Engagement parties, bridal showers, thank you notes, save the dates, pre wedding activity invites. There are so many things happening before your big day. You get swept up in this, and that, and next thing you know, you’ve had all your bridal showers and don’t own a single thank you note because well, you forgot. It’s so easy for these little things to slip by, because when you’re thinking about the overall picture of your wedding day, the paper products just aren’t really a part of it.
Okay. I can see slight panic coming across your face right now. Stop right where you’re at!
BREATHE.
Don’t you worry. I’ve got this list ready to go, and to help you make it through all your “pre-wedding” events with the exact paper products/ stationary you will need. But, before we get into the list, there is a few things you need to know!
- Don’t freak out, you don’t NEED everything on this list. Maybe you aren’t doing a formal engagement party. Or maybe your MOH is taking care of your Bachelorette Party invites. Or heck. Maybe you’ve decided to go paperless and are doing everything online. (In that case, you don’t need to read this post. Check out any of my other wedding posts here or find honeymoon ideas here!)
- I’m going to try to show you links from multiple places and sources, but this post will be heavily populated with products from Minted. You guys, I ordered different types of paper products from multiple places for my wedding, and Minted stood above the rest. Their presentation, customer service, and incredible quality make their products top notch, in my opinion. No they are not sponsoring this post, I just really really really love their products.
Alright lets get started!
Engagement Party
The very first thing you want to do when you get that sparkly new ring on your finger is shout it to the world! The best way to do that? Throwing an engagement party to celebrate. Now, sometimes the couple plans and hosts the party, other times, someone throws it in their honor, and of course, some couples don’t have a formal party. If you are having a party, you need to send out a formal invitation. Don’t worry about it matching your wedding, because chances are at this point, you haven’t really started planning yet. It should reflect you as a couple, or reflect your party. Remember, these invitations are meant to celebrate! So have fun with them.
My favorites? This one from Minted (of course!), this one, this one, this one and this one!
Popping The Question
You can’t say “I Do” without your girls by your side… right? If you’re planning to have a bridal party, you need to ask them. When doing so, take some time to do it right. With my MOH, I was so excited I just blurted it out, and I’m sad I didn’t ask her in a special way. So don’t make the same mistake I did! There are so many cute ideas out there on Pinterest, and there are paper goods and cards to match them. This is where Etsy is Queen. They’ll have anything you can imagine.
Card wise, I love this one, this one, this one, this one and this one.
Save the Dates
As soon as your wedding venue and date are set, it’s time to send out your Save the Dates. (PS… Don’t abbreviate ANYWHERE. Because your calendar will say “Pick out STDs” and everyone will be very confused when they see it. HAHA) You want to send these out quickly, because your guests are busy. And let’s be honest, coming to a wedding is an expense, so do your guests a solid, and give them time to plan! Again, I personally don’t think your save the dates need to be reflective of your wedding, or your soon to come formal invitation. We chose one that reflected us as a couple. We sent out these coasters from Wedding Paper Divas, because we collect coasters everywhere we go. You can always have some fun with your Save the Dates!
You can find some fun ones here, here, and here. And for a more traditional look, I love this one and this one.
Bridal Shower Thank Yous
I’m leaving out Bridal Shower invitations because most likely, someone else is taking care of that. But you do need to be sure to send out thank you notes after! My favorite thing about my bridal shower thank you notes was that since it was from just me, they could be as girly as I wanted! I found the CUTEST little cards at Michael’s that were dress sketches with glitter. I loved them and used them for all my showers. I highly suggest checking places like Michaels for pretty cards, because honestly, they’re a lot cheaper! And you don’t have to order them in advance. However, there are some BEAUTIFUL thank you cards online!
I love this one, this one, this one, these (that you can pick up at Target!) and these that you can customize!
The Invitation Suite
And now for the biggie. The most important bit of stationary you will purchase… your wedding invitation. I have two bits of advice when it comes to picking your invitations. First, go in knowing you’re going to be spending money. Don’t try to do your invitations “on the cheap” by not including things that need to be included. For example, you kind of NEED that RSVP card. And you’ll get multiple headaches spending hours trying to track down every guest to see if they are coming if you don’t include it. Spend the extra money on the “suite” so you can have everything you need that matches. Second, make sure it reflects your wedding. You don’t want to send a beach themed invitation if you’re getting married in the mountains of Colorado. It doesn’t need to match your wedding exactly, but should reflect it in some sense. Think color scheme, florals/greenery, and location. I’m only going to share one photo here, because invitations are SO personal. I will tell you this… I think you should order them from Minted. I’m telling you right now, you will love them. They will personalize everything for you (even merge designs, make custom maps, whatever your heart desires!) and you will be thrilled with the quality.
This is the suite that we chose, and they turned out beautifully! I wish I could show you pictures, but every single one I have has someone’s address on it. (I know.. I’m rolling my eyes too. I shoulda been smarter than that!)
Rehearsal Dinner (and any other pre-wedding parties)
You know how you have to practice your wedding? Well, you kind of have to feed people too. So be sure they know they are invited! If you’re having a formal dinner, at a restaurant or venue, that people need to dress up for, I think you need to send a paper invitation. However, if it’s very informal (we chose to just have everyone over for the best pizza in the world at the beach front condo Trev’s parents had rented) I don’t think it’s necessary. You can easily send out an online invitation. For those of you mailing out your invites, I highly suggest choosing a super cute themed card. Having a BBQ? Go with gingham. Or get “punny”. I love this one, this one, this one, this one and this one. And… if you’re looking for an online option, you HAVE to see this! Minted has just come out with online cards that are gorgeous and ABSOLUTELY FREE (until the end of March.) No. You didn’t read that wrong. You an personalize them to your hearts desire, then send them away to your guests all with the click of a button. Check them out here! (And it’s not just wedding stuff… you can find invites for anything. It’s pretty amazing!)
Other events you might need paper goods for before the big day? Bachelor/Bachelorette parties (if you’re MOH or Best Man aren’t taking care of it), welcome to the wedding weekend parties, and welcome bags.
I can’t believe how many amazing new things have come out since I was picking my own stationary and paper goods out last year! All you soon to be brides sure are lucky 🙂
Alright guys! I usually post on Thursdays, but I won’t be posting tomorrow. A big DIY project is next up for the blog, and it’s going to be a big, long post. We want to make sure it’s just right before it goes up, so we’re going to take a few extra days perfecting it! Look for it on Saturday or Sunday this weekend 🙂
And with that, enjoy the rest of your week, and your weekend! I hope the weather gets better where you are, and that you’re able to sit back and relax in the coming days. I’ve got to get this up quick! We have MASSIVE thunderstorms starting outside (I seriously can’t believe I just wrote that… we never have thunderstorms in January!) and our lights and cable are starting to flicker. Here’s to hoping we don’t lose power.
Xx.
Savannah
Savannah Said It 
One thought on “Wedding 101: Before the Big Day Stationary”