HINTS & TIPS WHEN ORDERING YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION STATIONERY

Its that time of year when a lot of my work schedule is taken up with reception stationery items for couples who are getting married this summer.
My studio is currently filled with order of service, table plans and placecards to name but a few items. Its always lovely to see the culmination of my clients wedding planning in those last few items they need for 'on the day'.

So today I thought I'd go over some hints and tips for when ordering your reception stationery.

RSVP DATE

Try and set an RSVP date if you can which is 6 weeks to 2 months prior to your wedding date.
As a stationer I like to have your reception stationery with you at least 10 days before your wedding - just in case there is any error from either party which needs correcting before the day - therefore I'll start asking for information like your table plan layout, placecard names etc. approximately a month before the wedding.
If you set an RSVP date at least a couple of weeks before that it will give you those 2-3 weeks to chase any stragglers who haven't rsvp'd yet ( there will always be some!) and sit down and figure out where everyone is going to sit.
Setting an RSVP date well in advance if possible will avoid any last minute stresses with caterers and stationers on your back for information and numbers ... which is the last thing you need right before your wedding!

ORDER OF SERVICE

Remember if you are getting married in a Church or other religious establishment that the Priest / Vicar etc may want to look over your Order of Service before you go to print. Remember to factor some time in for this and try and persuade your vicar to set an appointment to go over the wording etc for your order of service in plenty of time.
In 6 years of experience printing Order of Service for clients for their weddings there is often a 'difference' shall we say in how vicars and priests think an Order of Service should look and how a designer thinks it should look so there might be a few tweaks!

TABLE PLANS

I offer table plans as either printed boards or rolled posters in either A1 or A2 size.
As a general rule I would say if you are having more than 70 guests or more than 9 tables you should probably consider a larger A1 Table Plan - just so the guests names stay nice and legible.
You should also check with your venue before ordering about whether they have an easel etc for you to display your table plan on and what size board that it will fit.
If you are ordering a rolled poster which you want to frame yourselves or pin to a board at your venue check out the dimensions of the board and frame before ordering.

TABLE NAMES

I'm often asked by clients what they should pick for their table names. Obviously if nothing immediate springs to mind then you can always go with just numbers for your tables, but generally I find clients try and pick something which is personal to them as a couple. In the past I've had names of trees, herbs, favourite sweets and chocolates, countries they have visited together or even significant dates. Its often a good idea to think of hobbies or pastimes you share together and go from there ... movies or film stars are also generally quite popular.

Also with Table Names think about how they are going to be displayed at your venue.
Many venues will provide table card holders but some don't so check first and if not think about if you can lean the card against your centrepieces or alternatively ask me your stationer to provide tented cards which will stand on their own.

Hopefully that gives you a few more ideas about what to expect when ordering your reception stationery but if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to drop me an email at info@knotsandkisses.co.uk

Nikki x

Hints & Tips - Wedding Invitation Styles

Choosing A Style For Your Wedding Invitations

Choosing your wedding stationery can be a bit of a minefield, so I wanted to give a bit of a guide into the various different styles and finishes of wedding stationery you can consider and what would work best for your wedding.

Of course the possibilities are endless, and no-one should feel constricted by existing designs as most stationers will offer a bespoke service, but here are my Top 4 Ideas and also a few hints and tips on Card Quality & Finish ….

1. Flat or Postcard Style

 

A simple flat printed invitation. This style of invitation is perfect for you if you don’t have too much information to pass onto your guests, and is also a great option for evening invitations which don’t need as much wording on them. They also make a great Save the Date card option.

A5 Flat or Postcard style invitations are great for last minute weddings or if you need invitations in a rush as they can be more easily printed quickly for you.

2. Flat Folded Style

 

A traditional square folded card can make a great wedding invitation, giving your guests a good insight into the style of your wedding on the front cover, and providing plenty of room inside to give your guests the basic details of the day and R.S.V.P information.

These are also often easier to make in a hurry if you order a pre-existing off the peg design.

3. Pocketfold Style

 

Pocketfolds are great if you have lots of guests coming from further afield or have lots of information you need to let your guests know about your day.

I often include a RSVP card and envelope for guests to fill in and return, plus an information card providing guests directions, hotel suggestions and details about your gift list. Maps can also be included.

4. Present Style
 

 

An alternative to a pocketfold, several invitations, information and rsvp cards can be layered up and wrapped in a co-ordinating band or tied in string. This can really work when you want to include numerous information cards, maps or rsvps, and can be a gorgeous little package or present for you guests to open when they receive their invitations!

Of course there are also several different types of printing and types of card to consider as well.

There are different types of printing for example. Some stationery comes with a digital print which will usually give you a smooth flat modern finish. I personally print a lot of my stationery designs on good heavyweight textured card – such as wove, laid or aquarello – which gives a more substantial feel and also works really well if you are looking for a vintage feel.

Another alternative is Letterpress. Quite a few companies now specialize in Letterpress style invitations which essentially is a technique that involves printing words or designs with ink while simultaneously ‘debossing’ the image into thick, soft paper.

Most professional stationers will make sure they are using a nice heavy weight card. I wouldn’t usually go for anything less than 300gsm, however you do need to take into account that different card types will feel differently at different weights and so 300gsm in one card will feel ‘less heavy’ than 300gsm in another.

What I’m essentially advocating is always make sure you get a physical sample from your stationer before buying! I personally always think its quite important to hold stationery in your hand to get a really good idea of what its quality is, and most stationers will offer a sample order service.

 

You can order samples of all my wedding stationery designs via my website http://knotsandkisses.co.uk

 

Nikki x

Guest Post : Organising After Your Wedding

Type in ‘wedding to do list’ in your search engine and it’s more than likely you’ll read lots of blogs with similar guides.  This is great, the internet and specifically websites like Pinterest have provided inspiration for weddings of all shapes and sizes.  However, dig a little deeper and there aren’t as many guides for the ‘to do’s’ after your wedding day.  Read on for some friendly hints and tips to help you on your way to tying up those loose ends after the big day.

Organise the photos

Fingers crossed your photographer processed your images whilst you were on your honeymoon.  Sort the photos into groups like ceremony, reception and formals which will help as no doubt you’ll have hundreds of photos to choose from.  If you're not having all your photos included in your main wedding album, perhaps ask for copies on a CD or DVD.  Using the photographer’s list from the wedding day can be helpful for knowing quantities of photos to be printed for the wedding party and close friends and family.  If you’d like to keep your photos private, a service like Dropbox is a great cloud sharing service where just the wedding guests can access the photos you chose to upload.

 

The all-important ‘Thank yous’

Although there will be many thank you’s during the speeches and at the end of the night, it is still a lovely gesture to send a formal thank you to your guests to thank them for their attendance, and if appropriate, their gift.  If you have chosen to receive gifts, opening these in a systematic way is really important.  It might be a good idea to keep a spreadsheet of your guest list and update the list with the gift you received as you go along.  

It’s tempting to rip everything open and easily forget who it is from. As to how you say thank you, the more personalised the better. Try and avoid things like a text message and opt for a card instead with a personalised and hand-written message on the back.

Flower preservation

Following the wedding day, your house will be filled to brim with beautiful flowers and not just the bride’s bouquet.  Flower preservation is becoming increasingly popular and it is a wonderful way to capture a moment.  Floral preservation can range from 3D and 2D designs to encasing the bouquet, for example, in a paperweight.  This can sometimes be a costly process and may need to be included in the initial wedding budgeting. Items to preserve could include: wedding bouquet, flower girl headpieces, button holes, church or ceremony flowers and floral table decorations.

 

Dress preservation

The wedding dress for many brides is perhaps the most special part of their day.  It is a once in a lifetime dress which is completely unreplicated and unique to the bride.  Some brides choose to sell their wedding dress after returning from their honeymoon but preserving such beautiful gowns is popular too for sentimental reasons or for passing the dress on for daughters’ and granddaughters’ weddings. Thinking about what to do with your wedding dress can be planned before the day and ordered when you return from your honeymoon.

It may be a good idea to dry clean the wedding dress before storing it in a beautiful box. There are lots of suppliers of wedding dress boxes, designed for purpose. Some may even offer a service whereby you send your wedding dress and they will box it up professionally. If you plan to store your wedding dress for the long term, a fit for purpose box is a good idea as a wedding dress will easily discolour if not kept properly. Even a plain brown cardboard box can discolour a dress within 6 months.

Recycling - keepsakes for your anniversary

One of the best parts of organising your wedding day is planning those added touches; pretty vases on the tables, bunting in the marquee, candles illuminating pathways. As exciting as it is to organise the finishing touches, you can be left with tens if not hundreds of one particular item. Time and time again these are left after the big day to be thrown away or kept by the venue. Make sure the venue provides a table for presents, cards etc. You’ll be too tired at the end of the night to move these, so make sure they're in a secure place or ask the venue to move them to your car.
 

After the honeymoon it might be a good idea to make an inventory of all the bits and pieces you wouldn’t mind recycling, donating to charity or re-selling. There are plenty of websites, like eBay or other more bespoke sites where you can auction off your wedding items. This is a good way to free-up storage space, reduce waste and make a little money back at the same time. Make sure not to throw away everything, or you may come to regret this later on. Things like corks from the table wine can be turned into personalised cork boards or re-use paper pom-poms for children’s parties.

Saving the cake

Preserving the top tier of your wedding cake is a tradition that sees it eaten on the first wedding anniversary or at the christening of your first child. Some cakes, flavours and fillings take to freeze preservation process better than others. The more delicate the cake ingredients, the dryer the cake tends to become. Ingredients such as chocolate, hazelnut, almond, and carrot cake take particularly well to this method of preservation. Whilst white cake, cake with fresh fruit, and cakes with whipped cream fillings tend not to do so well.

 

Written by Michelle Rider at Braxted Park Weddings. Braxted Park is a licensed Essex wedding venue based in the UK, with capacity ranging from 50 to 300 guests. Braxted Park offers exclusive use for the day and boasts the highest level of service of any outdoor wedding ceremony providers in Essex, making sure your big day is unforgettable.

photo credits :

 

(cake) Photo 1 - Flickr Creative Commons by Sugeo

(keepsakes) Photo 2 - Flickr Creative Commons by Ideal I do's Wedding Photos

(flowers) Photo 3 - Flickr Creative Commons by Rose Robinson

(photos) Photo 4 - Flickr Creative Commons by .m.e.c.

(photos) Photo 5 - Flickr Creative Commons by .m.e.c.