Definitive guide to Wedding Stationery
Wedding Invitations
Wedding invitations give your guests an important first glimpse of what to expect on your wedding day. More importantly they let your guests now all the essential information about your wedding. Occasionally it may be a good idea to put a “map card” in with the wedding invitations if any of the venues are difficult to find or the guests are not familiar with the local area. Wedding invitations should be sent out at least 6 weeks before the big day, possibly longer during certain busy periods such as the children’s summer holiday or Christmas / Easter. It is a good idea to order a few extra wedding invitations just in case you make any mistakes or if there are any last minute additions to your guest list.
Evening Invitations
Evening invitations are sent out to guests that are only invited to attend the evening reception. These are generally in the same style as the wedding invitations but with different insert text. They are normally sent out at the same time as the wedding invitations, which is a minimum of 6 weeks before the wedding day. Again, it is a good idea to order a few extra of these in case of any last minute additions to the guest list.
Save the Date
These are used to give your guests advance notice of your wedding date before the wedding invitations have been sent and the details have been finalised. They are especially useful for weddings in the high summer when many people book to go away on holiday and also key holidays such as Easter and Christmas. They are also useful if you are planning on getting married on a weekday (Friday is becoming an increasingly popular day to get married). They are generally sent out at least 6 months before the wedding date.
RSVP cards
RSVP stands for a French phrase, “répondez, s'il vous plait” which when translated, simply means “Please respond”. These cards are sent out with the wedding invitations to encourage your guests to confirm their attendance. This makes it easier and quicker for you to confirm your final numbers without the need to phone all your guests.
Order of Service
The Order of Service is handed out to your guests as they enter the wedding venue so that they may follow the service. Generally these are either given out; one per guest or one between two and you should remember to order a few extra for the person conducting the service as well as each member of the choir. It is a good idea to get a draft copy checked by the person conducting your service before final printing as they may want to amend some details.
Table plan
Table plans are usually situated outside the wedding breakfast venue so that the guests know where they will be sitting before they enter. This ensures that your guests are seated with minimal disruption. If you decide not to have a table plan then it may be a good idea to organise some alternative way to let people know where they are to be seated otherwise you could have 100 plus people walking round a room trying to find their allocated seat.
Place Cards
Place cards go hand in hand with the Table plan and let people know where they are to be seated. This ensures your guests receive their correct wedding favours (Woman’s, Men’s, Children’s etc) and also puts the most “important” people near the front, such as Grand Parents, Siblings etc. It’s usually a good idea to order a few extra just in case of any spelling mistakes or late additions to the guest list.
Menu
Menus are usually provided if there is a choice of meal available or if you would like your guests to know what they will be eating before it is served. Generally 2 or 3 per table are sufficient but this depends on the amount of people on each table.
Thank you cards
It is considered good etiquette to formally thank your guests for their wedding gifts. Thank you cards are usually sent out within 3 months of the wedding.
