Articles: family

Family celebrations - a christening, a first communion, a round anniversary, a grandparent's birthday - share one thing: there are plenty of guests, and nobody wants to spend the day explaining who sits where and what is being served. A few simple printed pieces handle that for the host.

What to prepare besides the invitation

You do not need all of it. Even two or three items change how the table looks and make the day easier to run.

• Place cards - guests' names at each setting, so seating is settled in advance.
• A table menu - one card shared between several people is plenty.
• A seating plan - useful once there are more guests and several tables.
• Thank you cards - handed out at the end, often with a small gift.
• A wishes card - somewhere guests can write a line to keep.

Keeping one style

The simplest route is to start from the invitation and carry two things across to everything else: the colour and the lettering. Then even a plain menu card looks part of a set. Choose one paper for all the small pieces, because differences in shade and texture show up far more on a table than they do on a screen.

If you are starting from scratch, write the guest list first and settle the number of tables. Only with those numbers can you sensibly decide how many place cards and menus you actually need. It is worth ordering a few spares, since guest lists tend to change in the last days before the day itself.