Well, it wont be long now before we’re in the swing of the great wedding season and this year there are so many inspirational ideas for a truely unique day that you or your guests will never forget. We’ve been so inspired by the gorgeous ideas that we’ve come across it seemed only right to share a few.

Organising a wedding in the wonderful age of the internet broadens the scope of what you can include in your day which often means ideas deemed impossible even a few years ago can now be easily incorperated into your big day.

With that in mind here are our top five tips for achieving a great summer wedding…

1.Be organised…the natural first place for most couples to start would be the save the date cards. We have many beautiful designs fit to compliment any style or theme of day which can all be viewed on our save the date page. Once you have decided on a theme or style you can then set about reseraching ideas and local suppliers to compliment your day.

 2. Research…You can never do too much research! Start at the obvious place, online. You can then get a real feel for what is available before you start searching locally for the venue, dress, flowers, favors, entertainment…the list goes on… Thats why the research stage is so important. Thorough research will ensure nothing is left to chance and every element of your day will be exactly as you wish it to be.

3. Be Prepared…Everybody hopes for guaranteed sunshine for their summer wedding but alas the great british summers are far from reliable so have a plan B if you’re intending to have an outdoor celebration such as a marquee that can accomidate all of your guests should you need to. Plan for the worst but hope for the best. Even a beautifully hot day may mean some of your guests need shade so having a covered area will ensure you’re prepared for any eventuality.

4. Stay Cool…Many summer brides will be planning their wedding during the autumn or winter so remember when choosing your dress that the fabric should be lighter and cooler for a summer wedding. As we are prone to unreliable weather many brides are opting to choose a shrug or shawl that compliments their dress and can be used if neccessary.

5. Drink plenty…no not champagne (you’ll get plenty of time for that later!) Water’s what im talking about. Staying hydrated during the day but also whilst planning a wedding is the simplest yet possibly the best tip anyone will give you. I wish someone had told me, the stress and excitement of the biggest day of your life certainly can leave you a little parched! Task someone else with the job as you are bound to be preoccupied and it will certainly keep you level headed and feeling good. Regular sips of water will keep you cool, calm and collected.

Vintage inspired weddings are gaining popularity and rightly so we feel!

Mixing old with new creates an entirely unique theme for your wedding and expressing your individuality gives a truly special feeling to your day.  Here are some of our thoughts on how to achieve a great vintage themed wedding…

Keep your backdrop simple so that your vintage details stand out. Having a neutral colour scheme from your marquee down to your tablecloths will allow your vintage pieces to shine.

Research, Research, Research. Take every opportunity to source the perfect venue, dress or accessories to fit your vision. Be creative online, there are lots of blogs that can inspire you and help to underpin your ideas. Try vintage fairs or even the humble car-boot, you might be surprised and often you can find great vintage tableware.

Ask Around. its a great way to get mums, nans or aunties involved. They are likely to be grateful to be of use and can shed some interesting light on their heyday if you’ve chosen their era!

Live Music. Think about including Live music. Your vintage theme will feel more authentic with a band as opposed to a DJ. If live music is not an option why not find a DJ who specialises in playing records from a specific decade or genre.

Attention to detail. Tie in your wedding favors giving your guests a real reminder of the day. Style your hair and make-up to match your chosen era. Then you’ll not only look but also feel the part!

It’s no surprise that our two vintage inspired ranges, Vintage Floral and Vintage Garden are two of our best sellers and can be used to tie together your vintage theme from start to finish.

Here’s a list of what we find are the 7 Common Mistakes brides make when choosing and ordering their Wedding Stationery!

Not allowing enough time. Typically a stationer will need three weeks to produce your invites. You will also need up to a week to proof them and a week to write them and post them. So 6-8 weeks is ideal and on average they should be posted out 6-12 weeks before your wedding.

Not proof reading properly. Most good wedding stationers will keep an eye out for obvious typos, but it is your responsibility to check spellings of your venue, guests’ names, etc. Once you have checked and signed off you will have to pay for mistakes you may have missed in the text. Be warned, as this can be frustrating for both you and your printer and will cost you money.

Getting quantities wrong. Generally speaking you don’t need an invite for every single guest as many will be couples and families who can share an invite. Having said that, be sure to have enough spare in case you are planning to send a second wave to fill in gaps left by people not attending. You also need to allow extras for mistakes when writing them.

Not Budgeting Enough. The biggest costs for printers are design and set up time, which is why invitations sometimes appear expensive in relation to their material costs of paper and ink. Do allow 2-4% of your wedding budget to cover the true costs of your wedding stationery and be aware that the more luxurious your invites, the more they will cost. Many companies offer DIY options for handmade invitations, which can help you to stay on budget.

Poor handwriting. You may need to handwrite your invitation envelopes and items like place cards, so if you don’t have nice handwriting, or know of anyone who can help, it is worth considering a calligrapher or asking your stationer if they can do this for you.

Copying Designs. It is best not to ask a designer to copy another company’s work.  It demeans their design ability and brings bad karma to your wedding because it is essentially theft. Avoid doing this.

Remembering to Thank Guests. Remember to order thank you cards in advance of your wedding so that you can show your appreciation for guests attending and for any wedding gifts you may have received.

Schedule/Time frame: How long in advance should I order my Wedding Stationery?

Your wedding stationery can be split into 3 sections: before the day, on the day and after the day stationery.

Before the day stationery includes your wedding invitations along with save the date cards, rsvp cards, evening invitations and information cards. You should be aiming to send your wedding invitations out at least 6 – 12 weeks before your wedding day, and up to 6 months in advance if you are having an overseas wedding. You must also allow time for the choosing process including receiving samples from your favourite companies. You should ideally start choosing your wedding stationery around 6 – 9 months before your wedding date.

On the day stationery includes your order of service cards, menu cards, place cards and table plan. You should look to have your on the day stationery delivered around 1 month before your wedding date if possible, although items such as your order of service cards rely on other plans falling into place.

After the day stationery is your thank you cards. It is always advisable to order these before your wedding, and if you’re really organised you can even write them before your wedding day to give yourself one less thing to think about after!

Where to start:

The internet is the first starting place but with so many companies vying for your attention we advise honing your searches to be more specific, such as “luxury wedding stationery” or “pink wedding invitations”. Most couples know their colour scheme before choosing their wedding stationery and find this is the easiest way to search, but not all companies will list their stationery in this way so you may need to search for other qualities that you’re looking for.

Wedding Shows are also a good place to find some great stationers, where you get the chance to view the stationery up close and ask the suppliers any questions you have (wedding shows are a must not only for stationery but all your wedding planning needs!). Ivy Ellen recommend and exhibit at the National Wedding Shows and Designer Wedding Show.

Wedding Magazines also feature wedding stationers and you can often find some exciting designs and theme ideas to tie your wedding scheme together. Popular UK titles include Brides, Wedding Ideas and You and Your Wedding.

What should I look for when choosing my wedding stationery?

Design. Start off by looking for a design that catches your eye and you think could set the tone for your wedding. Aside from the design there are other details that set the best companies apart from the rest.

Quality. The quality of materials used has a huge impact on the feel and effect of your wedding stationery. Look for heavyweight boards along with good quality embellishments such as thick ribbons or crystals. It’s the little details that make your wedding stationery special.

Reliability. Look for a company who can deliver. A good website, coverage in wedding magazines and regular wedding show exhibitors are usually good signs that the company is dedicated to offering a professional service.

What questions should I ask suppliers?

The first question to always ask suppliers is “how soon after ordering will my stationery be delivered”. Ivy Ellen promise to deliver your stationery within 3 weeks of receiving your proof confirmation, but it is always vital to your planning to know when to expect your wedding stationery.

It is also important to ask to see samples of your stationery so you can check the quality and ensure your stationery fits in with your theme. Most stationers will send you invitation samples for free, or for a nominal fee.

Who are Ivy Ellen’s favourite wedding stationers?

Here at Ivy Ellen we love design led stationery and work tirelessly to offer the best designs around. If you can’t find what you want from us please do tell us what you would like to see. If you still feel you would like something else, here are a few of our favourite luxury wedding stationery companies:

Chartula Studio use exquisite laser cutting techniques to produce elegant eye catching stationery.

Louise Richardson offers a bespoke service and uses beautiful boards and expert printing techniques to produce stunning stationery exclusively for your special day.

If you’re looking for design led letterpress stationery then look no further than Hello Lucky! Using their own authentic presses they create some of the best letterpress stationery this side of the Atlantic (and you can also buy their invites in the states).

What are the main points to remember?

• Try to avoid general web searches like “wedding invitations” and be more specific to what you are looking for.
• Order samples to check the quality and feel of the stationery before committing to buying.
• Order your wedding invitations between 6 – 9 months prior to your wedding date to allow enough time for your guests to rsvp.
• Delivery times are usually from proof confirmation, so the sooner you check and return your proof, the sooner you will receive your stationery.

Glossary

Board
Papers your stationery items are made from.

Digital Printing
Digital printing is a modern printing technique that does not involve physical printing plates and is perfect for personalised designs.

Foiling
Foiling is a specialised finishing process that uses specially made ¼ inch thick metal die (or printing block) on a hot press to transfer gorgeous foil text onto your wedding stationery, making it unique and totally stunning.

FSC Accredited
The FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council and FSC accredited boards are those sourced from sustainable rainforests where 3 to 4 trees are planted for each tree cut down.

GSM
Often used as a measure of quality, GSM stands for grams per square metre and refers to the weight of a board. Anything over 300gsm is a good quality board, and all of our boards are 350gsm.

Litho Printing
Litho printing (or lithography) is a specialist printing technique that involves a plate pressing oiled colours onto a board to print a design.

Letterpress
A letterpress is a traditional printing machine that presses paper onto a raised, inked printing block to produce an image.