Articles: wedding

Most of these texts circle two questions. Which style suits the celebration, and how to tell guests everything they need to know without turning an invitation into an instruction sheet. You will find comparisons of classic, modern and rustic sets, along with less usual shapes - squares, concertina folds, pocket cards and cut-out designs. There is room here for the surrounding subjects as well: music for the reception, a guest book and keepsake discs in smart packaging.

From the invitation to the whole set

The invitation usually sets the direction. Its paper, colours and lettering carry over to the rest of the stationery, so a place card on the table looks like part of the same family. Decorative papers get plenty of attention, as does personalising each card for a named guest. A QR code comes up often too, leading to the wedding page, a map and the reply form - a neat way of keeping the card itself short. Two more questions return often: whether to put a photo of the couple on the invitation, and how much text one card can carry and still read comfortably.

Before the artwork goes to print

Wording causes more corrections than pictures ever do. Go through the list calmly, with fresh eyes:

• guest names spelled correctly and checked by a second person,
• the date, the time and the addresses of both the ceremony and the reception,
• the reply deadline and how guests should get in touch,
• accommodation, transport and after-party details, kept short and separate,
• a little spare space at every edge, so trimming does not clip a frame or a line of text.

If preparations are only starting, read the piece on style and paper first. Then move on to the full stationery set - planning it once is easier than adding items in a hurry.