Your invitations are in the mail, and now it’s time to start thinking about day of stationery.  If you’re wondering what day of stationery is, you aren’t alone.  In short, it’s the paper goods that you’ll be using on the day of your wedding.  Think menus, programs, place cards, table numbers and more — literally any paper good that you’ll be using the day of the actual wedding.

Despite how easy this sounds, there are a lot of questions that come along with ordering day of stationery:

• What pieces do I actually need?
• How many pieces should I order?
• When do I need to order my day of stationery?
• How much is this going to cost me?!

I create menus, programs, place cards and more to match and compliment your wedding invitation design.  I love branding weddings from top to bottom and getting super creative with day of stationery.

 

Ceremony Programs

Programs are a must-have if you’re having a Catholic ceremony or a mixed-faith ceremony.  Programs provide a lot of uses for your guests:  they provide information about the wedding party and your families, the order of ceremony, and can even be a space for you to thank guests for coming to your wedding and supporting you on you wedding day.

I always recommend that you order one program per couple.  Not everyone will pick them up, including the bridal party, and it’s always nice to have a few extras for keepsakes.

Typical size of ceremony programs:  5″x7″, 4.25″x9″, 4.25″x11″, or booklet style

Dinner Menus

I absolutely love getting creative with dinner menus at each place setting!  There are so many ways to design and place a menu, and ways to make them personal.  Even with a buffet style meal, I encourage brides to consider a dinner menu card.  They add color and dimension to the table, and guests love to know what they’ll be eating.

Number of Dinner Menus needed for a Wedding Reception: One per adult guest.

Size of Dinner Menus: 3.75×9.25, 5×7, or Custom

Escort Cards/Place Cards

Escort cards tell guests which table they’re sitting at, while place cards tell guests which seat they’re sitting at.  Place cards are only necessary if you’re having assigned seating, which is necessary if you’re having a plated meal.

Escort cards can be replaced with a seating chart.  Otherwise, I always recommend a flat or tented card.  Flat cards can be tucked into floral arrangements or hung while tented cards can be displayed elaborately on a table.  Escort cards include a guests name and table number.

Place cards will have the guests name and their meal indicator.  This is so the server can quickly and silently tell which meal goes to which guest.

Number of Place Cards Needed: One per guest
Number of Escort Cards Needed: One per couple or family (assuming they’ll be seated at the same table)
Size of Flat of Folded Place/Escort Cards: 2″x3.5″ or custom

 

Signage

Depending on your individual event, each couple will require different signage.  Signage can tie the invitations and day of stationery together.

Some of the most popular signage ideas for your wedding include:

• Hashtag Sign
• Large Scale Signage – like a Welcome Sign, Ceremony Sign, Unplugged Ceremony Sign
• Signature Drink Sign
• Guestbook Sign
• Cookie Table Sign
• Bar Menu Sign

Signs can be different sizes, but if they’re going in a photo frame they are usually 5×7 or 8×10. With hashtag and bar/drink signs, you might want to order two but usually one of the remaining designs is sufficient!

Number of Signs Needed: Varies depending on logistics

 

Table Numbers

Table numbers are a must have at your wedding reception!  How else will guests know what table they’re sitting at?  I commonly see table numbers displayed in frames, but you can really get creative on how you display or print them.

We can die cut these, or print them double sided.

Number of Signs Needed: One per table at your reception

 

When to Order Day of Stationery

I recommend starting the process about four to six months in advance.  This gives us time to design and revise the pieces, with plenty of time to print them.  We can finalize a quantity after your final guest count number is in.  I recommend sending these pieces to print three weeks prior to your wedding date, but definitely no less than two weeks before in order to give ample time to print and ship to you.

How Much Does Day of Stationery Cost?

Costs for these pieces will vary greatly depending on the quantity ordered and finished size. One of the biggest questions we are asked is, “How much does day of stationery cost?”. It’s hard to give a number because it depends on so many factors: What quantity do you need?  Are you adding any embellishments, like wax seals or ribbon?  A free consultation is all that stands between you and the invitations of your dreams.

In general:

PACKAGE 2, $1300
150 tent-fold place cards
20 table numbers
3 8″x10″ signs (bar sign, cookie table sign, gift table sign)
150 double sided wedding programs
2 24″x36″ signs (welcome sign, seating chart)

PACKAGE 3, $2700
13 table numbers
1 24″x36″ welcome sign
120 wedding menus
110 scroll escort cards
1 acrylic hanging text cut out
1 angled bar menu
75 wedding programs
1 8″x10″ guest book sign