Before the Wedding: Engagement Parties & Shower Stationery
You’ll likely have a few celebrations before the big day. An engagement party, a bridal shower (or two!), or maybe even a couples’ shower or welcome dinner.
Engagement parties are a great way to have a co-ed celebration, and often done over cocktails or a dinner party. It's a perfect excuse to get together without dealing with shower games and gifts. This is a party you'll likely have pretty quickly after you are engaged.
Bridal Shower and Couples Showers are usually thrown closer to your wedding and after your registry is put together.
These events don’t need to match your formal wedding invitations, but keeping them cohesive can help create a polished, thoughtful experience from the start. Even if a friend or family member is hosting, they can still work with me to order coordinated invitations, menus, signs, and favors. I love helping you carry a consistent design theme through each celebration - right down to cocktail napkins and drink stirrers if you want to go all-in!
When to plan and order: 6-8 weeks before the party.
Wedding Thank You Cards
Thank you notes might not be the most exciting part of wedding planning, but trust me, you’ll be so glad you have them on hand early. I always recommend grabbing the address list from your host and making sure someone keeps track of who gave what. You should have sets for each of you individually and as a couple so you can write joint notes for couples' parties and individual for parties that are just for you.
When to plan and order: Any time! You'll need thank you cards for showers early on and for anyone helping you plan.
Save The Date Cards
Now that you have your wedding date set at least, it's time for you to let your guests know! Save the dates cards generally have very minimal information - just enough to let your guests know:
- What the wedding date is.
- Who you are.
- What city the wedding is in.
- A wedding website if you have one.
Think of it as a friendly heads-up, especially important if you're planning a destination wedding, getting married around a holiday, or expecting out-of-town guests who’ll need to book flights and hotel rooms.
When to plan and order: 8-12 months before your wedding, depending on how much planning you think people will need.
Wedding Invitations
Alright, this is the big one, friend. Before your guests see the flowers, the dress, or the venue, they see this. That’s why the details matter.
From the fonts you choose to the texture of the paper, every element of your invitation suite tells your guests what to expect. A black-tie ballroom wedding needs a different look than an outdoor garden affair. Your invitations should match the vibe—classic, elegant, whimsical, modern, romantic, or somewhere in between.
You'll want to start considering the basics that will help you determine what you'll need to order:
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How many invitations do you actually need (remember, it’s one per household, not one per guest!)
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Is your reception at the same place as your wedding? If it isn't, you'll need a 2nd card for the reception information.
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Do you need to share hotel or weekend info like a welcome dinner or farewell brunch?
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Will you be including an RSVP card or directing guests to RSVP online?
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Do you have a wedding website to point them to for more information?
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Do you need to collect meal choices or special details?
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When will all of your other vendors need a final head count? (you'll need this to set your RSVP date).
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Who should responses be sent to: you, your parents, or a planner?
- What is your budget for wedding paper?
Wedding stationery can be beautifully simple or full of luxe details like letterpress and foil. You can spend $500 or $5,000 (or more) depending on the little details that you love. My average client spends between $800 and $1500 on invitations, but I’ll work with you to make the most of your budget.
Then, once you have the basics outlined, you can start looking at designs:
- Are there certain styles that you're gravitating towards?
- Do you love a lot of color or something more minimalist?
- Do you think you want to use a pocket, or something to hold everything together?
- Do you have an eye for textured printing, like letterpress or foil?
Feeling overwhelmed? Pin your favorites for just 10 minutes and send the board to me. I’ll help you spot patterns and narrow things down.
When to plan and order: 4-6 months before your wedding.
If you have something super custom in mind, start planning as early as you can to make sure you can book an artist or calligrapher. Most suites that I work on take about 4-6 weeks to complete, so I like to start right around the 4-month mark. You can read more about Wedding Invitation Timelines in this blog post!
Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Rehearsal dinners are one of those sweet moments that kick off the celebration, and it’s always a good idea to make sure everyone knows where they need to be (and when!). If you'd like to include this info with your wedding invitations, we can add a small insert card just for your bridal party and immediate family. Or, if someone else is hosting, like the groom’s family, you can send out separate invitations.
It doesn't need to match your main wedding invitation suite, but we can take your invitations and use them as inspiration to make a separate, complimentary design.
When to plan and order: 6-8 weeks before the wedding.
Ceremony Programs
Ceremony programs are a great way to let your guests know what is happening in your ceremony as well as who is involved in it and to recognize your family. If your ceremony includes cultural or religious traditions, a program is also the perfect way to explain those beautiful moments to guests who may be unfamiliar with them.
These can be as minimal or elaborate as you’d like. We’ll customize them to coordinate with the rest of your paper goods so everything flows together beautifully. To make it even easier, our wedding invitation collections include everything you need, from Save The Dates to Ceremony Programs!
When to plan and order: 2 months before your wedding.
Escort Cards or Seating Chart
If you are planning on having arranged seating for your guests, you'll need some way to tell them where to sit. Escort cards are the traditional route, and there are so many things you can do with them! Think tented cards lined up on a table, flat cards displayed in a bed of flowers, or even envelopes pinned to a wall, each holding a personal note or their table assignment. We can go as simple or as styled as you'd like.
You can also skip the individual cards and have a seating chart made. These are typically either printed as a poster and framed or printed on foam board to sit on an easel. For bigger weddings, I recommend listing guests alphabetically to keep things moving. For more intimate celebrations, organizing by table can feel a bit more relaxed.
When to plan: 4 weeks before your wedding. Make sure your stationer has your project on their radar so they can get appropriate supplies, especially if you're doing a unique display. You'll need to have your final seating list and chart to your stationer about 2 weeks ahead of your date.
Place Cards
Not to be confused with escort cards, place cards are used at the tables themselves and have just the guest's name on them. They’re especially helpful for plated dinners. You can include meal selections so the catering team knows who ordered the chicken, who’s vegetarian, and who’s going to be thrilled about the short rib.
When to plan and order: 2-4 weeks before. Make sure your stationer has your project on their radar so they can get appropriate supplies, especially if you're doing a unique display. You'll need to have your final seating list and chart to your stationer about 2 weeks ahead of your date.
Table Numbers
If you need to tell your guests which table to sit at, you'll want to indicate which table is which. You can do anything from a simple card in a clip stand to more custom acrylic or wood-cut signs. We can match your table numbers to the rest of your paper goods so everything feels intentional and cohesive, right down to the tiniest detail.
When to plan and order: 2-4 weeks before.
Menus
Menus can be a great way to add some color and design to your table. They pull together those final details and really help your tables look put together. They'll also let your guests know what they will be eating beyond "chicken, beef or vegetarian".
If you really want to elevate your reception tables, consider pairing menus with place cards for a tailored, guest-by-guest experience. We can even personalize each menu with that guest’s specific meal choice. It’s one of those small details that feels extra special!
When to plan and order: 4-6 weeks before. Make sure your stationer has your project on their radar so they can get appropriate supplies. I like to work on menus as soon as the menu is set and then go to print about 2 weeks before once we know for sure how many guests are coming.
Wedding Welcome Bag Notes
If you have guests traveling in for your wedding weekend, welcome bags are such a thoughtful touch and a great way to kick things off with warmth and hospitality. Your bags might include some local food faves, ideas for things to do in the area, a timeline of the wedding weekend events, and any other details they may need to know about.
When to plan and order: 4 weeks before. That gives you time to finalize your guest list, gather the goodies, and make sure everything’s ready to go.
Favor Tags or Labels
A little tag goes a long way! If you're planning to send your guests home with a sweet treat or small gift, personalized favor tags or labels are the perfect finishing touch. These can be tied on with ribbon or added as stickers. Most couples include their names, wedding date, or a short and sweet thank you message.
When to plan and order: 4 weeks before.
Wedding Signs
Signs may feel like a small detail, but they do a lot of heavy lifting on your wedding day. You might also want signs to point guests toward the restrooms or to let them know where cocktail hour will be. You can add bar signs for your signature drinks or even a sign to remind people to put their phones down for the ceremony.
They can be as simple as a printed poster in a frame, or as elevated as acrylic or wood signs that double as décor. I’m happy to help you coordinate signage that matches the rest of your paper goods, so your entire day feels seamless from start to finish.
When to plan and order: 4 weeks before. Most poster signs can be printed same day at a local print shop, however if you are having something printed on foam board, that will take 10+ days for delivery.
The Complete Guide to Wedding Stationery
I know it can feel like a lot. There’s so much to plan! But here’s the thing: your wedding stationery is more than just paper. It sets the tone for your celebration, it guides your guests, and when done well, it ties every piece of your day together. Think of it as your 'branding' for your entire wedding!
And when everything flows—your menus, your place cards, your signage—it doesn’t just look good, it feels good. It feels like your wedding is intentional, cohesive, and completely you.
And here’s the best part: you don’t have to figure it out alone. When you work with me, you get more than a shop. You get a designer, a guide, and a sounding board who will make sure everything gets done beautifully and on time. So, instead of hunting down ten different pieces from ten different places, you can breathe easy knowing I’ve got you covered from start to finish.
Let’s make something beautiful together. Start your wedding stationery journey right here.
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