Wedding Stationery: A Guest’s First Glimpse Into Your Wedding Vision

by Lisa Beth Miller

Wedding stationery may seem like a minor wedding detail, but it is actually an important part of your overall event concept. Wedding stationery is a couple’s first opportunity to delve into the “personal branding” of their big day. Sounds overly serious and corporate? It isn’t. Personal branding just means that the engaged couple is closely planning the overall look and concept of their wedding day, and that they are making sure that every aspect of the day is appropriate and recognizable.

Generally speaking, the “save the date” cards are a wedding guest’s first glimpse into the style and personal branding of the engaged couple. These are traditionally sent out very early (well before the invitations), making it critical for the bride and groom to develop their personal branding well in advance. For example, if a bride and groom are planning a lush, tropical-themed wedding featuring hot pink and orange flowers and exotic palm trees, the save the date cards should reflect this look. In this instance, sending out sleek black and white save the date cards will not help to build the excitement surrounding the event like theme/color–based ones could.

Of course not every wedding has a theme but the overall look and vibe must still be considered. For example, before ordering stationery consider the following:

Color scheme: Be sure the wedding stationery reflects the exact color scheme of your event. Everything should tie together flawlessly.

Font: Be choosy about your font. Fonts have the power to create a mood and a style. Some are fun and whimsical, others are elegant and simple.

Formality: Your stationery should give guests a clue about your event. A beach wedding should have beachy wedding stationery. An elegant black tie affair should have traditional, classically beautiful stationery.

Texture/fabrics: Many couples are now using wedding stationery with a bit of texture, whether it be upscale fabrics, or eco-friendly recycled papers.

Personalized touches: A popular trend is to incorporate personal photographs into the wedding stationery. Use a fun engagement picture on the save the date cards; for thank you cards, pose on the day of the wedding holding signs that say “Thank” and “you!” for an adorably stylish and thoughtful touch.