Planning the perfect wedding requires juggling numerous elements and making lots of decisions: what to wear, who to invite, what to serve, where to say “I do.” However, one of the decisions you don’t want to take for granted is your wedding stationery package. Many couples think putting together the package is as easy as picking out invitations and dropping them in the mailbox.

Unfortunately, there’s a little more you should know about the process.

To help you wade through the assortment of stationery options and packages you’ll be looking at as you plan your wedding, we’ve put together dozens of articles to provide you with useful information. For example, you might want to read our article about what the term wedding stationery entails – it’s a lot more than just the invitations!

You’ll also find articles that will help you prepare your wedding programs – one of the most important keepsakes your guests can take away from your special day. You’ll also learn about thank you cards, wedding favor tags, menu cards, and more.

Are you confused about whether you need save the date cards or not? Don’t be because we have articles that will help you answer that question and that will tell you everything you need to know IF you decide you need to use them.

On top of all that, you can also find entertaining and informative articles on the history of the wedding invitations (you might be surprised by how the whole industry got started). You’ll also learn how to avoid making common wedding invitation mistakes and you can read about some real-life horror stories from couples who didn’t do their homework on this topic.

In the end, we’re confident you’ll find everything you need to know about wedding invitations right here.

Basic Wedding Stationery Concept & Other Ideas

Wedding Stationery | Wedding stationery is an umbrella term used to cover all of the printed materials you'll need for your wedding. While not a significant part of your wedding budget, your wedding stationery is important and should not be forgotten when you are determining how much to spend. Below we'll talk about some of the basic things you need to know about your wedding stationery ...

Keeping Consistency In Your Wedding Stationery | As you probably already know, your wedding stationery consists of more than just your invitations. Wedding stationery refers to the invitations, reception cards, response cards, save-the-date cards, thank you cards, wedding programs, and any other printed materials, such as maps, you need for your guests ...

Save The Date Announcements | One of the newest wedding trends has been the use of save the date announcements. The purpose of these cards is to let your wedding guests know farther in advance about the date of your wedding so they can start making plans to attend. You might think of them as a pre-invitation. Below are some of the guidelines you need to know before sending out ...

Wedding Place Cards - Menu Cards | Place cards and menu cards are two optional items you could choose to include in your wedding stationery package. Place cards can serve as markers to help guests identify their seat at the reception. This can prevent confusion and can make things easier on your guests. Menu cards can be placed on each table as both a decorative ...

Using Place Cards for Wedding Organization | As you’re planning out your wedding stationery, don’t forget to purchase place cards. While place cards are optional, you’ll find they are a huge help as you try to organize seating at your reception and as you keep track of who is going to be attending your big event. Let me give you a few pointers. Choosing Place Cards ...

Wedding Response Cards | When you order your wedding stationery, you need to order your response (RSVP) cards. These cards are sent with your invitations. They are returned by your guests to let you know if they will be attending – information that is important as you are finalizing the seating chart and calculating a last count for your caterers. Response Card Etiquette....

Wedding Programs | Wedding programs are an optional part of your wedding stationery package, but it's one that many couples opt to provide, even if they sometimes serve mostly as keepsakes of the special day. Of course, there are some times when a wedding program is almost mandatory and, if you choose to use them, there is some information they should contain ...

Wedding Reception Cards | A common question among couples planning their wedding and ordering their wedding stationery is how to let guests know the location of the reception. The good news is that answering this question is fairly simple. If the reception and ceremony are being held at the same location, you don't have to do anything, except perhaps including ...

Wedding Invitations with Map or Direction Cards | Part of being a good host is making things convenient for your guests. When you invite people to your wedding, you are taking on the position of host and should want to do everything possible to make things easy on the people attending, including helping them find the locations. For this reason, you should never under estimate ...

Using Postcards Instead of Envelopes for RSVP | Wedding etiquette dictates a response card be included with every invitation so guests can let the couple know if they will be attending. Traditionally that response card was mailed back in a pre-addressed, stamped envelope which was also included with the invitation. Although this continues to be the standard, more ...

How to Send Postcard Wedding Invitations | A fairly new concept in wedding stationery is postcard invitations. Rather than sending your average heavily decorated, thick with embellishment cardstock, today’s couples are opting to keep it simple by selecting colors and designs with the guest in mind. Postcard invitations are stunning and chic. They even cost less in postage ...

Forecasting Your Wedding Party Activities in the Menu Cards | At many wedding receptions, you’re likely to find menu cards in the center of the table. Traditionally, these cards would simply list what foods were being served that evening. For example, the card may break down the meal into ...

Wedding Seals For Wedding Invitation Envelopes | When you’re planning a wedding, all of the details are important, especially when it comes to your invitations which make the first impression on your potential guests. You want to pick just the right paper, just the right font, just the right design. However, many couples forget that attention ...

Foil-Lined Wedding Invitation Envelopes | Foil lined envelopes are sometimes popular with couples choosing their wedding invitations because they look more elegant and expensive than plain paper envelopes. However, you need to use caution when choosing foil lined envelopes for your wedding invitations because the look simply doesn’t work consistently ...

Wedding Invitation Symbols & Their Meanings | When you browse through invitations or wedding paper, you're likely to run across a wide variety of images. Most of these images are important symbols of marriage and love. Below is an explanation for some of the most common symbols you'll find: Bride and Groom: When a bride and groom are ...

Destination Weddings & Save The Date Cards | Save the date cards have become a fairly common addition to most wedding stationery packages. Their purpose is, of course, to give guests advanced notice about the date of your wedding so they can begin making arrangements. While save the date cards aren’t mandatory for all weddings, if you are having a destination wedding ...

Other Stationery

Unique Wedding Invitations with Embellishments | Wedding invitations are always going to be special for the couple sending them out, but most couples also want their invitations to be, something unique for the guests, too. While having unique invitations may be easy for couples having an informal wedding because they have more choices in terms of colors ...

Creating a Dramatic Effect on Your Invitations with Vellum | When you choose wedding invitations, you’re looking for a design or style that is eye-catching and dramatic. You want your invitation to stand out and amaze your guests. One of the best ways to do that is by adding vellum to your invitations. Vellum is a translucent, very smooth paper. Although it ...

Wedding Invitations with Keepsakes | Couples want their weddings to be something special. No one wants to throw a wedding that’s just like someone else’s. That’s why unique wedding invitations are so important to most brides and grooms. However, unique wedding invitations can also be an important part of your keepsakes and your wedding scrapbook ...

Basic Wedding Scrapbooking | After you return from your honeymoon and start fondly looking back through your wedding photographs, you may decide to do something different with your pictures, such as creating a simple scrapbook. Now if you've never created a scrapbook before you don't want to start off with anything too ambitious, but there's no reason you can't ...

Advanced Wedding Scrapbooking | If you have already tackled scrapbooks in the past, then you may want to celebrate your marriage by creating another scrapbook – this one could tell your personal love story in a combination of pictures, journaling, and memorabilia. Of course, this task will be a little more ambitious, so you might not want to try ...

How Scrapbooking Ideas Work Into Your Wedding Invitation Ideas | Imagine beautiful stationery and the very details that catch your eye. Perfectly priced to fit your budget, the gorgeous cards feature Victorian handwriting and elegant, raised images set into the cardstock. The invitation was created using a special technique called embossing, and ...

Stationery Online, Hystory, Stories, & Other Tips

History of the Wedding Invitation | Wedding invitations are a required element for weddings today. Of course, announcing impending nuptials has probably been a part of weddings since people first began tying the knot, but the method of making those announcements has changed over the years. Before and During the Middle Ages ...

Rating Wedding Invitations – Stationery Online | Many couples today are choosing to work with an online stationer for their wedding stationery needs instead of going to a local vendor. While there are many good reasons for making this choice, wise couples also know to be just as careful when selecting an online stationer as they would be when choosing ...

Reasons To Buy Wedding Invitations Online | When you're planning a wedding, you want everything to be perfect. Attaining that perfection can be challenging, but the Internet has certainly made it easier for brides- and grooms-to-be to plan their perfect weddings. Just look at some of the great reasons you might choose to buy invitations online ...

Common Mistakes in Wedding Invitations | Like every element of your wedding, you want your wedding invitations to be perfect. Unfortunately, mistakes do happen. The good news is that common wedding invitation mistakes can be prevented, especially if you know what's most likely to occur. Mistake #1 – Not Enough Postage : Wedding invitations are heavy, definitely heavier ...

The Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Invitations | When you're planning your invitations, there are some things you should definitely do and some things you should definitely not do. Here are some tips to help you avoid making mistakes. Adult Only Ceremonies/Receptions : Don't write on your invitations “No Children Allowed” if you want an adult-only ...

Why Paper Wedding Invitations Still Win Over E-Wedding Invitations | Modern times call for modern measures. These days the email trumps the handwritten letter by far. It’s a matter of convenience, it’s forward thinking, it’s easy. In fact, these days, many young ones don’t even know what a mail box is. For them it’s an obsolete relic, a play thing even. Yet, even ...

Wedding Invitation Horror Stories | We’ve all heard about the unfortunate disasters that have befallen other brides and grooms. From melting cakes to dresses that don’t fit to limos that never arrive, weddings seem prone to mishaps, perhaps because we work so hard to make sure every detail is absolutely perfect. The bad news is that your wedding invitations ...

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Wedding Thank You Cards: An Important Part of Wedding Stationery

Wedding thank you cards will play an integral role during the wedding planning process and beyond. To mind your manners as a successful bride, make sure you promptly send wedding thank you notes to show your deep appreciation.

The Importance of Wedding Thank You Cards

Unless you are your fiancé are eloping and expect no attendance and no gifts, you will need to purchase wedding thank you cards. After your wedding invitations, wedding thank you cards are next in line of importance. Wedding thank you cards are clearly separate from general thank you cards and will show recipients how much you value their contribution.

It is wise to either order coordinating wedding thank you cards when you order your invitations, or simply choose appropriate wedding thank you cards before you send out wedding invitations. You will need them especially after your bridal shower and the wedding.

Who Should Receive a Thank You Card

Everyone who attends your bridal shower and wedding should receive a wedding thank you card, even if you did not receive a gift from that person. You will also find yourself designating wedding thank you cards to bridal shower hosts, as well as anyone instrumental in the planning or financing of your wedding.

Purpose of a Thank You Card

A handwritten note of thanks is one rule that has not relaxed, although sadly, many don’t take the time to practice this simple yet meaningful habit. Everyone is busy, but when you receive a gift, or even money, it shows that someone took time to notice your wedding. You need to reciprocate and take time from your schedule to send a wedding thank you card.

Simple Etiquette Tips

Your thank you cards should be mailed within two weeks of the bridal shower or receipt of an early gift, and within two weeks of returning from your honeymoon. Guests receiving a quickly composed wedding thank you card a month later could suffer hurt feelings and possibly sense that you thought her gift and presence was unimportant.

Unfortunately, it is not acceptable to thank someone for her shower and wedding gift in the same wedding thank you card. She ostensibly took time to purchase separate gifts, so you should also spend the extra time to thank her with individual notes.

Taking notes as you open wedding gifts will ensure you don’t leave anyone out when you sit down to write your wedding thank you cards. This means you should write down every gift and giver in a notebook. This also helps during a bridal shower where name tags could get mislaid.

Lastly, it is strictly forbidden to thank friends and family via email or text message. You purchased wedding thank you cards for a valid reason and you need to use them. Not even the most trendy person will appreciate receiving “Thanks for the wedding cash” on her cell phone.

Complete your wedding stationery package with a beautiful set of wedding thank you cards that echo the beauty of your wedding invitations. They will not only inspire you to write your wedding thank you cards, but will impress even the most discerning guest with your good manners.

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Wedding Stationery: An Important Addition to Wedding Invitations

Wedding stationery is important to consider when purchasing your wedding invitations. You take significant time creating the theme for your wedding, and thus, you want to exude its ambiance through all aspects of your wedding stationery.

Wedding Stationery Elements

Wedding stationery consists of multiple paper elements used to communicate with your guests about your approaching wedding. This begins with your wedding invitations, of course, and can include all or a combination of the following: response cards with envelopes, reception cards, wedding programs, wedding announcements, place cards, pew cards, and thank you cards.

Purpose of Wedding Stationery

Wedding stationery packages are often presented as optional additions to your wedding invitations. Although deemed necessary in most cases, wedding stationery functions mainly to formally communicate your wedding details to guests.

Response cards should be enclosed with self-addressed stamped envelopes, allowing guests to RSVP by simply checking off “accepts” or “regrets.” There should also be a place for guest name(s), number of guests accepting, and meal choice if applicable. Thank you cards are also a wedding stationery requirement and should be ordered with the wedding invitations so you can properly thank early gift-givers.

Optional wedding stationery includes the reception card, which is enclosed if the reception will be held in a different location. Wedding programs aren’t required, but make nice keepsakes and usually list the wedding party, as well as the ceremony details.

If you’re having a large wedding, pew cards ensure that important guests are seated up front. Place cards simply help maintain a predetermined seating chart. Wedding announcements can be ordered and mailed a day or two before or after the wedding to anyone who should know about your wedding but didn’t make it onto the guest list.

Wedding Stationery Tips and Ideas

Your wedding invitation, which is the focal point of your wedding stationery package, should set the tone for the rest of the wedding stationery elements you choose. Maintaining consistency in paper, paper color, ink color and font among wedding invitation enclosures is essential. Otherwise, your wedding invitation package will be mismatched in style and tone, and your guests could think there was a printing mistake or their presence isn’t valued.

Exceptions to this rule would be wedding programs, wedding announcements, and thank you cards. Although your color scheme and general tone should extend to these elements, since they won’t be viewed with the wedding invitation, they don’t necessarily need to match – especially if you are having a more casual or contemporary wedding. For example, if your wedding invitations are printed on pink linen paper with black script lettering and two entwined hearts in the top corner, you could continue the heart theme, but don’t necessarily have to choose the same pink paper and could feature a heart border instead.

A more formal wedding should choose wedding stationery in traditional white, ecru, or ivory linen or parchment paper. To add some shimmer, you could deviate and choose silver, gold or copper ink with matching metallic-lined envelopes. Then, choose the coordinating wedding stationery that meets your needs.

Look for wedding stationery elements to match your wedding invitation or complement your wedding theme, ensuring that all guests know what to expect and where to go so all they need to do is enjoy watching your marriage begin.