Weddings and Events
After whittling down your guest list to a manageable size, it’s time for the fun part: wedding stationary! To guide and inspire you, Casa Romantica’s Private Events team has created a list of DOs & DON’Ts. Read on to explore topics such as picking stationary that embodies your personal style, and important tips to avoid some common faux pas of invitation etiquette.
SAVE-THE-DATES
Starting with save-the-dates, Casa Romantica’s Private Events team recommends making them simple. The focus should be on you – as a couple. Whether you choose a portrait of the two of you or just the date you have chosen in an attractive typeface, this part of your wedding stationary is so minimal. It is not worth stressing over!
Save-the-dates are meant to be short and sweet, with the purpose of alerting your guests so they can plan the date in their calendar months ahead of time. DO abide by a limit of four lines of text: the names of the couple, the wedding date, the venue location, and mention of a formal invitation to come. The most important part of any stationary piece is proofreading! When you look at it repeatedly, even your critical eyes can miss the incorrect spelling of the groom’s name or the wrong date for your big day. As a rule, DO ask multiple members of your family and/or close friends to check for errors before sending your stationary to print. The customary timeline for mailing save-the-dates is 6-12 months before the big day.
TIP #1: Many stationers and calligraphers have packages available for you to bundle all the stationary you will need for the entire wedding experience. This option is often cheaper than ordering stationary pieces individually and allows all of the collateral going out to your guests to be cohesive, organized, and memorable. Click here to see our list of preferred stationers and calligraphers.
INVITATIONS
Many brides and grooms cite the act of mailing invitations as the moment when the wedding becomes truly “real,” second only to the moment when they stand across from one another at the altar. Invitations are more formal than save-the-dates and this is your chance to really get creative! There IS, however, such a thing as going overboard. Wedding invitations must contain a large amount of important information, and too much additional content makes your message difficult to comprehend.
The style of your invitations should allude to what your guests can expect for your magical day. Some couples choose invitations based on their wedding colors, and some include gorgeous graphics that represent the ambiance of the venue. DO include this important information: the names of the couple, the wedding date and time, the venue name and location, whether food and beverages will be provided, and contact information for questions or to RSVP. Optional but helpful information may include directions or a basic map to your venue (if it’s not easy to navigate in an online mapping service), the type of food served and whether alternate menu options are available, the dress code, weather considerations, and your registry information.
DON’T tell your guests everything that your day will have in store for them: everyone loves a good surprise because it makes that day even more special to be a part of! DO, however, include practical tips regarding locations or activities that guests need to be prepared for, such as avoiding stiletto heels if your wedding includes time at the beach.
You’ll also need to decide how you wish for guests to RSVP: with a traditional enclosed reply card, directions to an online RSVP site (which are often included with your registry site), or both. Since you’ll likely be inviting people of all ages, the Casa Romantica Private Events team recommends giving guests both options. Including stamps with your reply cards is optional if you’re also including an online RSVP option, but DO include them as a matter of obligation if you’re only accepting RSVPs via your reply cards.
The Casa Romantica Private Events team reminds couples to have an ‘editing eye,’ that is, to keep these four words in mind: simple, beautiful, legible, and correct. Send invitations approximately 8 weeks prior to your wedding.
TIP #2: Bring your invitation to your wedding venue for a fun, personalized photo-op to keep in your memories. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see how couples incorporated Casa Romantica into their stationary suite.
THANK-YOU CARDS
After your unforgettable whirlwind of a wedding day, all you’ll want to do is rest (and honeymoon!). There’s one last piece of stationary you’ll need before your wedding experience is completely over, however: thank-you cards. DO understand that this is an obligatory task – no matter how little you saw of those who attended, what gifts they gave, or how comfortable you are at writing personalized notes. However, with some tips and tricks from the Casa Romantica Private Events team, the process can be a little more enjoyable.
In terms of style, you have many options. You can opt for a completely cohesive approach by including thank-you cards in your wedding stationary package, or you can simply purchase a few boxes of ready-to-go thank-you cards from your local stationary store. When you (finally) make the time to sit down and write your notes, DO locate yourself somewhere comfortable where you’ll enjoy spending a couple hours. Remember that you do not have to write all of the thank-you cards in one sitting: try splitting up your letter-writing into a few sessions so you avoid what most certainly will begin to feel like carpal tunnel syndrome.
You’ll have a more pleasant experience writing Aunt Jenny to thank her for the crystal vase if you’re also watching the latest episode of Scandal with a glass of red wine close by. Having fun while writing thank-you cards makes all the difference, and even allows you to reminisce about fond wedding memories. DON’T delay writing thank-you notes: while some sources give an allowance of up to one year after the wedding date to send your cards, the memories won’t be as fresh for you or your guests if so much time has passed. Your wedding guests are important – after all, that’s why you chose them to witness your special day! Casa Romantica’s Private Events team (and Emily Post) are firm believers in sending thank-you notes no more than 3 months after your wedding date has passed.
TIP #3: Instead of putting out a guestbook, consider making a book with address labels for your guests to fill out upon arrival. This makes the thank-you card process so much easier and stress-free.
TIP #4: For guests who have gifted you with money, personalize your thank-you note with a brief explanation of what you plan on using the money for (e.g. saving up to buy a home, skydiving on your Costa Rica honeymoon). It makes your message even more thoughtful. Also, ALWAYS thank every guest for taking the time out of their busy schedules to come celebrate you. Show them that endless love and appreciation you have!
We hope these ideas have lessened the anxiety that comes with choosing (and using) wedding stationary. Below is some inspiration from couples who have married at Casa Romantica. We can’t help but adore this truly eye-catching stationary!
To inquire about upcoming wedding date availability at Casa Romantica, email our Private Events team at [email protected] or call us at (949) 498-2139 ext. 123
