Wedding stationary: Must Haves v. Nice Haves Part 1

Gone are the days of the white bifold invitation with embossed lettering complete with reception and RSVP card. OK, maybe those days aren't gone for some people but for most, the invitation is the first part of your weddings style that guests see. Now more than ever there are dozens of options: paper, style, foil press, color, size, cut, etc. Not only that but there are a multitude of add-ons to choose from. You can have save-the-dates, engagement announcements, thank your, programs, menus, reception cards, table numbers, placement cards...

The list goes on and on!

But what are must haves and what are nice haves? 

First and foremost the invitation itself is a must. Whether simple or elaborate, if you're having guests at your ceremony you need to tell them when and where it is. If your reception is at a different location you either need to fit that information on the invite or order a separate card. It all depends on the amount of space your design allows.

Having a destination wedding or a lot of out-of town guests? If you answered yes then a save-the-date is a must-have. You want your guests to have plenty of time to ask for time off work, make travel arrangements or even save up to go to your fabulous beach wedding. 

RSVP cards are a must-have if your venue is tight on space, if you have two rounds of invitations to send based on the number of "with regrets" you receive, or if your guests can bring plus ones. If your guests will have more than one menu option then you will also need the RSVPs to give your caterer the proper head count.

One last thing for the ceremony: programs. A lot of people forgo this more traditional piece of stationary. It all depends on what you want your guests to take away from your ceremony. Personally I file this under the "must have" list. For our wedding we used it to introduce my extended family to members of the bridal party from my college days, to recognize dear friends and family who performed our ceremony music and to honor those family members who we held dear to our hearts who couldn't spend the day with us.
Stay tuned for part two of this post on Thursday, which will focus on reception and post-reception stationary pieces!
Check out some of our listings in the Etsy shop that come complete with multiple pieces of stationary: www.etsy.com/shop/ImpressivePrint