When facing up to the task of planning, many a bride has completely lost her cool navigating the seemingly endless deadlines, with time disappearing at an alarming rate. Whilst the two year average may appear on the surface as an age to wait to marry your sweetheart, trust us, and everyone else in fact, when we say that before long, you’ll have 6 weeks to go and the ivory haze will most definitely have set in.
Whilst the main wedding decisions (venue, photographer,and, dare we say, the dress…) are accepted to be the first ports of call, many leave shopping for stationery suites until later, meaning they could be losing out on valuable time to select the most stylish suite imaginable. Therefore, wedded ones to-be, we have concocted our idea of the perfect stationery timeline, to eliminate stresses and streamline your approach to announcing your nuptials.
THE TWELVE MONTH MARK
You have hit the 365 day milestone and the paper panic has set in. Cue some serious internet trawling for inspiration. We would recommend considering the kind of aesthetic you are aiming for on your big day and seek out companies who share a similar vision with the products they have previously designed. There are so many styles available, each as individual as the couple who creates them, so a head start on who and what you are looking for will prove infinitely useful later on in the process. So head over to Pinterest, or our own personal favourite Love My Dress (there are some truly jaw-dropping real weddings and suppliers gracing their pages daily), and, if you can, attend some of the fantastic fairs this industry has to offer to gain a real insight into the different options available to you. We often exhibit with the wonders that are The Wedding Collective, in case you were seeking out a truly fabulous time with some amazingly cool suppliers. We also had an unbelievable time at Brides The Show last year, so much so, we’re going to do it all over again in September! Now is the also time to consider ordering and sending your Save the Dates, especially if you are heading to more exotic climes to celebrate. Giving your guests time to organise crucial details such as days off work and childcare if necessary will be much appreciated when your big day comes around.
9 MONTHS TO GO
Discuss in detail your requirements with your chosen stationer, for ideas and tips on how to make the process of ordering and mailing your wedding stationery as simple and stress free as possible. We love to welcome clients into our studio, or speak with them personally through Skype, learning more about their wedding vision and which design elements truly matter to them. This also proves a fantastic opportunity to showcase the beautiful quality and exceptional craftsmanship of our products, and it is always fascinating to hear couples’ thoughts on how our designs could complement their celebrations.
6 MONTHS TO GO
Invitation ordering should be next on your list of stationery musts to tick off, especially if your wedding is taking place abroad. Having decided upon a style and colour which will enrich the overall look of your big day and excite your guests, consider at the wording you will use and decide upon any further extras you may wish to include (see our previous blog on selecting these gorgeous little details). Remember that beautiful extras such as calligraphy will take extra time to accomplish, so organisation is crucial at this stage! Have a think about any other stationery details you may love on show on your big day; features such as table plans, place cards or menus. We love to fully integrate stationery suites, from Save the Dates right through to Orders of Service, giving a unique and truly integrated personality to your wedding style.
3 MONTHS TO GO
As W-day approaches, take a deep breath. Now is the time to send out your invitations to family and friends (especially to those who may need to travel), announcing your nuptials and getting everyone suitably in the mood for what will surely be a fantastic party. Some of you may chose to leave posting your invitations until the 2 month mark, however it’s always great to be ahead when it comes to chasing up those few final RSVPs! We’re also sticklers for making sure everything is perfect when it comes to paper goodness, therefore we would recommend making sure all details such as wording and other information is with your stationer a month before the big day at the latest, to ensure all the T’s are crossed and all the I’s are dotted!
POST PARTY PRACTICALITIES
After all confetti has been thrown and all cake consumed, it’s time to think about sending those all important Thank You cards, signalling your appreciation of your guests and any gifts you may have received. We love this as a way to combat the post-party blues; enlist your other half, have a take away, a bottle of wine and reminisce on an amazing day filled with love, family and friends. And hey, if your craving for beautiful pieces of perfect paper has not yet waned, we also recommend keeping back some of your beautiful invitations or orders of service for framing in your home, perhaps to hang alongside one of our wonderful prints, which also make great decorations on the day too! See? Multi usage; us stationers see both the beautiful and the practical in design!
We hope this timeline may help to demystify the process surrounding stationery timetabling. We know weddings can become stressful, but keeping to an organised planning schedule (which may or may not include a colour coordinated excel spreadsheet…) and openly communicating with your handpicked suppliers is a surefire way to enjoy every moment and focus on celebrating in serious style.
