Stationery Etiquette
Beginning the paper process can be overwhelming
We have made our process as easy as possible, and our Etiquette Guide is here to walk you through it. Let’s get started!
Save the Date
There’s a wide window of when it’s appropriate to mail out save the dates
Anywhere from 6 – 12 months ahead of your wedding day. Tell us about your wedding and we’ll help you hone in on when the perfect time to mail is for you. We suggest mailing a little later if you’re hoping that not all 75 cousins make the drive up from Indiana, or earlier if your destination wedding guest list is only your nearest and dearest.
You don’t need to have all the details figured out to send out your save the date cards, but you should have a firm date and city. Many couples also find it helpful to settle on a wedding website. Even if all of the information isn’t posted it will be a resource that your guests can refer back to as they firm up their plans.
Production time varies for save the date cards based on the printing techniques we’re using, most couples pick-up their save the date cards 3 – 5 weeks after ordering them.
Invitation Suites
During your complimentary consultation we’ll spend most of our time discussing the design/feeling you want to evoke with your invitations. When it comes to the nitty gritty of figuring out exactly what to say on those invitations, don’t worry, we are here to assist!
A few things for you to consider when thinking about your wording:
Do you want your wording to be traditional? Personal? Romantic? Hilarious? Maybe a little of everything? We can help guide you toward options that can fit all of these.
Do you want to include your parents’ names on the invitations? In traditional wording the bride’s parents are listed as hosts, but the groom’s parents are left off, does this work for you and your family’s situation?
Have you finalized the wedding details that you want to include on the invitations? (Reception meal choices, suggested accommodations, ceremony and reception time, etc.) We can begin designing before all the pieces are in place, but we’ll definitely want them ironed out before we move into production.
Are there additional celebrations that you need to invite people to when you mail out the wedding invitations? Do you want to include information on a farewell brunch or a welcome party?
Do these questions raise more questions? Don’t worry, we’re here to help by offering suggestions and providing feedback. Just let us know what’s on your mind.
Invitations can be mailed anytime 6 – 12 weeks ahead of your wedding date. We find that for most weddings the window 8 – 10 weeks ahead of the wedding is the sweet spot. If you have extenuating circumstances and need to mail earlier or later than that just let us know and we’ll do everything we can to accommodate your planning needs.
The overall production time for invitations, from wording to design and production, generally takes 6 – 9 weeks. If this is too long a turnaround time to hit your target “mail by” date inquire about our availability for rush services. There are no emergencies here!
Addressing your guests
IN THIS CASE, WHAT’S OUTSIDE COUNTS!
Below are some guidelines for how to address your wedding invitations when using one mailing envelope. If you are using two mailing envelopes (inner and outer) feel free to reach out to us and ask for additional direction on how this will affect your addressing.
Don’t see the answer to your addressing predicament in the image below? Rest easy, we are here to help! Feel free to reach out with any and all addressing etiquette questions.
Mailing & Stamps
Here are a few guidelines to help you with the last step between your guests and paper heaven
We can only create beautiful invitations, it’s up to you and the good ol’ Post Office to get them to your guests. Here are a few guidelines to help you with the last step between your guests and paper heaven. A “Forever” stamp may not be enough postage for your invitation — Before purchasing postage for your invitations take one completed stuffed envelope to the post office and have them weigh and measure it. Mail that weighs more than one ounce, that is square, oversize, or thicker than .25” will require more postage. When you bring back all of your invitations to be mailed we recommend double checking one more time that you have the correct postage.
Don’t forget to stamp your RSVP cards for your guests! A standard forever stamp will do the trick for a card with an envelope, a less expensive postcard stamp will work for postcard rsvps. Don’t ruin your invitation with ugly stamps — Elvis Presley was dreamy in his day, but putting his commemorative stamp on your elegant wedding invitations may not be the best way to finish things off (unless of course your wedding is Elvis themed — we would love to do an Elvis themed wedding!!). If your local post office doesn’t have a wide selection of stamps to choose from ask them what other branches in town might. The post office makes a selection of stamps every year that are specially designed to compliment wedding invitations. If there aren’t enough for you to purchase in-store and you don’t want to drive around town you can always purchase additional stamps online at USPS.com.
So how do you budget for all of this?
The average invitation will require at least $1.32 (one $0.66 Forever Stamp on both the invitation and reply envelope). So, at a minimum, if you’re mailing 100 invitations you need to budget an additional $132 in postage. Heavier invitations or suites with thicker inserts or embellishments will require at least $1.56 ($0.90 for the invitation, and $0.66 for the reply envelope).
Want to take it a step further? AsK us about our Mailing and Assembly services.
Day Of Stationery
YAY! YOUR INVITATIONS HAVE BEEN SENT, THE RSVPS ARE FLOWING IN, AND PEOPLE CAN’T WAIT FOR YOUR BIG DAY.
Yay! Your invitations have been sent, the RSVPs are flowing in, and people can’t wait for your big day. The next step will be to work on the details that will make your day stand out for your guests. From programs to guide them through the ceremony, to welcome bag inserts to guide them through your town we can help make your wedding weekend easy (and beautiful!) for your guests. We’ll touch on wedding day stationery when you come in for your initial consultation, but we won’t get into the details of what you’ll need until about six weeks before your wedding. Typically, proofing will begin four weeks out, and we’ll ask for your approval to print (and guest list if we’re doing escort cards) two weeks before your wedding. Most of our couples pick-up the items the week of their wedding.
SOME ITEMS THAT WE FREQUENTLY CREATE ARE:
programs
place cards
table numbers
welcome bag inserts
welcome bag labels
door hangers
favor tags
menus
reception signage (bar signs, guest books signs, seating charts… etc.)
cocktail napkins
drink stirrers
matchbooks
coasters
SOME “OUT OF THE BOX” IDEAS WE’VE ALSO CREATED:
step and repeat banners for photo booths
photo booth strip artwork
artwork for custom lighting
cake toppers
cigar wrappers
wedding mad libs
wine bottle labels
