Wedding Stationery Guide UK
Key Takeaways
- The essential stationery items: save-the-dates, invitations + RSVP, place cards, and thank you cards
- Total stationery budget: £200-800 for 80 guests using a mix of printed and digital elements
- Order invitations 12-14 weeks before the wedding to allow for printing, addressing, and posting
- Digital invitations and RSVPs are increasingly popular and save £100-300 vs printed equivalents
- A cohesive stationery suite (matching fonts, colours, and design) ties the whole wedding together visually
Wedding stationery is the first and last tangible part of your wedding that guests touch — the invitation they open weeks before and the thank you card they receive weeks after. It sets the visual tone and provides practical information.
But you don’t need everything the stationery industry wants to sell you. This guide covers what’s essential, what’s optional, and how to create a beautiful suite without breaking the budget.
What you actually need
Essential stationery
| Item | When to Send | Cost (80 guests) | Can It Be Digital? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save-the-dates | 6-12 months before | £30-100 (printed) / £0-15 (digital) | Yes |
| Invitations | 8-12 weeks before | £80-300 | Yes (but printed is traditional) |
| RSVP cards | With the invitations | £30-80 / included with digital invite | Yes (website RSVP is easiest) |
| Place cards | On the day | £20-60 | No (physical required) |
| Thank you cards | Within 3 months after | £40-100 | Strongly recommended as printed |
Optional stationery
| Item | Purpose | Cost (80 guests) | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evening invitations | For evening-only guests | £20-60 | Yes, if you have evening guests |
| Information card | Accommodation, transport, dress code | £20-50 | Yes, for complex logistics |
| Menu cards | What’s for dinner | £20-60 | Nice touch, not essential |
| Table numbers | Identifying tables | £10-30 | Yes (or use creative alternatives) |
| Order of service | Ceremony programme | £40-160 | Yes for church with hymns |
| Seating plan board | Where guests sit | £5-50 (one display) | Yes |
Printing options
| Method | Cost Per Invite | Quality | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital printing | £0.50-1.50 | Good | Budget-friendly, fast, most weddings |
| Thermography | £1-2.50 | Very good | Raised text, looks like engraving |
| Letterpress | £2-5 | Premium | Debossed texture, artisan, luxury |
| Foil pressing | £2-4 | Premium | Metallic text (gold, silver, rose gold) |
| Engraving | £3-6 | Highest | Traditional, crisp, very formal |
| DIY printing | £0.20-0.80 | Variable | Budget, creative control |
For most weddings: Digital printing is excellent quality and the best value. Thermography adds a tactile premium for a modest uplift. Letterpress and foil are luxury options for formal weddings.
Where to order
| Option | Best For | Cost Level |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy (independent designers) | Unique designs, templates to customise | Budget-mid |
| Papier | Elegant pre-designed suites | Mid |
| Minted | Designer quality, customisable | Mid-premium |
| Vistaprint | Budget printing, fast turnaround | Budget |
| Printed.com | UK-based, good quality | Budget-mid |
| Local stationer / calligrapher | Fully bespoke, handmade | Premium |
| Canva (DIY design) + local printer | Maximum control, lowest cost | Budget |
DIY stationery
Design in Canva (free, excellent templates), then print at a local print shop or online printer.
Pros: Total creative control, very cheap (£0.20-0.50 per invite), fast iterations. Cons: Requires design skills (or patience with templates), paper quality is your responsibility, no tactile printing effects (letterpress, foil).
Tips for DIY:
- Use thick card (300gsm+) — thin paper feels cheap
- Print a test batch of 5 before committing to 100
- Cut with a guillotine, not scissors (precision matters)
- Buy matching envelopes separately (not from the printer)
Designing a cohesive suite
Choose 1-2 fonts. A display font (for names and headings) and a body font (for details). Use the same fonts across every piece of stationery.
Match your colour palette. The invitation colours should match or complement your wedding colour scheme (flowers, bridesmaid dresses, table decor).
Consistent layout. Same margins, same alignment, same design elements across save-the-dates, invitations, menus, and place cards.
Include a motif. A monogram, a botanical illustration, or a simple border that appears on every piece ties the suite together.
Timeline
| When | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 12 months before | Design the save-the-date (or choose a template) |
| 10-12 months before | Send save-the-dates |
| 6-8 months before | Design the invitation suite (invitation, RSVP, info card) |
| 14-16 weeks before | Order invitations from the printer |
| 12-14 weeks before | Receive printed invitations |
| 10-12 weeks before | Address envelopes and assemble |
| 8-10 weeks before | Post invitations |
| 4-6 weeks before | Order on-the-day stationery (place cards, menus, table numbers) |
| 2-3 weeks before | Receive on-the-day stationery, do final checks |
| Before the wedding | Order or design thank you cards |
Cost-saving tips
- Go digital for save-the-dates. Free (Canva) or cheap (Paperless Post, £15-30). Nobody frames a save-the-date.
- Online RSVP instead of reply cards. Use your wedding website. Saves printing + postage (£50-100).
- Skip the info card. Put logistics on your wedding website instead.
- DIY place cards. Print on good card, or hand-write with a nice pen. £10-20 total.
- One menu per table, not per person. Saves 80% of the printing cost.
- Canva + local printer. Design for free, print affordably.
Further reading
- Wedding Invitation Wording — wording templates
- RSVP Wording — reply card templates
- Evening Invitation Wording — evening guest templates
- How to Address Invitations — envelope etiquette
- Order of Service — ceremony programme guide
- Wedding Stationery on Weddings Hub — find stationers in your area
Frequently Asked Questions
What wedding stationery do I need?
Essential: save-the-dates (6-12 months before), invitations with RSVP (8-12 weeks before), place cards (day of), and thank you cards (after the wedding). Optional: evening invitations, information cards, menus, table numbers, order of service, and a seating plan display. Most couples skip some of the optional items.
How much does wedding stationery cost?
Wedding stationery costs £200-800 for 80 guests. Save-the-dates: £30-100. Invitations + RSVP: £80-300. Place cards: £20-60. Thank you cards: £40-100. Menus: £20-60. Table numbers: £10-30. Going fully digital for save-the-dates and RSVPs saves £100-300.
When should I order wedding stationery?
Save-the-dates: 8-12 months before. Invitations: 14-16 weeks before (to allow 2-3 weeks for printing, 1-2 weeks for addressing, and 8-12 weeks before the wedding for posting). On-the-day stationery (place cards, menus): 4-6 weeks before.
Should I use printed or digital wedding invitations?
Both are acceptable. Printed invitations feel more formal and become keepsakes. Digital invitations are faster, cheaper (often free), and eco-friendly. Many couples use digital save-the-dates and printed invitations — the best of both worlds. For formal weddings, printed is still the expectation.