You have got the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception venue booked so what's next? Well, you are going to need some guests which means sending each one a wedding invitation. "Simple" you say, let's get online and buy some wedding invitations! Hang on what's all this? Save the date cards, reply cards, place cards, thank you cards? Wedding stationery encompasses a lot more than wedding invitations as Elaine Man from Special Day Wedding Invitations (http://www.specialdayinvitations.co.uk) explains below.

Save the date cards

These cards alert guests to your wedding date so that they "save the date". It is becoming more common for people to send a "save the date card" before sending the main wedding invitation. These are particularly useful if you are getting married at a time when people might be expected to have other commitments (i.e. Christmas and summer holidays). These cards can be sent as soon as a wedding date has been finalised (most usually when the wedding venue has been booked). As these cards do not contain a great deal of detail regarding the arrangements they can be sent out much earlier than an invitation and are typically sent about 6-8 months before the wedding. Some ranges of stationery so not explicitly include a "save the date" card however other cards in the same range (reply, thank you etc) can be used as a "save the date" card.

Wedding Day Invitations

These cards are used to invite guests to your ceremony and wedding reception and tell them where it is, when it is and what time they need to be there. It would be sensible to send out wedding invitations about 6-12 weeks prior to the wedding day to allow plenty of time for the guests to reply. The earlier people reply the earlier you will have certainty as to the number of people coming to your wedding.

Evening Invitations

These cards are used to invite guests to your wedding reception only (i.e. people you do not wish to invite to the ceremony itself) and tell them where it is, when it is and what time they need to be there. As for the day time wedding invitations the wedding evening invitation should be sent about 6-12 weeks prior to the wedding day.

Thank you cards

Thank you cards are sent out after the wedding to thank all your guests for their kind wedding gifts. We can provide a selection of different wording options for your thank you cards although many couples like to also include a hand written message in the card.

These cards can also be used to notify friends and family of a change of address if you have moved to a new address after your marriage.

Reply cards

Replay cards are issued with wedding invitations for the guests to use when replying to your invitation. Reply cards are sometimes included with wedding invitations to encourage a quick reply, this in turn allows you to finalise numbers and costs earlier on.

Place cards

Place cards are used to indicate where each guest is seated at the wedding breakfast and are used to compliment the wedding table plan. Non-personalised cards are blank whereas the personalised ones are pre printed with the names of the bride and groom together with the date of the wedding.

Menu

Menu cards are used to let your guests know what is on the menu for the wedding breakfast. This will include not only what food will be served but also the timing of speeches and toasts. It is advisable to check with your wedding venue before ordering your menu cards to check that it accords with their understanding of the menu.