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December is fast approaching, and we all know what that means. I’m not talking about Santa sliding down the chimney or the prospect of a fortnight worth of leftover Turkey & Stuffing sandwiches, but wedding proposals.
December, the month where more happy couples across the UK and USA say YES than any other month of the year, the month where mistletoe is draped, the scent of pine and cinnamon hangs in the air, and the sky parts ways, raining engagement rings on the seasons chosen ones. What is it they say? If you don’t believe, you won’t receive.
With that in mind, we’ve put together the internets longest, most concise wedding stationery checklist because, after all, wedding stationery is something of a specialty at Aura Print.
Pre-Wedding Print
For most couples, the bulk of their wedding printing will be made up of ‘Before the Day’ print, letting people know the who, what, when and where, ensuring no detail is overlooked.
Engagement Party Invitations
So, you just got engaged? Congratulations! We hate to press you, but are you having a knees-up to celebrate? If so, you might want to consider Engagement Party Invitations, officially welcoming friends and family along to witness the start of your wedded love story.
Engagement Party Thank You Cards
Was your engagement party a roaring success? Full of well-wishes armed with gifts, compliments, and all-around good vibes? Thank them for coming with a simple postcard or thank you card… you could even put the group photo you painstakingly managed to take on the front!
Save the Dates
The first official glimpse your guests will get into your wedding day. Decide on a theme for your wedding stationery, based on your wedding theme, and stick to it! If you’re having a rustic, boho-chic wedding, consider printing your stationery on Kraft paper, outlining the names of the happy couple, your wedding date, and wedding venue.
Looking for something a bit different? Magnetic Save the Dates are a fun alternative to conventional wedding print. After all, where do people put their Save the Dates if not on the fridge?
Wedding Invitations: Ceremony & Reception
Who’s invited to your entire wedding and who will be getting a reception only invite? This is something you’ll need to consider when deciding how to split your wedding invitation and reception invitation list.
Stick to your stationery theme, include names, dates, times, and venues… with further information to follow where necessary.
RSVP Cards
Send ‘return to sender’ RSVP cards alongside your Save the Dates or Invitations so you know exactly who can and can’t make it.
Do you find pre-stamped envelope communication a little outdated? Include a QR code or URL on your RSVPs, linking guests to your all-in-one-place, personalised wedding website!
Guest Information Cards
Are you having a destination wedding, getting married in an area that might be unfamiliar to your guests, or throwing a bash with multiple venues and complicated parking?
Guest Information Cards are a must in your invitation suite if any of the above apply to your wedding. Here, you can provide directions, instructions, convenient transport links, hotel recommendations and more.
Menu Cards
If you’ve opted for the full, traditional, sit-down wedding breakfast, chances are you’ll need to take orders way in advance of the day.
Most guests are provided with between three and five starter, main course, and dessert options, and sending these options in your invitation suite alongside your return RSVPs is undoubtably the most streamlined option.
Unique Maps
Having an off-the-grid bash? Include a stunningly illustrated, magical map alongside your invitation, giving guests a fun sneak-peek into your venue and its location.
Wedding Envelopes
Unsuccessfully scoured the shelves of every craft shop in the city in search of the perfect envelopes for your Wedding Invitation pack? Did you have something very specific in mind that just doesn’t seem to exist outside of your head? Have them custom designed and printed! After all, it’s your big day – you might as well push the boat out.
Envelope Seal Stickers
Opted for simple envelopes but feeling the need for a touch of envelope personalisation? Envelope seal stickers are the perfect way to ensure your guests know exactly what’s inside, from the second it lands on their doorstep.
Add a touch of the enclosed theme to your stickers, alongside the initials of the engaged couple and perhaps a touch of gold foil and you’re well on your way!
Wedding Suite Belly Bands
Band together your invitation, RSVP, information card and menu card with a pearlescent belly band. Want to try before you buy? Our wedding stationery sample packs come neatly bound in a classy belly band.
Bridesmaid Proposal Cards
Turning the question of ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ into a gift is now more common than ever, with bridesmaid proposal cards becoming more popular.
Make your bridesmaid proposal extra personal with a card designed just for them, giving them all the feels in the process. A ‘be my bridesmaid’ card is a great way to make your bridal party feel valued, while providing a keepsake that they can hang onto for years to come.
Hen/Stag Invitations
While many opt for a Facebook Event, there’s still no feeling like receiving a physical invitation, especially not the ‘ping’ of a notification.
While you’re unlikely to be planning your own Hen/Stag, these invitations are still worth mentioning. Outline the event details or, if you want to open a discussion, use a physical invitation to direct your guests to a Facebook group or forum.
Hen/Stag Thank You Cards
Did your bridesmaids pull off the most incredibly organised Hen Do, perfectly tailored toward your hobbies and interests? Why not send them a personalised thank you card for all the hard work – I can vouch that organising a Hen Do is HARD WORK!
Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
While rehearsal dinners have been big business in the US for years, they’re now gaining traction in the UK too.
Either way, if you plan on hosting a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner, your guests will expect invitations. This is where rule #1 gets another mention: Stay on-theme! Include the date, time and venue of your rehearsal dinner, along with any other important information that your guests will need to be made aware of.
Ceremony & Reception Print
Still with us? That’s good to hear, because now we’re onto the big day itself! From table plans to personalised signage, we’ve got everything you might need to assist in pulling off the wedding of the year (or Century, let’s aim high!).
Order of Service/Wedding Programs
Whether you’re supplying every guest with an A5 Wedding Program or opting for an A2 poster, ideal for sophisticated framing upon a wooden easel at the entrance to your ceremony room, you want to make sure people know when they’ll get fed, when they’ll get to drink and chat, and when they’ll get to have a boogie.
Seating Chart / Table Plans
Often found on an easel at the entrance to your banquet hall, table plans are an absolute must. The last thing you want is all your guests wandering aimlessly trying to find their place setting, so ensure they know exactly what table number and setting to look for before entering the banquet room.
Keep design cohesive, if you’re having a Halloween spooktacular wedding, full of pumpkins and autumnal colours, make sure your on-the-day-print got the aesthetic memo.
Wedding Signage
Getting wed on a luxury estate or in the middle of an expansive nature reserve? Make sure your guests know where they’re going throughout the day.
Where venues are sprawling and the location of the closest toilet isn’t obvious, ensure you or your venue keep this in mind. Popping up on-theme signposts for toilets, bars, reception rooms, and anything else your guests might want directing to is a great idea. The last thing you want is guests interrupting your first dance to ask which way the loo’s are!
Personalised Bunting
DIY decs are more popular than ever, with wedding planners heading to digital printers for their personal touches. While craft shops are great, if you had a specific design in mind for your wedding bunting, with your initials or even photos of the engaged couple, you’ll need someone who can make them especially for you.
Table Names/Numbers
You know that seating plan we talked about earlier? Well, if you’ve named or numbered your tables, that will need to be visible to you guests. So, whether you opt for a sticker-on-a-mason-jar centrepiece or printed A6 table numbers on a table stand, your guests will know which table is theirs.
Candle Labels
Candles and mason jars are a common feature on wedding breakfast tables, so why not personalise them with adhesive labels? Put anything you like on them, from your favourite movie stills to photos from the early days of your relationship – it gives your guests something to look out for.
Individualise the label on each table to encourage your guests to mingle, eager to find out what you’ve featured on each mason jar.
Place Cards
Once you’ve numbered your tables, you’ll need to figure out where each guest is sitting – and this is something your guests will need to know too!
Print a place card for each of your guests – this is a great place to add a unique touch, from cinema ticket inspired place cards for movie-buff couples to individual Top Trump inspired cards, uniquely illustrated for each guest to take home.
Printed Table Activities
Whether you’ve got a kids table to occupy or you’re hosting a non-traditional, fun knees-up, table activities will go down a storm, especially after a few glasses of wine.
From card games to guest-featured colouring books, having bespoke entertainment printed is a great way to create memorable moments for your guests.
Menus
In most cases, your guests will have made their meal choice months in advance, in which case you can move onto the next item on the checklist.
Where on-the-day choice is an option and your venue doesn’t provide menus, you may have to source them yourself. This is a great idea if you’re offering a multi-vendor, food truck, buffet style meal, allowing guests to see what’s available and at which food truck/food station they might find it.
Wine Bottle Labels
Do you want every part of your day to scream ‘my wedding!!’? Replacing generic wine bottle labels with your own is a classy move, especially if you opt for a dazzling design.
Pro tip: Foil! Add a touch of metallic foil to your wine bottle labels, whether it’s copper initials or a dainty rose-gold border, you won’t regret it.
Food Labels
If your wedding day features a buffet, chances are your guests would like to know what each dish is and what ingredients it contains. This is especially important for those with dietary requirements or food allergies, so make sure you accurately label each dish.
This may seem unimportant in the grand scheme of the day, but your guests will absolutely appreciate it.
Drink Tokens
Are you feeling generous and offering your guests several free drinks throughout the day? Have bespoke drink tokens printed to ensure no one takes advantage of the advance budget you’ve given the bar.
Post Box Print
If you’re on Pinterest, chances are you’ve seen this already. A post-box installed somewhere in your venue as a safe place for the cards and gifts you receive throughout the day.
Having a sign or postcard on/next to said post-box ensures your guests know what it’s for, while giving you the opportunity to express your gratitude to those who drop something inside.
Guest Book
Guest books are a great opportunity for your guests to pass on their well-wishes and memories of the happy couple and the day itself. Most people will go for an off-the-shelf guest book, however having a bespoke book made guarantees something extra special, and uniquely you, to look back on.
Favour Tags
Add a personal touch to your wedding favour gift bags with pre-designed tags and identifiers for your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and other members of your wedding party.
Post-Wedding Print
OK, you can breathe now. The planning is over, the day was magical and now you can settle into wedded bliss. Once you’ve opened all those expertly wrapped, incredibly thoughtful wedding gifts, there’s just one thing left to print…
Thank You Cards
Whether you choose a conventional thank you card or opt for a postcard, sending thank you cards after your wedding is good practice because, at the end of the day, people have spent time and money to celebrate with you.
From new dresses and suits to a gift off your registry, donations toward your honeymoon, the expensive bar at your venue and the day they’ve taken off work, a little thank you goes a long way.
It needn’t be anything fancy, most people wait until the photographer has sent across the wedding photos, choosing a favourite to print on a sincere thank you card.
And there we have it! You’ve made it to the end of the list and hopefully you’re a little clearer on all the ‘big day’ print possibilities. By no means would anyone need all of this, but I can guarantee your day will run smoother with at least a handful of them.
