Wednesday 13 October 2010

Get Stationery Savvy with Cards by Sophie

I'm delighted to introduce Sophie of Cards by Sophie - our Wonderful Wedding Day Wednesday Industry Expert. Sophie's designs are absolutely beautiful, and so clearly made with love...
Bespoken Dreams got Stationery Savvy with Sophie, so get ready to Seal with a
Kiss!

"Hi everyone! I thought I'd give you a few tips on choosing your wedding stationery, the various items you can choose and how to coordinate it with your big day. Your stationery can, in fact, set the scene for your wedding. It is an exciting way of giving your guests an idea of what your day will be like and it’s often the first glimpse they will get into the wedding!

The first items to consider are save the date cards. These are usually sent as soon as you know your wedding date, at least 9 - 12+ months in advance of your wedding. They don’t necessarily have to match in with your theme – you may not have one at this point, but it can give you some ideas on what you’d like to go for with the rest of your stationery too. We offer postcard style and folded A7 cards to select from and we’re experimenting with magnetic save the dates at the moment. It’s a good idea to send these out particularly if the wedding is at a busy holiday time or mid-week. Some couples skip save the dates altogether and move straight onto the next step… invitations.

Invitations are the first key step to setting the tone and choosing them may help you decide on your flowers and other accessories, or vice-versa! Think about the sort of clothes you love, your ideal décor, and the place where you are getting married. This will help you decide whether you’re going for something traditional, vintage or modern. Which colours are you going for? Many of my clients choose ribbon colours on the stationery to match the bridesmaids’ dresses and send me a swatch of fabric so I can create the design in the right colours. All of our designs can be altered to match the wedding theme and colours, be it the ribbon, Swarovski crystals or handmade paper. We encourage our couples to choose their preferred wording or create their own for that special touch.

We recommend sending out invitations at least 2 months prior to the wedding. You'll also need to allow enough time for your stationer to make the items (we ask for around 3-4 weeks after approval of a proof). Consider having Pocketfolds or Cheque books; they contain not only the invitation but an RSVP and information card for details of hotels, directions etc. inside – we love making life simple! If you provide your guests with RSVP’s it often means they will reply a lot quicker and not forget to reply altogether. It’s always difficult chasing up those last few replies. Information cards are a flat piece of printed card, they can include anything you like, directions, hotel details or a map, or possibly a little poem for your guests.

Other items of stationery we term ‘on the day’, this is anything to be used on the day itself such as order of service, menus, place cards, table plans, favour boxes and much more. These items can be ordered much nearer the wedding day (usually around 8 weeks, earlier if you can!). They can also coordinate with the rest of the stationery, in fact it looks fantastic if you can match everything throughout. Of course, we are happy to help couples who just wish to order on the day items too. This doesn’t have to cost the earth, a few menus on the tables and place cards for all the guests sets the reception scene really well. Our table plans are very popular too, they are made on a boxed white canvas and again take your design and colour theme. Certainly less hassle for you and they look very smart!

You could also consider thank you cards to send out after the wedding to thank your guests for attending and for any gifts they may have bought. Most of the time my clients buy these at the same time as the rest of the stationery, it means you can have them ready with you before the wedding has even taken place. For those of you that are really organised, you can even start addressing them up or writing a message inside before the wedding itself, a strange concept I know!

We offer various different designs through our website, and we are about to launch a new printed range so keep a look out! We welcome bespoke orders too, so if there is something you’ve found or a particular item that has become your inspiration for your wedding, let us know. We love a challenge!

If you need any further information or have a stationery related question, please contact me through the website or email me at sophie@cardsbysophie.com"

Sophie x


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