At first glance, many felt that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s choice of a traditional formal style invitation was not reflective of the young, contemporary couple. But, even though many in the wedding world were underwhelmed, if you take a closer look at the beautiful 750gsm ivory board with letter press and gold dye stamped Queen’s Cypher, you can see the beauty in what is a very formal, yet beautifully crafted invitation.
Having drawn up your guest list, your next step is to design your invitations.
Your invitation is hugely important and sets the tone for what guests will expect from your wedding, so you need to take the time to consider how you want to introduce your celebration to your family and friends. The right stationery will help you communicate this.
Make sure you also review wedding stationery etiquette at Debretts so when you come to wording and laying out invitation designs so you avoid making any faux pas.
I believe every wedding invite should be “one of a kind” so when you select your wedding stationery it is important to consider all stationery items you may inject as part of your wedding design such as
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• Order of service
• Menus
• Place cards/table plans
• Thank-you cards
Ensure you outline all your stationery requirements, design and budget so when you approach stationery companies they can then tailor quotes and ranges to suit you.
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You may feel overwhelmed when you begin researching wedding stationery because of a wide array of print methods and paper available. Often couples say to me that they do not understand the jargon.
So here’s my jargon-free guide to wedding stationery with the help of Tim Honnor, chairman of the British Engraved Stationery Association, and managing director of Piccolo Press.
Printing styles
Engraved Wedding Stationery
Engraving is a really beautiful – and one of the more expensive - printing techniques and is one of my personal favourites. A plate of metal (usually copper) is engraved with your designed artwork and wording. The plate is then dipped in ink and the paper is pressed from the back.
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This creates a raised effect on the paper, as well as the indented lines found on the back of the invitation. There is no substitute for engraving’s combination of fine resolution, definition and richness of image.
The paper that is normally used for this printing technique is made from 100 per cent cotton and around 700gsm
Thermographic
If your budget will not stretch to engraving but you want a similar effect, then go for thermographic printing. The result looks like engraving, but costs far less as no engraved plate is needed and there are no indented lines found on the back of the paper
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Thermographic is a process that raises the printed text using heat. This is achieved by sprinkling resin on the printed sheet whilst the sheet is still wet and then subjecting the sheet to heat. The resin fuses with the ink and raises the printed matter above the paper surface.
Letterpress
Letterpress printing is a relief printing process. Ink is applied to the surface of a stamp that has a raised surface and the type is pressed against paper to make an impression. By ‘debossing’ the image into a soft card, a stunning clear tactile effect is produced.
The finished article has a rich quality, with a thick layer of ink and indentation where the type is pressed against the paper.
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Images are also reproduced in a similar way, using blocks of wood, metal, lino or nylon.
Lithography/ Offset
Lithography is another cost-effective printing option for wedding stationery. An inked impression is made to a plate or a rubber cylinder and transferred to paper. Inks are mixed from Pantone or RGB colours for exact colour matches.
The printing method does not produce any indentations or texture but is commonly printed on textured paper to give it a more deluxe feel.
Digital
With the rapid development of printing technology over the past ten years digital printing has become a key player in the wedding stationery market.
Though many still feel this undermines the quality of wedding stationery, digital printing can produce remarkable results based on digitally-rendered files. You will need to use a smooth or light textured paper for this print method.
Digital printing allows those working on a budget to achieve a professional print quality finish to their stationery
Design styles: off-the-shelf ranges
Whether you are looking for an opulent, romantic or glamorous invitation for your wedding day, there are so many amazing ranges to choose from.
I have selected a few invites that encapsulate the regal wedding look in differing style and print method formats for you to check out.
When looking for wedding stationery, research is vital. I have included my little black book of some of my favourite wedding stationers for you to review.
But you may also find attending wedding shows is another useful way to review lots of wedding invites up close and interact with the designer and discuss their services.
Bespoke and beyond…
I adore working on bespoke stationery design for my clients, I am extremely lucky to work with some of the most creative individuals in the business.
Two of the most creative companies currently are House of Sugalily and Cutture who are really giving the wedding stationery market a shake-up with cutting-edge passionate design.
Both companies have worked on bespoke projects for Tigerlily clients in the last few months and the results are truly stunning.
Many companies offer a bespoke design service. If you have, as part of your wedding design, shaped some stationery ideas share your mood board and colour palette with your chosen stationer. You can then go and create together.
Your stationery designer will also guide you with making paper and typeface choices and adornments needed to finish your design and complement your design.
DIY: the handmade revolution
With the rise of popularity of DIY wedding design many stationery companies have responded by offering DIY stationery ranges. Two of my favourite stationers offering this service are Chartula and Ivy Ellen Wedding Invitations.
If you are feeling super-confident to craft your very own design go to Ruffled, at www.ruffled.com This blog has lots of inspiration and ‘how-to’ tutorials on handcrafting and finishing techniques to produce your very own handmade, beautiful stationery.
Chiconomy and Keeping it Green
For the environmentally aware and ‘chic-onomy’ brides amongst you, to combat either your effect on the environment or overreaching on your budget, why not consider sending your save-the-dates or wedding invitations via e-mail?
I love Paperless Post, Love and Lavender and Wedding Chicks which have some really stylish invites for you to tailor for your day.
Process and timescales
The time it takes to get your invitation from conception to your guests’ doormat will depend on the type of invite, the style and printing method you choose. Your designer/printer will inform you of the process and time needed to deliver your order.
You need to ensure, before you commit to a design, that you have nailed down deadlines for the designers to produce design and artwork, a sample and a final design and ensure they give you a printing and production timetable. You don’t want your guests to have insufficient notice of your wedding.
Order an extra ten per cent invitations on top of your total guest numbers, just in case invitations go missing in the post or you need to invite more guests later on.
Here is my little black book of companies and design artists who are sure to make your stationery regal
www.dragonflycouturestationery.com
Penny Cullen runs Tigerlily Weddings, a boutique wedding planning and consultancy based in London