The Wedding Stationery Timeline That Every Couple Needs To Have!

Apr 26th

by: Lauren

Whether we’re chatting with couples or wedding professionals, one of the topics that always comes up is wedding stationery. We’ve all sent and received cards in the mail for birthdays, holidays, and moments in between. But, wedding stationery just feels different (hint: it totally is!). It feels different because it invites guests to share in your excitement at such a pivotal moment in your lives. Not to mention there are pros with which to work, ways to word things, and timelines to consider. There are questions, y’all, and we understand the “why” behind each and every one of them!

Rather than answer all of your pressing wedding stationery questions ourselves, we thought it would be best to reach out to one of our V List members. And, Letter Lane Design Studio has come through with an incredible blog post with a complete and extremely helpful timeline to reference while working with a wedding stationer! But, our favorite thing about Brittany’s post is this: whether you work with a stationer or not, most of these tips still apply, especially when considering the timelines to follow when mailing each piece.

From researching to sending save the dates and finally popping your invitations into the mail, here are the very first things you need to do for your wedding stationery:

9-12+ Months Before Your Wedding – Research Wedding Stationers

Start doing a little research on wedding stationers and calligraphers. Reach out to the wedding stationers and calligraphers that you love the work of to discuss all of your needs for your big day. Try to have an idea of wording ready for your Save-the-Dates, as well as an estimated number of Save-the-Dates and invitations you’ll be wanting to have printed.

6-12 Months Before Your Wedding – Save the Dates

It’s important to send out Save the Dates before your wedding so that your guests have time to prepare for travel and other accommodations. Save the Dates are typically sent out anywhere from 6-12 months before your wedding, and for destination weddings, it’s best to send out the Save the Dates at least 8 months in advance. Try to have all of your wording ready for your stationery designer, and start discussing all the options and your design preferences for your invitations. If you need help with wording and etiquette, just ask! Your stationer will love to help.

2-3 Months Before Your Wedding – Invitations

Your invitations are typically sent out about 2-3 months before the wedding. You’ll want to order them at least 3-4 months out from your mailing date to allow time for your calligrapher to address them. This also allows for time for assembly of each invitation suite before they are put in the mail. Don’t forget to make sure to allow extra time for specialty printing (letterpress, gold foil, etc.)! Be sure to check with your stationer about their timeline for each step of this process – it will vary by stationer and calligrapher!

Timing is everything, but timelines are key! We hope Brittany’s stationery timeline is one you will refer back to again and again (your engaged best friend needs to read this too!). But, Brittany shares even more tips in her blog post – calligraphy, response cards, and thank you note details are waiting for you right here.

What are your pressing stationery questions? Leave them below, and we’ll make sure to respond!

Exclusive ELD Vendors

Like the post above? Here are the Every Last Detail vendors that participated making this post beautiful! Featured vendors are hand picked and approved by Lauren. Get more information by clicking on them below:

The Wedding Stationery Timeline That Every Couple Needs To Have!
View Portolio

A Romantic Pink South Carolina Wedding

Category: 0 Comments

, ,

Apr 25th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

Gorgeous pink peonies and garden roses were the highlight of this beautiful, fun, and romantic South Carolina wedding. Designed by the team at Meagan Warren Weddings, Robyn and Kirk wanted their wedding to embody “cheerful simplicity”, and we definitely think they succeeded! Their day is full of amazing details, including an invitation suite that incorporated Robyn’s own hand lettering, and laser cut “cheers” bottle opener favors that doubled as escort cards! And we of course can’t forget the gorgeous cake, adorned by a cascade of bright blooms and a wall installation as the backdrop, made complete with the prettiest pink velvet sofa! We of course LOVE the bright and cheerful color palette, and we can’t get enough of the beautiful images captured by B Mullinax Photography! Robyn is joining us today to share some of her planning insight- you don’t want to miss it!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

That’s an easy question! My mom and Meagan Warren, our wedding planner. Both helped me make all my wedding ideas/dreams a reality. It was the perfect day that both Kirk and I would do again in a heartbeat!!!

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

We wanted someone who had a similar vision as us. We looked at other pictures of weddings done by Meagan of Meagan Warren Weddings and knew she was the wedding planner we wanted. She met with us, listened to our ideas and helped all of them come to life. She did a lot of legwork to help make our day and experience exactly what we wanted. Meagan also introduced us to Betsy Mullinax, our photographer, who perfectly captured our day! We were so lucky to work with our very own DREAM TEAM!

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

Cheerful simplicity! We were married in an old mill building turned event space and didn’t want anything we added to the space to compete with the architecture – exposed brick, original wood columns and large windows. We did want to add in some happy, cheerful colors – pink, orange and yellow – and Fern Studio, our florist, used these colors and created the most beautiful floral arrangements. The flowers added just the right amount of color and cheerfulness to the space. I also wanted to learn calligraphy and design my own wedding suite and wedding crest – I’m certainly no professional, but it was a fun process. ByFarr Graphic Design letterpressed the invitations for us and then hand-painted the edges to match my bridesmaid dresses. We projected the wedding crest on the wall behind the band which made for a fun custom backdrop.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

Do I have to pick just one? Because I can think of 3 right off the top of my head – 1. Seeing Kirk, the groom, at the end of the aisle when I walked into the sanctuary. I was so nervous and when the doors opened and we saw each other, he gave me a little wave (probably because he didn’t know what else to do) but it was so sweet and so Kirk and that little wave washed all my nerves away. I couldn’t wait to get to the end of that aisle! 2. Having all my favorite people in the world in town to celebrate with us – not sure we will ever have all those people together in one place again, so that made it truly special. And 3. Having a live wedding painter, Trahern Cook, paint all the events of the weekend – the rehearsal dinner, the church and the reception. We will cherish those paintings for the rest of our lives!

What is your best piece of advice for other couples?

The same advice I was given, have fun and enjoy every minute because it really does fly by! Also, know that if every little detail doesn’t work our exactly as planned, don’t let it ruin or even slightly dampen your day. I knew that no matter what happened, at the end of our special day, Kirk and I would be married!

Vendors who made it all happen…

Event Planner: Meagan Warren // Photographer: Betsy Mullinax // Florist: Fern Studio //
Bridal Attire: Evelyn’s of Lugoff + Allure Bridal // Bridesmaids Attire: Bill Levkoff // Groomsman Attire: Jos. A Bank // Cake: Parkland Cakes // Calligrapher: Bride, Robyn Fisher // Caterer: Southern Way Catering // Church: Washington Street United Methodist Church // Reception: 701 Whaley // Transportation: Southern Valet // Departure Transportation: Mr. Robert Moore // Hair Stylist: Blue Orchid Salon // Lighting: Ambient Media of SC // Live Painter: Painting in Motion with Trahern Cook // Makeup Artist: Eyebrow Junkie Makeup Artistry // Rentals: 428 Main Vintage Rentals + Party Reflections

Bold & Colorful Wedding Ideas

Category: INSPIRATION 0 Comments

, , , , ,

Apr 24th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

With a bold color palette of blue, orange, blush, and red, these colorful wedding ideas are what color-lovers’ dreams are made of! From the watercolor paper goods to the colorful florals, this design by Heather Benge Events is full of so much inspiration. Bold pops of color against the rustic textures of the Melrose Knitting Mill created a modern, chic look that we absolutely love, especially with the beautiful captures from Candi Leonard Photography. And of course you cannot miss the gorgeously lush florals from Intrigue Designs!

Oh, and how absolutely stunning is that bouquet?! And the cake, with handpainted design elements… amazing!

Raise your hand if you love color too! What color palette will you be going with for your own wedding?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photography: Candi Leonard Photography // Ceremony Venue: Melrose Knitting Mill // Event Planning: Heather Benge Events // Floral: Intrigue Designs // Stationery: Chickadee Dixie // Wedding Cake: Sugar Euphoria // Rentals: Blush and Blue Design // Linens: Nuage Designs // Hair + Makeup: Silverceiling

Whimsical & Romantic South Carolina Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 1 Comments

, , ,

Apr 20th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

Whimsy and romance were two of the things that Lowery and Chad wanted to convey for their South Carolina wedding day, and we are in love! A color palette of blush and cream with touches of navy, lavender, and green created a classic look, perfect for a Southern fete taking place in the Lowcountry. Litchfield Plantation on Pawley’s Island was a gorgeous backdrop, complete with magnificent oaks, a plantation home, and marsh views. Cameron Faye Photography captured the day that was beautifully planned by Design a Dream Events, and we can’t wait for you to read all of the wedding planning insight that Lowery has shared with us!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

My mom and I planned everything! I definitely would ask my wedding planner some questions here or there. I had a vision and just went with it! Mom was there to bounce ideas off of and go to all the appointments with. :) The groom definitely had his to do list, but left most of the planning up to me because he trust my taste! I really enjoyed planning the design aspect of the day!

What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?

The most important things for us were location, good music, full bar, and getting married in a church.
Location: We wanted to be outside with a beautiful scenery. We liked the history of the venue too! We also chose the beach because the beach is special to us! I grew up going down to Pawleys Island and my parents actually have a beach house there!
Chad was really passionate about getting married in a church. He really wanted that moment where the doors swung open! We were lucky because there was a church on site of the venue we selected (although separate). They agreed to let us get married in there (we were one of the first!) This was definitely an added splurge for us!
We love to dance and have a good time so finding a fun, entertaining band was important! We also both HAD to have a brass section which meant we had to splurge here as well!
We skipped calligraphy on the envelopes because we didn’t want to spend the money there and use it elsewhere. People throw away the envelopes right away anyway!

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?

Enjoy it!!! It is a special time that will be over before you know it!
Don’t stress about the little things… no one will even notice! Not everything went perfectly or got set up exactly how I wanted it, but no one except for me noticed that. However, I did not let it upset me! How could you… you are on cloud 9 all day!
Have your dinner plated and brought to you in a private area! It was so nice and we actually got to eat!! We also got to have a moment by ourselves to just take a step back and breathe! The day goes by so fast!
Definitely get a day of wedding coordinator! I don’t know what you would do without one! That was worth it for sure!
If on a budget, make a list of your top 3 priorities and get those things squared away first/have money set aside for them.
Don’t get too caught up in the planning and remember what is actually happening. The wedding is just one day… marriage is forever!
There is no right or wrong so do what is best for you, your groom and your family!
Keep in mind that your guests are your guests so treat them like that. Be mindful and thoughtful of them when planning things. For instance, I highly recommend having a seating chart because the guest like to know where they are sitting and that they actually have a seat/home base.