Wedding Stationery Timeline and Tips Skip to main content

You’re getting married and couldn’t be happier. Now that your engagement has been announced, you need to get started on the big event: your wedding.

Organizing your wedding can be so much fun, as long as you get things done in time. Between finding a church, a reception location, a photographer, a caterer, and a florist—let alone sitting down to write down the wedding list—things can get quite stressful.

To simplify your wedding arrangements, how about making your wedding stationery work for you? If you start early, the wedding stationery can help you tell people about your wedding and even set some helpful stepping stones for your big day.

What Sort of Wedding Stationery Do I Need for My Wedding?

Wedding stationery is a great way to tell people about your forthcoming wedding and inform them about the wedding location and other details. By organizing this, you won’t need to spend too much time on phone calls. If you include RSVPs, you will have your guest list ready for your special day in no time!

Save-the-Date

Save-the-date cards let people know of the date you are getting married. You can include the town or place, but you don’t need to be more specific than that—you don’t need to tell them, for example, the reception hall or the church you have chosen. As long as your guests know the date and place, they will be able to make their arrangements.

Save-the-date cards are beneficial if you will be having a destination wedding and need your guests to start preparing early.

Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations include all the details about the wedding such as location, church, time, etc. The invitation is somewhat of a centerpiece. Its design usually matches the wedding’s general look, and all other wedding stationery tends to follow it.

Inserts

If you want, you can include inserts in your wedding invitation. These can be a reception card, a note about where you’re registered, a map to your location, and RSVP cards with self-addressed envelopes with postage.

You can also mention how formal or informal the attire should be and other details like if ladies should be wearing stilettos—these are not particularly comfortable when walking on sand or grass—or whether confetti is allowed at the wedding premises.

If your caterer is offering a set menu, you can include a menu card where guests can tick their preferred menu.

Finally, your inserts can mention whether it’s an adults-only wedding ceremony.

Invitations to Other Events

Sometimes, we need invitations for other pre-wedding events such as bachelor or bachelorette parties, a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner, an intimate family brunch, or any other events related to the wedding.

Ceremony Program

On the actual day of the wedding, you will need a ceremony program. This will highlight the events’ sequence with the officiant’s name, the parents’ names, and other pertinent information.

Some people choose to include information regarding the ceremony itself, particularly if there is a specific cultural or religious tradition that will be followed.

Escort Cards

Escort cards are placed at the reception area entrance to help wedding guests to the table where they will be seated.

Place Cards

You can position optional place cards on each table with the name of the guest at each seat. Not only do they help people find their seats, but they also introduce people around the table.

You may want to have table numbers printed for each table so that your guests can effortlessly find their seats.

Menu Cards

Again, menu cards are optional but highly helpful. They add a caring touch to the wedding reception and highlight your attention to detail by respecting everyone’s dietary preferences. Menu cards can be either individual ones or menu boards near the buffet. If you want people to move briskly around the buffet area, having a menu board will help them decide what they will be putting on their plate.

Thank-You Cards

After the wedding, you can send thank-you cards to thank each guest with a personalized message. Make a list of each guest’s gift to thank them individually for their gift.

Organize Your Stationery Timeline

Now that you know what type of stationery you will need for your wedding organize a timeline to make things go smoothly and help you with your wedding organizing schedule.

Save-the-Dates: 6 to 8 Months in Advance

Send save-the-date cards 6 to 8 months in advance. They let people know about your special day and help them make the appropriate arrangements regarding work, getting a babysitter, or even organizing their holidays.

If you are having a destination wedding, you should send your save-the-dates even earlier than that, as guests will have to book flights and accommodations, let alone save a little bit of money for their trip.

Are you getting married at a busy time, like during holidays or the hectic wedding season? In that case, you should give people the heads-up a bit earlier, so they don’t arrange their Christmas holidays or their summer getaway on your wedding day.

Invitations: 2 to 3 Months Before the Wedding

Send invitations 2 to 3 months before the wedding. Send them too early, and people will forget about your big day; send them too late, and your guests may not have enough time to get prepared.

If you are not sending save-the-date cards, you should mail your invitations a bit earlier to make people aware of your wedding plans.

RSVPs: 3 to 4 Weeks Before Your Wedding

You need to have your final wedding list ready 3 to 4 weeks before your wedding day. Your caterer will ask how many guests they should expect, and you need to make seating arrangements.

Thank-You Cards: up to 3 Months After the Wedding

General expectations stipulate to send thank-you cards within three months after your wedding. If you take too long, your guests will have forgotten about it or may feel a bit ignored.

Since thank-you cards are expected to be personalized, it will take you time to write each one individually, especially if your wedding party was big. So, you may need to get started right after the honeymoon!

Everything Is Sorted. Now, Book Your Cinematographer

Now that you have your stationery timeline sorted, it’s time to book a cinematographer who will film your wedding like it’s meant to be: a love story.

To book an appointment with our filming and editing teams in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, check our availability online or call now at 832-639-0587. We will create the wedding film that best tells your personal love story!