Desperately Seeking Stationery - E.Y.i. Love to the Rescue!
Today we have not one but two special treats for all you lovely Most Curious readers! First, our Most Curious 2018 Show Sponsors, the fabulous E.Y.i. Love Stationery, have solved all your stationery planning woes by preparing this incredibly helpful timeline to make sure all your stationery needs, both before and after the wedding, are covered in plenty of time.
Second, they have an exclusive offer of FREE Thank You Cards for Most Curious couples whose order is is placed with them before 31st August 2018 and is over the value of £350. All you need to do to avail of this fantastic offer is pick one of their dreamy and swoonworthy stationery collections for your big day and, when placing your order, make sure you quote TYMOSTCURIOUS, it's that simple!
Now, over to the very lovely Lyndsey as she guides you through your stationery planning timeline...
"As Summer dances on, and our studio becomes ever more energised with all sorts of incredible orders flooding in and out, we can definitely say we are in the midst of midsummer wedding season chaos (organised chaos, I must add).
When selecting a topic to blog about, as per usual, I looked to our clients, and after having received a somewhat frantic Facebook message from a lovely client fearing she’d left it too late to send out EYiLove invitations for her impending August wedding, my mind was made up. Desperately seeking stationery - the time honoured terror of leaving it to the last minute seemed to be the most fitting option.
You’ve booked your venue, sampled umpteen combinations of cake and may have even practiced “the walk” to your chosen tune in your kitchen. There’s just one thing left to do: invite some guests. Its curiously comical how often couples forget this vital element of their big day, but in today’s ever busier society, its so very easy to overlook this key aspect. As such, we thought we would propose a timeline, to help those in the throngs of the planning panic know when is best to inform your guests they’ve got a golden ticket to your big day.
As with all things wedding related, these guidelines are not set in stone and if you are anything like me - the creativity takes over but the organisation and spreadsheets (served with a healthy heaping of procrastination) aren’t exactly my best friend. We thought however, that this piece may prove a useful tool for those who are time poor and idea rich to understand how allowing for some expert help can most definitely alleviate any unnecessary paper-based woes.
The 12 month mark
I know, it still feels an age away, even though the year to go announcement on your phone’s countdown gives you slight palpitations. You have hit the 365 day milestone - cue some serious internet trawling for inspiration. We recommend considering the kind of aesthetic you are aiming for on your big day and seek out companies whose design ethos aligns with your ideas. There are so many styles available, each as individual as the couple who creates them, so a head start on who and what you are looking for will prove infinitely useful later on in the process.
It can also be about finding a company who can offer both style and substance. We love the unique blend of creativity and production prowess we can bring to a client’s ideas. Lorna’s background in textile design, with a degree from Central St Martin’s and a spell at revered Italian couture house Alberta Ferretti under her belt, allows each collection we create to be heavily design driven, with inspiration adapted from many different places.
Jack, as a qualified engineer, focuses heavily on perfecting the production process, and working directly with consumers to seamlessly translate their ideas into foil. Service, above so many things in this wonderfully crazy industry, is key, and we always aim to make this process as simple and clear as possible. We know you’re busy and time is very much of the essence!
The 12 month mark is also the perfect time for those lucky couples heading oversees to get hitched to send Save the Dates. It may feel like organisational overkill, however people’s lives are busier than they ever have been and a year to plan what could be a substantial cost and time commitment around existing arrangements is becoming a bare necessity and a much appreciated consideration.
6 months to married
Invitation ordering should be next on your list of stationery musts to tick off, especially if far flung climes are calling. At this point, plans for your big day should be beginning to come together into a coherent style or theme (or perhaps your theme is to have no theme, be eclectic, that works too!) and this will then help you when making stationery decisions.
Remember that you’re telling a story, from the second that envelope arrives on the doormat of your invitees. Design elements you have chosen can truly set the scene for the style and feel of your celebrations, and guests will love to be left longing to see the bigger picture. Also, be aware that unique requests such as perspex creations, bespoke foiled illustrations or beautiful extras such as calligraphy, edge gilding and duplexing will take extra time to accomplish, so organisation is crucial at this stage!
W-day minus 3 months
As the deadline approaches, please remember to breathe. Gone is the tradition of the 8 week window for invitation posting, and many couples are favouring a slightly lengthier approach. Our clients appear overwhelmingly to be choosing to send their invitations out with around three months until I do, particularly those with a summer celebration planned.
Navigating holiday times, work commitments, childcare and other weddings is tricky (we all have that one year when every couple you have ever met decides the time for nuptials is now), so giving your guests this much forewarning is seen as something of a common courtesy. The twelve week window also leaves some wiggle room for the frantic RSVP chasing that may or may not ensue.
A month until I do
With your guest list confirmed and big day timelines worked out, wedding day items such as menus, table plans, place cards and orders of service should be your final focus. Completing the aesthetic of your ceremony and reception with well chosen and carefully considered day items can be the finishing touch which truly ties together each paper element of your celebration.
These pieces are often incredibly useful on the big day too, guiding guests from one element to the next with seamless ease and premeditated precision. We find they also make for some seriously gorgeous photos, capturing these beautiful details, cleverly created to your unique specifications.
Post Party Practicalities
After all confetti has been thrown and your freezer cleared of cake leftovers, it's time to think about sending those all important Thank You cards, signalling your appreciation of your guests and any gifts you may have received. We love this as a way to combat the post-party blues; enlist your other half, have a take away, a bottle of wine or two and reminisce on an amazing day filled with love, family and friends.
And hey, if your craving for beautiful pieces of perfect paper has not yet waned, we also recommend keeping back some of your invitations or orders of service for framing in your home, perhaps to hang alongside a meaningful print, which also make great decorations on the day too! After all, they do say the first anniversary is paper...
As a small business which lovingly hand-creates each and every piece of stationery you receive, we love to have the time to get to know our clients’ requirements, their big day plans, what their aunty Jean will be wearing and build a bigger picture of who buys into our beloved business. But please, give us a shout, whether you’re one year out or careering towards the planning finish line. If foil is your thing, craftsmanship your calling or if minimal chic lines in blissfully modern fonts get your heart racing, we’d truly love to hear from you.
We hope this timeline may help to demystify the process surrounding stationery timetabling. Nothing is impossible however, and I am delighted to assure you that our panicked client has now ordered her stationery which will no doubt be a gorgeous talking point for guests in the lead up to her big day."