Wedding stationery is a wonderful way for you to share important information with your guests, that is also thoughtfully designed to reflect the theme of your big day! As there are many different options to create your wedding stationary we wanted to highlight four of these choices to help you decide which way works best for you! Though there are many items in wedding stationery (menus, programs, name cards, etc.) for this post we are specifically going to focus on creating Save the Dates & Invitations. However, you may be able to use some of these options for the other areas of your wedding that will require stationery! Before we get into the different options of designing your Save the Dates & Invitations let’s go through the purpose of each one and what makes them different!

Save the Dates 

When are they sent?

• Ideally, the sooner the better to give guests time to plan travel arrangements

What information do they share?  

• Names of the people tying the knot (you & your other half!)

• The date of the big day

• The location of the wedding (if you’re not sure of the venue yet, include at least the name of the city)

• Wedding registry or website

What’s their purpose?

• To notify their guests asap that there will be a wedding! These notices are especially helpful for couples who are having destination weddings, as this may require their guests to take time off, and to plan flight and accommodations for their big day. 

Invitations

When are they sent?

• Ideally, we recommend invitations to be sent out 3-4 months before the date of the wedding.

What information do they share?

• All of the information mentioned previously on the save the date

• The time of the wedding 

• The address of the venue

• They can be sent with an RSVP card, however many couples are opting to have guests RSVP by their website or phone

What’s their purpose?

• To formally invite guests to the wedding and provide them with all of the information needed to attend. Most importantly for the couple is to have their guests RSVP so they can confirm what their actual guest count will be. 

Though they are different, these two stationary items have one important thing in common and that is that they’re generally both sent to the same people! This means that prior to sending out your save the dates you want to have determined all of the names on your guest list. With your guest list set, now it’s time to create your wedding stationery!

Below are just four ways that you can design your save the dates & invitations! 

One: DIY Digitally!

Creating your own digital save the dates and invitations are great for couples who have a specific vision of what they want on their wedding stationery. This option allows you to have creative freedom and would make it very convenient to share your save the dates & invitations digitally through text, email, facebook, instagram, whatsapp, and etc.! For creating digital save the dates & invitations couples can use applications such as Canva and even Microsoft Powerpoint. 

Two: Get Crafty!

For a bride & groom who want to create their own wedding stationery by hand, DIY save the dates & invitations add a special personal touch! Creating the stationary together can be a fun way to bond as fiances’ but as they can take a lot of time and effort we recommend this option for couples who have the flexibility to add 1-2 months to completing this task and have less than 100 guests. You can find the items and tools to create your own wedding stationery from places such as Ben Franklin Crafts, Amazon, and many local craft stores!

Three: Select a Template!

With so many websites to choose from, you can select a template that perfectly represents you and your other half! These save the date and invitation templates can be slightly customized by changing all of the information and sometimes the color of the theme. Selecting a template as well as placing an order for their stationery is something that couples could most likely do in a day, making this an excellent option for couples who need their stationery done quickly. A few websites that you can use to order your own wedding stationery are Shutterfly, Minted, Costco Photo Center, and Zazzle! 

Four: Purchase!

For the couple that wants to have the DIY feel to their wedding stationery without doing the Y part of DIY, purchasing save the dates & invitations that are handcrafted by others is an option that would achieve the best of both worlds! Finding a local calligraphy artist or ordering through Etsy are fantastic options to get the handmade feel without spending too much of your time or efforts creating it, and also supports small businesses! 

These are just 4 ways to design your save the dates & invitations to fit the theme of your wedding and to be completed in your ideal timeframe. We hope these options help you in creating your ideal wedding stationery!

XOXOXO

Happy Planning!

(A Perfect Day)