you decide.

SEATING PLAN

This is arguably the most important piece of stationery you have for your day, as it should seamlessly guide your guests to their seat for the wedding breakfast. Without a seating plan, this part of your day would be well…pure chaos. 

When it comes to how the seating plan is presented, there are lots of options. The most popular option is a classic mounted board that you can either stand on an easel or hang from something. In terms of design, you can go for something quite minimal and dress it with fresh flowers, or you could get really creative and opt for a more illustrative design, like a map of the area or include some illustrated table names. 

If you wanted to get a bit more creative with how the seating plan is presented, you could opt for separate cards that can be attached to or hung from something, or you could set up styled display, framing and standing them up amongst florals. If you’ve got a particular theme, you could even have the guest’s names written in calligraphy on related items (I’ve seen this done with tambourines, wine bottles, vintage books, all sorts!).

If you’re not particularly bothered about who sits next to who at each table, escort cards can be a fun option. Every card has the guests’ names along with their table name/number. These can be displayed on styled table, or you can attach them to something like a board. To avoid any confusion, names are usually listed in alphabetical order.

One of my past couples displayed little envelopes that had their guests’ names and table number in calligraphy on the front and inside was a photo of them with the guest along with a personalised note, which was a really thoughtful idea. They said that their guests were thrilled and loved that it was a little bit different.

WELCOME SIGN

Welcome signs are a super handy way of letting your guests know that they’re in the right place. Wedding venues can be a bit of a minefield and most of your guests won’t have been there before, so it definitely helps to guide them in the right direction.

Some larger venues also hold multiple weddings on the same day (in different locations), so a welcome sign is especially important if this is the case for you. You definitely don’t want your guests showing up to someone else’s celebration by accident!

Welcome signs usually need to be quite large to do their job properly,  I recommend not going any smaller than A2 - 420x594mm. In terms of design, these are usually kept quite minimal but they are a wonderful way to tie in elements from your invitations (particularly if you had custom artwork like a crest or venue illustration). 

If mounted board isn’t your cup of tea, why not opt for printing on fabric? This can add an elegant and ethereal feel to your day. It’s really light and easy to transport too, making it an ideal option for a destination wedding!

ORDER OF THE DAY

Whether this is on a large sign, on smaller cards, or is part of your order of service, it’s always useful to have an order of the day available for your guests, just so they know how your wedding is going to run and more importantly, when they’re going to eat! You can keep it classic with a text based design, or get creative with a more illustrative design.

OTHER WEDDING SIGNAGE

There are of course lots of other signs you can have for your day. Drinks signs like bar menus or custom cocktail signs are a great way to inject a bit of personality to your day and certainly add an element of style. 

Unplugged ceremony signs are becoming increasingly popular (and for good reason), so if you’re wanting your guests to put their phones away this could be something to consider too.

You can also have smaller signs for things like your guest book and gift and card table, the possibilities are endless really!

TABLE NAMES

Table names correspond with your seating plan and are placed on your tables, so that your guests know where to sit for your wedding breakfast.

You can keep things simple and go for numbered tables, or get creative and come up with some table names that relate to you as a couple. For some ideas, check out my dedicated blog post.

MENUS

Whether you have one menu per table or one per guest, it’s always nice for your guests to know what they’re eating. Even if they’ve pre-ordered something, it’s unlikely that they’ll remember what they’ve chosen so it’s always good to remind them. 

If you’ve given your guests a choice of what to eat, you can either keep things simple and have all of the options on one card or you can personalise them with their meal choice and even add their name or attach their place card for an extra special touch.

PLACE CARDS

Place cards work together with your seating plan and table names to guide your guests to their seat. They have an important job in terms of function but can also make or break a place setting. You’ll want to ensure that your place cards fit the styling of your table but also flow with the rest of your stationery too. For instance, if you’re having white plates and linens, you may want to inject a pop of colour to your place setting with coloured card or ribbon. You can have your guest names printed, or if you want an extra special touch you can opt for calligraphy. 

ORDER OF SERVICE

WHEN TO ORDER

Even though it seems quite early, you should start thinking about your day stationery designs once you’ve sent out your invitations (or sooner if you’re super organised). Ideally, you’ll want to have an idea of your table styling and any florals that you’re having too, just so you can ensure everything is going to work well together.

(Top tip: If you’re organised and have an idea of the sort of thing you’ll need when you’re getting a quote for your invitations, I recommend asking for a rough quote for the on the day items at the same time, just so know how much it’s all going to cost. A lot of couples forget to budget for on the day items and can get a bit of a shock when the quotes come back.)

Every stationer will have a different process and varying lead times, so it’s definitely a good idea to check with your preferred supplier when you ask for a quote. I usually book my couples in around 8 weeks before their wedding. This means that you’ll have your RSVPs back and should know exactly what your requirements will be. 

My biggest piece of advice would be to get organised as early as possible, as there will be print and posting deadlines to meet and you definitely don’t want to be having any additional stress so close to your wedding. Get quotes from your stationer as early as possible to get the ball rolling and make sure to meet all of the deadlines they give you. The deadlines are in place for a reason, so it’s important that you don’t miss them.