The AdelaRosa guide to getting your perfect wedding invitations
Top ten tips for finding your perfect wedding stationery
When it comes to choosing wedding stationery, remember that your invitations are likely to be the first glimpse your guests will get of your wedding style, so they set the tone for the big day in your guests’ minds. Tony Durbin from AdelaRosa Wedding Stationery adelarosa.co.uk gives us his top ten tips for making sure your invitations set the perfect tone for your big day.
1. Ask for sample invitations. Search out companies that will send you a sample pack. In order to get a good idea of the type of card they use, the print quality and the overall feel of the stationery, it’s a good idea to ask for samples before ordering. See for instance adelarosa.co.uk
2. Remember anything can be changed. You may see a style you like but your theme is a different colour. Any good wedding stationery company will change colours, fonts, design elements, paper type – virtually anything to make the invitations exactly as you like them, as many times as you need until they’re just right. Be wary of companies who offer a limited number of revisions.
3. Check the prices early on! Whatever your wedding budget, you’ll need to work out how much you can spend on your stationery. Some handmade invitations can be very expensive as they’re all made individually. If you go for quality printed invitations the style can be exactly as you choose and the price is often a bit more economical. Look for companies or websites where the prices are clearly shown and make sure there are no hidden extras (like paying extra for envelopes, P&P, design changes etc). Also remember to take into account RSVPs, information inserts etc if you need them.
4. You will usually need just over half the number of invitations as the number of guests you’ll be inviting. If you can work it out precisely then that’s great – but remember to order a few spares in case you make any mistakes writing the names in! Otherwise ask the stationery company to print the names in for you which they will probably do for a small charge. Even then, a few blanks are a good idea in case you realise you forgot to invite that distant relative or work colleague you left out!
5. You should normally be thinking about ordering your invitations about six to eight months before your wedding. If you’re getting married abroad or in a busy holiday time like the summer, then consider sending out save the dates a year before, so people can avoid booking holidays that will coincide with your wedding. If you find a stationery theme you like early on, you should be able to get the save the dates in the same style as the rest of your stationery which will provide a continuous theme.
6. You may prefer a personal service with email or phone contact with the stationer, or you might want to order your invitations online. Some of the larger stationery companies, including AdelaRosa, offer online ordering, allowing you to choose your invitation style, colour, font and text on their website, see a preview of the invitation and order instantly. Often couples who are having a small wedding and only a few invitations prefer this method as it’s quick and easy. However, if you prefer the personal service, make sure it’s available and remember that if you want to make changes that can’t be done online, if you get in touch a good stationer will be able to adapt any of their invitations to your exact needs.
7. If you have a specific theme or idea then ask for bespoke design – some companies will charge extra for this but others, like AdelaRosa, include it for free. Destination weddings, themed weddings, or if you just want to incorporate your own favourite style, your wedding stationery is a perfect way to set up the theme ready for the big day.
8. The wording in your invitations no longer has to be standard. While lots of people still like the traditional wording, more and more people like to make up their own wording, and if you have your own ideas you will be able to include these with any invitations. If you don’t have any ideas and you need some help with wording, you can download a free wedding invitation wording guide from adelarosa.co.uk
9. Once you’ve sent out your invitations, and got your replies back, then it’s time to think about the stationery for the wedding day. Think whether you need orders of service for the church service or civil ceremony (usually one for every two people is plenty), a table plan, place cards, table numbers, and thank you cards for afterwards. You’ll want to think about ordering this about a month before the wedding if possible. Check with your stationer how much time they need to fulfil the order – you can’t afford to leave it too late! If you order these to match the style of your invitations you’ll have created a beautiful and consistent theme for you and your guests from the moment they saw the invitation to the wedding day itself, and the thank you card afterwards. You may want to wait until after your wedding to order the thank you cards, so you can include a photo of yourselves at your wedding on the card.
10. Finally, the best way to make sure you get the perfect wedding stationery is to get in touch with AdelaRosa at info@adelarosa.co.uk or see adelarosa.co.uk to see their stunning classic and vintage designs, or to ask about their free bespoke design service!