How To Organise Stylish Wedding Stationery

luxury wedding stationery by Ananya Cards

I'm very pleased to welcome our special guest today, Vaishali Shah from Ananya.

Ananya, is an award-winning wedding and event stationery specialist renowned for blending elements of diverse cultures to create opulent and contemporary stationery. Experts in fusing cultures, Ananya works closely with their clients to understand their cultural heritage and stationery desires in order to deliver quality, bespoke designs. The word ‘Ananya’ comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit, meaning ‘without equal’ or ‘unparalleled’. For Vaishali, it was a name that perfectly reflects her passion and dedication to create a beautifully unique stationery brand that delivers distinct, contemporary designs to celebrate and honour the wonderful cultures behind each couple. 

I love that the inspiration for their designs is "the melting pot of cultures and the fusion of rich cosmopolitan experiences and an international flavour."

Here's Vaishali with her guide to organising stylish wedding stationery...

bespoke wedding stationery by Ananya Cards - Camilla J Hards Photography

What do I need to think about when choosing stationery for my wedding? - Where do I start and Timeline

Once the wedding date has been confirmed, next come the save the date cards which are usually sent out six-twelve months in advance. They give your invitees an initial notice of your intention to marry and can later become souvenirs and keepsakes for your loved ones. This advance notice enables your guests to plan ahead and make necessary arrangements, whether it involves travelling, childcare, etc. For those couples planning a destination wedding, giving your guests ample time to prepare becomes imperative.

Save the dates and invitations set the tone for the wedding to follow and build excitement for your guests. As far as the actual wedding invitations are concerned, six months before the wedding is about the right time for brides to start thinking about the stationery.

Deciding on your wedding stationery designer is the next step. Before engaging a designer, make sure to look at examples of their work, their references and client testimonials, their values and discuss what they can propose within your budget.

Here at Ananya, we feel that wedding invitations are an opportunity for a couple to express their personality, style and identity. Examples of how this may be achieved could be by adding meaningful patterns or symbols, favourite colours or a theme that represents their heritage. One such example was for our couple’s recent multicultural wedding with our American bride and Indian groom. The invitations were adorned with the grandeur and majesty of elephants. For another couple who were after an exotic theme, our inspiration came from a Moroccan tile with its intricate and delicate details and rich, vibrant colours.

For every wedding and event stationery order placed at Ananya, we will plant trees on your behalf, so together we can Plant Grow Sustain the planet. Giving back is one of our core values.

Order the invitations when the design has been agreed and layout, font and colour scheme are decided. It can take from two to four weeks for the invites to be printed, depending upon the print techniques used and ready to be sent out between eight to ten weeks before the big day.

There is a wonderland of finishing touches now available to make stationery completely unique to you. Here at Ananya we’ve worked with gold foiling, deckled edges, pearls, wax seals, ribbons, Swarovski crystals, Sari fabric, Batik, embossed stickers, calligraphy and much more – and this is on top of all the printing technique options open to you. You should consider an additional two weeks for any finishing touches.

The following details should ideally be included in the invitations:
• What part(s) of the wedding the guest is being invited to
• Whether the guest can bring someone with them
• Who is hosting the wedding
• The time, date and venue
• The type of wedding: formal, informal, small and intimate or a large party etc.
• Dress code

luxury wedding stationery - Ananya Cards - Hayley Gell Photography

Remember to include an RSVP date on the invite (usually four to six weeks before the wedding). Let invitees know how you want them to RSVP, if by regular mail, it's a good idea to include a stamped, addressed envelope. Ask for dietary requirements on the RSVP card. You should call to confirm on the phone those who have missed the RSVP deadline by a week.

Optional items of stationery to match the invitations could include place cards, menus, seating plans, order of service, thank you cards and guest books.

Thank you cards should be sent out as soon as possible after the wedding. For any gifts received before the wedding, do send cards within two weeks. For gifts received at the wedding itself, etiquette dictates that thank you cards should be sent out within three months of the wedding.

Moroccan tile bespoke wedding stationery - Ananya Cards

What stationery will I need and how many of each?

Below are the main items of stationery to include:

Save The Date cards
Wedding Day Invitations
Wedding Evening Invitations
Reply cards
Maps/Directions
Order of Service
Menu
Place cards
Thank You cards
Table Numbers
Table Plan
Signage (e.g. welcome signs)

At Ananya we recommend ordering 10% extra invitations in case some get lost in the post, for last minute invites, or mistakes. Some of our couples have even framed their invitations because they loved them so much!

How much will it cost - are there any ways to save?

Bespoke invitations can cost £500 and more, because the designs would be exclusive to you. You have the choice of saving money by using ‘off the shelf’ or existing designs. What is important is to decide on a budget and keep to it. Avoiding extras features like embossing and metallic colours will also save money, as will using second-class stamps instead of first.

By having your wedding stationery designed and printed at the same time will help save costs. If your stationery designer knows that there are several items to be designed, they often can give you a ‘package’ price if you can commit to a certain number of stationery items. If you can print various items at the same time, for example your ‘on the day’ stationery, you can often take advantage of cost savings.

Another option for saving would be to have some digital designs and not having everything printed. For example, your save the dates could be sent out via email. You could also include an RSVP email address on your invitations to avoid having a separate RSVP card printed.

If professional stationery becomes too costly, you can explore other alternatives like shop bought varieties, or if you are the creative type, you may want to make them yourself (depending on the number of invitees).

Wording advice

The wording of the invitations will depend upon your particular situation. Who is doing the inviting (the couple or the bride’s parents, for example), who are the guests (their full names and titles), what kind of ceremony (civil or church ceremony, informal or formal), where and when? To facilitate this, an RSVP is usually requested and a reply card enclosed.

 

Bride's Parents Hosting

Mr and Mrs (Bride's Parents Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
(Bride's Name)
to
Mr (Groom's Name)
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

Bride and Groom's Parents Hosting

Mr and Mrs (Bride's Parents Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
(Bride's Name)
to
Mr (Groom's Name)
son of
Mr and Mrs (Groom's Parents Name)
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

Bride and Groom and Families Hosting

Together with their families
(Bride's Name)
and
(Groom's Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

Bride and Groom Hosting

Together with their families
(Bride's Name)
and
(Groom's Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)
Bride and Groom Hosting
(Bride's Name)
and
(Groom's Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

Groom's Parents Hosting

Mr and Mrs (Groom's Parents Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
(Bride's Name)
to their son
(Groom's Name)
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

Bride's Divorced Parents Hosting

(Bride's Mother's Name)
(Bride's Father's Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
(Bride's Name)
to
Mr (Groom's Name)
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

bespoke wedding stationery - Ananya Cards - Hayley Gell Photography

Tips on how to make my stationery unique.

As wedding invitations are the first glimpse of your big day for your guests, they set the tone and mood of the day in your invitees’ imagination. Choose a design that is a reflection of you as a couple and of your special day.

Inspiration for stationery can come from anything, and often the most beautiful and meaningful designs come from not looking too hard – for example, from embracing the colours of your venue, or the season of your event.

A consistent theme across all your stationery items is key to making your wedding stationery harmonious and cohesive. Monograms also help to differentiate and individualise your stationery.

For couples celebrating a union of different cultures, there are myriad ways of giving both a voice throughout your stationery. We love letting the colours, symbols, and traditions of your culture inspire your design, while giving them a personal and modern twist.

Take a look at the full range of stylish stationery available from Ananya including their fabulous colourful and contemporary wedding stationery.

If you would like any further information, please contact Vaishali Shah at Ananya.

Website: www.ananyacards.com 
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Instagram: @ananyacards
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ananyacards
Twitter: @ananyacards
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Val

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