Planning Your Wedding - Let's Look At Wedding Stationery*

*This is a collaborative post. All opinions my own*

My partner and I are planning on getting married in the next few years, and although we’re not officially engaged yet, we’re both very excited at the prospect of planning our perfect wedding day. We’ve talked about what theme we’d like, the style, the time of year, where the venue will be and even the colour of the bridesmaids dresses. If you've recently got engaged or are about to plan a wedding then you'll know that as exciting as it is, there's an awful lot of work involved too. I was once the maid of honour at a friends wedding and helped out with various aspects of organising so I know just how much effort goes into planning even the tiniest details. Initially I'd recommend sitting down and writing a list including your budget and also everything you know you'll want or need for your big day. Here are some suggestions in no particular order just to get you started;

Date for the big day
Venue both for ceremony and wedding party
Caterer
Menu
Wedding cake
Wedding dress
Bridesmaids
Groomsmen
Photographer
Band
Flowers
Rings
First dance
Guest list
Invites and RSVPS
Seating plan
Place cards
Honeymoon
Hair and makeup

At first this may send you into a tailspin, afterall there is a lot that goes into planning a wedding but do not panic. With a little bit of organisation and a helping hand, you can really enjoy the experience and plan the perfect day. Once you've written your comprehensive list, break it down into sections of what needs to be done imminently or at least twelve months prior to the big day and what needs to wait until nearer the time. If you’re not sure, then you can find plenty of guides online or even download yourself a handy checklist.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, a notoriously busy time for proposals so I’ll be writing more wedding posts in the future on the various aspects of wedding planning, but for this post I’m going to focus on wedding stationery.

Wedding Stationery

I’ve received various wedding invitations over the years and I have to say that some have definitely been more memorable than others. My kind of perfect invitation gives me an inkling into the theme or style of the wedding and how formal it is. When I was maid of honour we tried - and failed - to make the invitations. We had this idea that sounded great in principle but it just didn't translate once we got practical. I'd definitely recommend having your stationery professionally made. It makes such a difference and removes the stress of doing it yourself.

Whether you realise it or not, wedding stationery will feature hugely as you plan your wedding. Most people think wedding stationery is just invitations but there's also table plans, rsvp cards, menus, placecards, wedding programme, checklists... The list goes on!

I ordered a wedding sample pack from Aura Print who provide various wedding stationery such as save the dates, invitations, RSVP cards, table/seating plans, name and place cards and thank you cards. All the photos you see of wedding stationery throughout this post are images of Aura Print samples.

My sample pack dropped through the letterbox just two days after I had placed my order and I was delightfully surprised. It was beautifully packaged in a sturdy but elegant black envelope. Inside I unwrapped pink tissue paper to find a selection of beautiful designs all printed on quality card. The samples didn't just look the part, they really felt it too.

I particularly loved how the samples had been presented together. Great care had been taken and I really appreciated that touch. My favourite of all the personalised wedding designs was the Rock Rose Wedding Stationery which also features as my header photo today. Described by Aura Print as bursting autumn florals with rock roses for perfectly graceful autumn weddings, this would be my personal go-to! The framed centre makes sure all the relevant wedding information can still be seen clearly whilst still looking elegant. I also loved how luxurious and thick the card felt, there was no doubting the quality.

My second favourite was the Prism Wedding Stationery seen just above which features deep florals, sage greenery and is finished off with faux rose gold print. Overall both of these designs had such a professional air and finish to them.

All the designs are custom made in house and each design is fully customisable. If you prefer a fully bespoke design then AuraPrint can work with you to create a one of a kind design. Designs worth mentioning that weren't featured in my sample pack but that look beautiful on the website are from the Ferragni, Levigne, and Blossom range.

The website is super user friendly which I love. At the click of a button you can see the many design choices available for wedding stationery. If you'd prefer to search by theme then there's that facility too. Choose from elegant, floral, geometric, modern, summer, royal, rustic, traditional, vintage, winter or wreath weddings.

Top left is a place card from the Summer Mint range. The invitations from this same range are beautiful featuring pastel mint greens and blossom pinks so do check them out if you're planning a summer wedding. Top right is a thank you card from the Hitched range which is perfect for a woodland, forest or rustic themed wedding and is printed on Kraft Brown paper. Bottom left is the Snow Meadow design ideal for an elegant winter wedding. It features pale blue artwork incorporating cool greys and red winter berries. Bottom right is an RSVP from the Secret Garden range which features fresh greenery, white petals and sage. Perfect for a spring or summer wedding.

Whichever design you opt for, remember to take your time choosing and make sure you really love it. Many of your guests will keep your wedding stationery as a keepsake for many years to come, it might be a nice touch to keep an invite or two to add to your own wedding album too.