DIY Stationery Tips

Many Brides, including myself, have their eyes set on making lots of bits and bobs for their wedding to give the day a really personal touch. One way of doing this is through making all your own wedding stationery. 

When talking about ‘stationery’ I don’t just mean day and evening invitations, oh no! I mean orders of services, table names/numbers, save the date cards, guestbooks, thank you cards, menus… the list goes on!!

Many Brides who have just read that list will probably be reconsidering that idea now!! But for those of you sticking with me, here are a few tips!

Timescale: 

The time scale of the entire stationery operation depends on the amount of spare time you are willing to give to the project, the number of things you are planning to make, and the complexity of the items.

For the average Bride with a normal 9-5 job, I’d suggest beginning the process AT LEAST 6 months before the date you want to SEND the invitations! That may seem quite a way in advance, but it allows for multiple drafts and re-designs, other commitments, and peace of mind.

Obviously if you don’t have full time commitments like children or a full time job, then you can reduce this timescale if you wish as you are likely to have more free time.

Materials:

Its worth looking around for companies that will provide you with quality materials for the best price. I love Hobbycraft for its convenience, but in terms of value for money, well, it doesn’t quite match up. Check out PDA Card and Craft online; they seem to offer value for money.

Make sure you buy enough and extra materials to cover any ‘accidents’ that may occur with your stationery. Its no good only buying 80 cards if you’ve got 80 coming; you need extras for drafts, ones that went wrong/dog ate etc, and for any people that you may want to invite later on. You also don’t want to only have enough ribbon for your invites if you are planning on making orders of services or menus etc.

Other tips:

• Don’t forget stamps!! So many people get caught up in the process and forget they need to actually send them! Costco’s is a great place to buy stamps in bulk for the best price!
• Make sure all the information on your stationery is correct.Proof read, correct grammar, and do it all again! There’s nothing worse than realising you spelt someone’s name wrong/miss them out, or forgot to delete an unecessary word! Not to mention having mistakes with the timing or location of the ceremony!
• Remember many people will drive to your wedding location; make sure you have an accurate postcode for their SatNav!
• Don’t forget to put an RSVP date on your invite, or people will be very relaxed in returning them to you.
• Put a contact telephone number on your invites so guests can query you on anything they may need to, particularly for menu questions (allergies etc).
• Try and not get fed up! Even the crafty-est of people get fed up on cutting and sticking what feels like millions of bits of paper together! Set yourself an amount to complete each time and stick to it!