Wedding Stationery Dos & Don’ts

Do – contact a designer as soon as you’ve booked your venue
It’s never too early, designers can get booked up a year in advance, so it’s best to contact us as soon as you have your date confirmed.
Don’t – panic
If you think you’ve left it too late to order, don’t panic, ask around, you might find a stationer with a cancellation able to fit you in.
Don’t – send save the dates
Don’t get me wrong, I love the stylish impact of a save the date, but do you really need them? Unless you’re having a destination wedding, are getting married on week day or bank holiday, or have friends & relatives travelling from far flung countries, you can probably save yourself a few pennies and skip straight to the invite!
Do – have an idea/pinterest board
If you have a colour scheme or theme in mind, a particular look or feel for your day that you’d like to incorporate into the design of your invites, this will be a great starting point to help your designer create something you’ll love.
Don’t – ask your designer to copy
Professional artists and designers should not be willing to directly copy another’s work. If you have a specific image you would like to use, you need to approach the owner of that image, breaching copyright is not cool.
Don’t – go digital
Wedding websites are great, handy for linking guests to hotels, collecting RSVPs, and managing your gift list. But don’t forgo the paper invite altogether, send out a paired back invitation with a link to the website. When you send a pretty paper invite you are giving your guests such an exiting post day! A pretty keepsake for those who love to keep things, and a helpful reminder of your wedding link for the digitally challenged.
Do – ask your designer to work to a budget
It really helps to know if you have a budget in mind, there is nothing worse than spending time working out a quote for a couple, only to find its waaay out of their budget. Most designers use several different methods of printing to cater for a range of budgets, from high end letter press, to digital colour printing. It is possible to achieve something beautiful that fits your budget.
Don’t – forget the day stationery
The options for adding gorgeous touches to your day are endless, but, here’s the stuff you absolutely cannot do without:
Table Plan
Table Numbers/Names
Place Cards.
These items will ensure your day runs smoothly, add to the look and feel of your table styling, and needn’t cost the earth.
Don’t – try to make your own
Or do, if you have endless free time, and money to spare! DIY invites can be tempting, they might seem like a great way to have fun and save money, but, most couples who try it end up exasperated and out of pocket. Professional designers may make it look easy, that’s because they have spent years honing their skills, building relationships with local printers, finding the best quality materials, making mistakes and learning from them… if you have the time and money to do all this and still want to give it a go, go for it, if not, better hire a professional…
Do – get in touch
I am Clare, owner and designer at Clare Gray Designs, you can reach me via email claregraydesigns1@gmail.com I’d love to hear from you.
Clare Gray Designs