So, you're engaged! Hurrah, congratulations!
And so 'THE LIST' begins.. Venue, Date, Dress, Flowers, Food, Cake, Entertainment.... all the 'important' things right? And so they are... but for the next few seconds (I know this may seem counterintuitive for a blog post) I want you to close your eyes and imagine your wedding day...
What did you think of?
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Walking down the aisle, seeing your other half for the first time, the feeling of that perfect dress, your first dance, your perfect venue, the raucous dance off's ?
- And I BET you anything that you also, subconsciously imagined that scene surrounded by your nearest and dearest - whether its sweet fifteen (thanks Covid) or a hundred+ (roll on Easter 2021).
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And HOW I ask you did all those people get to be there? Surrounding you with love, all dressed appropriately, all on time, none of them with duplicate toasters, and all of them totally completely and utterly excited to be there and willing to start that wedding dance contest with ties fixed crazily round their heads like rebellious school kids...?
YEP! YOU GUESSED IT...
THEY ALL GOT AN INVITATION... EVERY. SINGLE. ONE OF THEM.
Your save the dates, and wedding invitations are indeed one of the most important parts of the day. They are the one thing that you send out to every single guest. It goes out into the wild, through the letter box, a little piece of you, the VERY FIRST thing many your guests will see of your engagement and plans for your wedding. It gives them all the important information, the venue, the times, the dress code, the directions for parking, taxi numbers, the gift list information and most importantly how to RSVP and let you know they are coming... without your invitation simply put, there would be no guests.
HOWEVER, ITS NOT JUST ALL ABOUT THE INVITATIONS
When it comes to wedding stationery, of course, the invites are number 1, and yes they are absolutely crucial. But there are also the save the dates which offer your guests the first glimpse of your day. The order of services, making sure that the whole room is singing the right song, with the right words and cheering at the right points during your ceremony. The table plan, so everyone knows where to sit and quickly (anything that makes wedding day logistics smoother is better right?) the message cards in each room welcoming guests, the thank you cards telling everyone how much you loved celebrating with them. The list goes on, and each item is a fabulous engaging touch point allowing you to offer information, details and the personality of your day.
THEY ARE THE SILENT CONCIERGE
Your wedding stationery really is one of the only consistent parts of information throughout the wedding journey. It is a silent but crucial part of your day. Your stationery suite helps guests have an amazing time without wondering whats coming next or if they will miss something if they go to the bathroom. It allows them to build anticipation from the very first glimpse of your save the date and enjoy the journey and event without any distraction or unease. Even if you have a wedding day coordinator or toastmaster they cant give the amount of information, as often, on an individual basis as your carefully placed and designed stationery throughout the day. The information you give also saves you or your bridal party getting asked a hundred questions about where to put their gifts to when and where the first dance will happen.. and from personal experience I know there is nothing more exasperating than a guest asking you how they can book a taxi 5 minutes before your grand send off!
THEY ARE A KEEPSAKE ( & NOT JUST FOR YOU )
A wedding invitation is such a personal thing and its not just a piece of paper with some dates on, its a piece of family history. You share them with your nearest, your dearest, your friends your family. They include names, dates, places, colours, illustrations, parents names... and when the day is done and the memories fade what is it that your guests will have to remind them of your day? Maybe a couple of photos on their phone, a facebook memory popping up each year.. and that beautiful invitation that landed through their letterbox, that was displayed on all their mantlepieces for a year, looking gorgeous, building excitement, containing all the information they needed and telling them the oh so important details of your day. And I will make another bet with you - that a very large percentage of your guest list will safely store your invitations for years to come, cherishing their beauty and remembering the day you celebrated your marriage.
YOU MAY ALSO BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF GUESTS WILL TAKE THE ORDER OF SERVICE HOME AS A KEEPSAKE, ESPECIALLY CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
Many of my couples also send messages after their big day saying they have framed their stationery as a beautiful reminder of all their hard work. A wedding after all is one big representation of you, your style, your likes and your personalities.
Of course you will have your beautiful photographs that tell the story of your day itself, but the stationery can really tell the story of you as a couple and choosing a bespoke stationery suite by a specialist stationer really is like having your own personal artwork created for you.
I have my own save the date framed on a photo wall in my hall alongside all my wedding photos and I love seeing it there. Its design matches the overall look of our day perfectly and it sits there reminding me of the special day each time I pause to ponder.
SO, IS IT THAT IMPORTANT?
Of course, I am a stationery designer, so I feel compelled to lovely print, tangible objects, personal paperwork and gorgeous bespoke designs, but in short, if you were to ask anyone in the wedding industry whether wedding stationery is really worth it, and worth doing properly? Then in short the answer is a resounding YES.
And I hope that if any of you reading this were on the fence about creating the stationery yourselves to save some of that oh so tight wedding budget, or were going to opt for a print at home template to get it ticked off quickly, then I would love you to reconsider and think about what will be left at the end of the day. Wouldn't the most gorgeous invitation that reflects your partnership be a perfect addition to your wedding album. One you would treasure as you open it up to show your kids, your grandkids? And once you've made that exhaustive list of the actual stationery items you need is it really worth the time and stress of creating them yourselves on top of everything else?
I hope some of my passion for creating beautiful stationery has come through, I truly believe that each and every couple should have stunning stationery that represents them, their day, their personalities. And it goes without saying I would love to hear your story and help create a set for you.
...and PS; how much more gorgeous is this shot of the bridesmaids making their speech, on custom designed, patterned note cards, than scribbled on a scrunched up bit of A4 paper?
If you would like to discuss how I can help you create the perfect suite of stationery then please do get in touch, I would love to hear all about your story and help tell it to all your guests. Also, why not hop on over to my blog post 'The Art of Storytelling' to see how I can do this for you.
Over and out lovely people... see you next time.
IMAGERY
Image 1 - Georgina & David Photography by Sam & Louise Photography
Image 3 & 4 - Table Seating Plan & Order of Service at Hedsor House Photography by Pippa Mackenzie
Image 6 - Charlotte & Alex's Bridesmaids at Elmore Court Photography by Claudia Rose Carter
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