Creating your wedding stationery may seem deceptively simple, but there are plenty of best practices to remember (and things to avoid) to ensure proper etiquette and a cohesive design. Michelle designed stationery for Shutterfly and Wedding Paper Divas for two years, so we’re familiar with industry standards. And as Houston wedding photographers, we’ve photographed plenty of invitation suites over the years. So, as you begin creating your invitations, keep these wedding stationery do’s and don’ts at hand as a reference!
Keep Your Wedding Stationery Consistent
This will be the key to an invitation suite that makes all your guests wonder where your professional-level design skills came from. Among other things, you’ll want to keep your casing (i.e. upper, lower, and proper) consistent throughout your suite. This will ensure uniformity and an elegant appearance. For a lowkey, boho-chic affair, you might experiment with all-lowercase styling. Conversely, for a black-tie wedding, you’ll want to adhere to usual grammatical standards and capitalize all proper nouns.
Spell Out Abbreviations
Most people aren’t accustomed to spelling out items that are typically abbreviated, but it’s common practice on wedding invitations. So, you’ll want to pay close attention to this one! For example, as you write out your guests’ addresses, you should avoid abbreviating the names of states, streets, and other locations (TX becomes Texas, Ave. becomes Avenue, etc.). In addition, be aware that zip codes are traditionally left off of wedding invitations.
Ladies First
We know that it is common to ask whether the bride’s or groom’s name should appear first on wedding stationery. Well, the answer is simple and easy to remember: the bride always comes first!
Use Cohesive Graphics
It may go without saying, but all of the components of your invitation suite should match. After all, it will be the first glimpse that your guests receive into all you’ve been planning and the tone of your wedding day as a whole. Make sure that the design you choose reflects the style and atmosphere that you want your day to have. Ideally, it should also be consistent with your core color palette. Then you can feel confident sending your invitations out, knowing you’ve given your guests an exciting preview of what’s to come!
Pay Attention to Printing
Consider what type of paper your wedding stationery will be printed on. Will it have foil? Will it be letterpressed? Handwritten? There are many factors to printing. However, the type of paper you choose is especially important since it will determine what printing process is used. Another factor to consider is trim. Your stationery can have rounded edges or be squared off, but this should be kept consistent throughout your suite.
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread
Look over your wedding stationery as a couple, preferably multiple times since our eyes tend to gloss over errors! Then, have a couple of family members or bridal party members give it a look to make sure your spelling and grammar are A-okay before printing.
Set At Least One Suite Aside
…and order extras accordingly. You will likely want to keep one of your suites as a keepsake. Your parents, in-laws, and any other important figures in your life may wish to keep one as well. And, don’t forget to have one ready for your photographer when the special day (finally!) arrives.
It is our hope that these wedding stationery tips are a helpful companion as you set about creating your invitation suite. We know that planning a wedding in Houston isn’t always easy—and you probably have more questions than answers! For more wedding tips and advice, feel free to browse past blogs. And, if you’re in the market for a pair of experienced Texas wedding photographers, we would love to hear from you!
