When you’re planning your wedding, it can be easy to forget about some of the smaller things. There are so many big things to worry about, like the dress, venue and reception meal that little things fall by the wayside and get done in the last minute rush. One of the things you might not spend as much time on as others is your wedding stationery. But if you want it to be coordinated, you need to think about your stationery long before the big day. Apart from the invitations, there are several types of stationery you might need whether you make them or have them printed. You might need to send out “save the date” cards. And then there’s place names for the reception dinner and thank you cards when everything’s over. But before the wedding even takes place, there’s lots of stationery to think about.

Save the Dates

The first piece of wedding stationery you might need is “save the date” (or STD) cards. Not everyone will need these, but they can be useful in some circumstances. Save the dates are often used for people who have long-distance friends or family, who need plenty of time to book flights or otherwise organize their trip. It’s also a good idea to use them if you’re having a destination wedding. Some couples use save the date cards as a gesture toward people they’re almost certain won’t be able to make it. It can say, “we know you probably won’t come, but we’re thinking of you”, without actually saying it. Save the date cards need to go out months before the wedding, to allow time for people to book time off work or arrange travel plans. They can be great for getting a better idea of how many people are going to attend before you finalize the wedding plans.

Invitations

Invitations go out much closer to the wedding than save the date cards, and unlike STDs they’re not optional. The invitation gives all your guests the information they need about the wedding, including locations, times and meal options. You can also use the invitation to inform them if you have a gift list and even include an itinerary for the day. Depending on the size of the ceremony and reception, you might decide to send separate wedding invites for the day and evening.

RSVPs

You need to include with your wedding invitations a way for your guests to respond and let you know if they can come. You could just ask them to call or email, but making sure you have everything down in writing could help you to stay organized. Your RSVP cards can have spaces for the number of people coming and their meal choices for the reception. RSVPs help to remind your guests that they need to get back to you, but you might still need to chase them up. So make sure you keep a list of who has responded and who hasn’t, so you can give them a gentle nudge to reply.

When it comes to stationery design, make sure it’s all coherent and not just randomly put together. You want to think about how it’s going to fit with your wedding colours and theme.

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