Of all the things you need to do, buy and organize in preparation
for your wedding, wedding stationery is something that must be planned
ahead. After all, you need to let your guests know well in advance of
your forthcoming big day. Your wedding invitation and accessories set
the tone for your special day firmly establishing your style and taste.
It is the first official message about your wedding that a guest will
receive from you, so make it special. If wedding etiquette is important
to you, then make a start with your wedding stationery.

The Use of the Internet

The
Internet has opened up new avenues for anyone planning a wedding. All
your research can literally be done online and this also applies to
finding your stationery items. There are hundreds of online stationery
and wedding related websites that display all types of wedding
invitations and accessories for you to choose from. Today many brides
do their wedding research online as you can become quickly informed of
the latest trends and new products available. You can either buy your
wedding stationery directly over the Internet, or collect ideas and
samples and take these to your local stationery store to implement.
Most online stores actually send you a sample in the post to let you
look and feel the stationery items before you purchase them.

Custom Stationery

Every
bride wants her wedding to be as unique as can be. A good place to
start is with custom wedding stationery. The great advantage with
custom stationery is that you can enter your own wording, select the
typeface, text size and color. No matter what theme you have set for
your wedding, you will surely be able to customize your stationery to
compliment the tone. Wedding invitations and accessories can be bought
in various styles such as classic, contemporary, floral, embossed,
layered and religious.

On a Budget?

If you’re on a budget
and looking for cheaper wedding stationery items, then you might like
to consider print-at-home wedding invitations. Save money and impress
your guests when you personalize and print your wedding invitations at
home using free online services that are available from some major
online stationery stores. You pay for the paper and envelopes and then
use their software to print directly from your own PC. With
sophisticated customization tools, you’ll be able to enter your text,
tweak it, preview it, and print it. No mistakes, no hassles, no wasted
cards – and its cheap!

Choose a Theme

The theme of your
stationery should coincide with the overall theme of your wedding. For
example, if you are having a garden wedding then you may choose to have
a floral print on your stationery items. There are many accessory items
available to help you tie your stationery in with the theme of your
wedding. For example, ribbons, hearts, rings, white doves etc.. The
same applies to the color of your invitations. This is normally decided
upon by the color of your bridesmaids dresses.

Stationery Items

You
would be surprised at how many wedding stationery items there are.
While your wedding invitation is the most prominent item of stationery,
you can find complimentary stationery accessories to match your wedding
invitations:-

• Wedding Invitations
• Wedding Programs
• Announcements
• Engagement Announcements & Invitations
• Save-the-Date Cards
• Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
• Bridal Shower Invitations
• Wedding Accessories (menu cards, thank you notes etc..)

Plan Head

Your
wedding invitation is the first official message about your wedding and
your guests need to know about their invite in plenty of time. Here is
a checklist to help you plan ahead and be organised:-

• Double-check
  that the wording in your invitation is correct. Ask a friend or family
  member to also look through the invitation for you;
• Order
  your invitations as soon as your date, time and place have been
  confirmed. Three to six months before the ceremony is what most expert
  planners suggest;
• To calculate the number of invitations to order remember to count one invitation per single guest, couple and family;
• After
  calculating the number of invitations add approximately 25 invitations
  to your order: 10-12 more for keepsakes, plus extras for the
  last-minute guests. Also, depending on how large your order is, add 25
  to 50 additional envelopes in case of mistakes in addressing;
• Most
  established wedding planners agree that you should plan to mail your
  invitations six weeks before the wedding. This gives the quest plenty
  of time to respond;
• Make sure you have one completely assembled invitation weighed at the post office to determine the correct postage.

Wedding
invitations set the tone for your wedding and tell your guests what
type of style and theme you have chosen for your wedding.

Summary

Don’t
underestimate the important of your wedding stationery. It sets the
tone and style of your wedding and portrays the image you want to set.
Wedding stationery should tie in with the overall theme of your
wedding. Invitations and announcements can be bought on a budget by
using specialty software to print from your PC.

About The Author

Claire Bowes is a freelance write and owner of http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com where you will find further tips and advice on invitation cards ( http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/invitation-cards.html) and personalized stationery ( http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/personalized-stationery.html).