Wedding invitations can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes, we show you here the more usual components that you may want to consider when ordering them from us.
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Save The Date
Depending on who is hosting the wedding, they would be sent either by the couple, or by the parents, as soon as you set the date for your wedding.
They ensure that any important guests know well in advance when your wedding will be and avoids the chance of them making other arrangements.
These are really useful if you're getting married in the summer when guests may wish to book holidays, also for overseas guests or overseas weddings where there will be a need to plan the trip to your wedding.
Ideally, they should match the rest of your wedding stationery, and should ideally be small and sent in an envelope. back to top
Day Invitation
The most basic requirement is the invitation itself. There are many formats for these, but a quality card single folded to A6 is ideal.
Traditionally, the lettering is in black, but a colour or a metallic gold is not unusual. The text is usually printed on a paper insert cut to fit the cards.
The wording of the invitation, referred to as "copy", is dependent on your situation. Consider who is doing the inviting (traditionally the bride's parents), who are the recipients (their full names and titles), the kind of ceremony (church or civil ceremony, formal or informal), when, and where. An RSVP is usually requested and a reply card may be enclosed to facilitate this (see below). Click here for basic wording examples back to top
Evening Invitation
Evening Invitations are used when there are additional guests invited to the evening reception. These are normally sent out at the same time as you send the invitations to give guests plenty of time to make arrangements and it will also avoid any confusion as to which part of the celebration the guests are invited.
Invitations can either be the same size as the day invitation or sometimes a smaller version. To an extent the size may be determined by the amount of text you need inside. back to top
Reply cards
Reply cards are becoming more popular. They usually consist of a flat card with blanks for filling in name and response, and an envelope. The name and address of the wedding hosts can be printed on the front if required. You would need to ensure these together with their envelope fit inside the main invitation envelope.
You may consider having the guests name printed on each reply card as sometimes the guest may inadvertently forget to write their name in the space required, which will leave you in a bit of a dilemma. Alternately you could pencil a number on the card to correspond with you guest list.are sent out with the invitations. They are supplied with their own envelopes, which may be stamped and addressed. This encourages the guests to reply back to top
Order of Service
Typically these are made to match the invitations,the text will usually need to be approved by the wedding official before printing., and are given out to your guests before the ceremony by the ushers. They state the order of the ceremony including entrance music, hymns, prayers, marriage and benediction. You should supply one for each guest and extra for the clergy and choir.
For longer services, additional inserts are used and glued or tied into the card cover to make a simple booklet. back to top
Place Cards
These are usually a freestanding, folded 'tent' card on which you write the guests name to their place at the table. They can also be designed to tie in with other stationery elements. back to top
Menu
Can be used for either a sit down meal or buffet. They let the guests know what the food and drink arrangements are.
Menus can be printed for each guest or randomly placed around the tables to share. One per table is usually adequate for smaller informal receptions. back to top
Table Plan
These are to indicate the overall seating arrangements at the reception - printed with the bride and grooms names, date of the wedding and sometimes the venue. The seating arrangements are indicated by panels representing the individual tables (numbered or named) and the list of guests seated on each table.
These are available in our popular A3 size.
For very big weddings, a larger table plan may be required with an alphabetical list as well as a table plan to make it easier for guests to locate their name. Again, we can make these to tie-in with your colour's and other stationery. back to top
Thank You
After the wedding the couple (or traditionally, the bride) should send a personal thank you note expressing appreciation and to say thank you for any gifts. Thank you cards can simply be the same as the invitation with a blank insert.
An alternative is flat card with your chosen design on one side and blank on the reverse ready for you to write your personal message. back to top
Announcements
An announcement card is sent to inform family and friends who, for whatever reason, were not invited to your wedding. They are sent after the ceremony. They look very similar to an invitation with alternative wording inside. back to top
Yes, we do provide samples, however, there is a charge of £3.00 per sample. This will be be deducted from your final order. back to top
Is there a minimum order?
No, you can order as many designs as you like. Please note that for larger order the delivery time will increase. back to top
How do I place my order?
We accept orders via our web site, telephone or post simply print out and complete our order form. back to top
How do I pay for my order?
We can accept orders through our fully secure online payment system via paypal. You can also pay for your order by cheque. Simply print out your shopping basket or order form, attach a cheque and post it off to us! back to top
How will my order be sent?
All orders are sent in card backed envelopes (for small orders) or boxes (for larger orders). Orders are sent Recorded by Royal Mail. A signature will be required for your parcel so please keep this in mind when providing a delivery address. back to top
Can orders be accepted from outside of the UK?
Yes. Please contact us for delivery information and further details. We currently cannot accept orders through this web site outside the UK. back to top
Do cards of the same design look the identical?
Because our cards are handmade, each card is totally unique so each card will look slightly different, variations will be inevitable. back to top
Can the card be customised?
Absolutely, we offer a bespoke design service and can accommodate most needs. back to top
How do we word the invitations?
There are no strict rules regarding the words of your wedding invitations you can be as formal or as adventurous as you like. Generally the invitations come from the host. Usually this is the person or persons paying for the wedding, traditionally the bride's parents. If you split the cost of the wedding between yourselves and your parents, it's usual to make the invitation from you, the couple.
You will find on display a selection of wordings to suit most occasions. We will arrange the words to suit the card that you choose and not necessarily as displayed. Remember you can also have different type styles, mix and match different wordings or have your own unique words. If your special wording involves printing on both sides of the insert there will be an extra charge. back to top
Can you print our guest name(s) onto the invitations?
Standard Invitation cards & are supplied without the guests' name. You can however take advantage of our guest naming service. The names of your guests can be printed onto the invitations, envelopes, place cards etc. Please supply a typewritten list indicating how you would like each name printed. back to top
Can you print our stationery in a foreign language?
If you would like your stationery in a language other than English we can print the stationery in any language that uses the Roman Alphabet, providing you supply us with the appropriate words on disk as a Word document or as a text file. Please contact us for pricing. back to top
How many invites do I need to order?
First decide on your number of guests, send one per family, and to this number add a small quantity to cater for any mistakes and extra guests you may decide to invite at a later stage. back to top
When should I order my invitations?
It is advisable to order these at least 3/4 months in advance of the wedding, longer if your require custom cards, as we don't want to rush ensuring that you get the card your desire.
Save the Date cards can be sent any time in advance, at least a year or beyond in some cases depending on your venue or location. back to top
When should I send my invitations out to my guests?
Normally you should allow at least 8 weeks before the wedding but longer notice can be given this is really your personal choice. back to top
How long will my order take?
You should allow 25 working days from payment of your confirmed order. However, it's important to remember that no printing will take place until receipt of a signed proof from you. back to top
What happens after I have placed an order?
In all cases we will confirm the order within 48 hours, we will send proof copy for approval and signature, once this is returned with the final payment we will start production of your stationery. Further notice will be sent once item has been dispatched. back to top
What happens if I want to cancel my order?
All orders are personalised to your requirements. For this reason, refunds and exchanges will only be made if the stationery is found to be damaged, or does not meet your order specifications. This does not affect your statutory rights. Under exceptional circumstances we may agree to cancel an order. However, you will incur a cancellation fee.
