For your wedding, the stationery you choose will say everything about you two and your special day.

If that sounds like a lot of pressure, our wedding stationery checklist is here to take the heat off you! This in-depth guide will help you select and personalize wedding stationery within your budget that you’ll cherish forever.

We’re covering all things wedding stationery for every event from your engagement to your big day:

• Wedding Stationery Suite 101
• Timing to send wedding stationery
• Printed and mailed invites and electronic invites
• When a “Save the Date” is essential
• Pre-wedding events (there’s a lot to cover here!)
• Wedding day stationery (your ceremony, reception, and thank-yous).

Are you ready? Let’s get into wedding stationery!

What Is a Wedding Stationery Suite?

The better question is, what does your wedding stationery suite look like and say?

To answer that question, you two can do some quick and easy brainstorming about what info you want your guests to have (i.e., a destination wedding usually includes a welcome party at the resort, and you’ll want to tell your guests about that!).

I’ll go through all the traditional items included in a wedding stationery suite. I’ll also discuss:

• The best wedding invitation suite bundles for your dollar
• Special stationery items to include in your wedding
• How a wedding website comes in handy

Wedding Stationery Suite Tips: You can save on printed wedding stationery costs by ordering a printable invitation digital kit or suite online, editing and printing your invites at home, or using a business like the FedEx Office wedding service.

Time Your Wedding Stationery Perfectly

I went to the experts at brides.com for a timeline on sending wedding day stationery. This schedule works best if you’re getting married in your hometown or nearby.

Here’s the rundown for your big day (and maybe the evening before!):

• Send wedding invitations to international guests 3 months before your wedding day.
• Send wedding invitations to guests within your country 2 months before.
• If you’re inviting guests to a formal rehearsal dinner, send invites one month to six weeks before.
• You’ll want to include RSVPs or an RSVP link for your guests and request their response no closer than one month before your wedding day. Check out this RSVP timing article for more great tips!
• Send your thank-yous to your wedding guests no longer than three months after your big day.

Timing Tip for Destination Couples: with air travel issues increasing, it’s important to let your guests know about your destination wedding ASAP. That’s where a “Save the Date” really comes in handy!

When a Save the Date Can Save Your Day

These days, I see so many “Save the Date” alerts for significant life events, especially weddings. So it was a surprise to discover that this practice only became mainstream about two decades ago!

Couples who choose to send out Save the Dates should do so within two months of getting engaged. However, if you’re planning a destination wedding, it’s a good idea to give your guests at least one year’s notice.

But the truth remains that a Save the Date isn’t required for wedding stationery. So is it right for you?

Here are the pros of a Save the Date:

• Save the Date electronic invitations (e-vites) are easy and economical. Keep reading for our favorite Save the Date invitations, including e-vites.
• Save the Dates are excellent for giving guests ample time to book travel and accommodation packages for a destination wedding, often at a discount for you and your guests.

If you prefer printed Save the Dates, that’s a classy move! It can significantly add to your overall wedding stationery budget to mail out Save the Dates, but it makes a memorable, lasting impression.

Here are the cons of Save the Dates:

• Because they’re sent out a year before your wedding, you’ll need to have an accurate guest list completed fast.
• You’ll need to obtain contact information to mail or email Save the Dates and ensure the physical addresses are accurate because “return to sender” envelopes will also increase your budget to resend.

Save the Date tip: TikTok videos advise using social media to send out your Save the Date via email or text blast.

Our Favorite Save the Date Selections

You can mail out Save the Dates, email, or text a digital copy of your great news, or even do a mix of both! Here are my favorites, from budget-friendly to luxury or unique.

I hope you’ll find one that speaks to you!

Make It Unforgettable

Announce the great news with this striking Save the Date in a digital format that features a special shot of you two. This budget-friendly e-vite is easy to personalize and send to your guests electronically.

A Custom Watercolor is Keepsake Art

Some couples choose wedding venues that incorporate a sit-down dinner for close friends and family, followed by a reception with dancing and a late-night buffet for a larger group of guests.

If you’re staggering your wedding guest list this way, why not choose a luxury printed Save the Date for guests invited to your ceremony dinner and dancing reception?

This stunning Save the Date features a scan of a genuine watercolor painting of your wedding venue to use on your invitations. The artist also gives you the original artwork to decorate your newlywed home together.

This Magnificent Magnet Is Sure to Please

Personalized magnets have become everything in luxury Save the Date choices. This selection is so gorgeous that it’s bound to get stuck on the fridge of every guest invited to your wedding and stay there for long afterward!

You can order your Save the Date magnet in dark cherry wood, light maple wood, or clear acrylic (acrylic invites are super-hot and trendy in modern wedding invitation suites).

Use a Throwback Photo

Set the tone for your fun and festive wedding with this unique and budget-friendly e-vite featuring childhood photos of you two (the goofier, the better!) with your Save the Date details.

Free Is Everyone’s Favorite Brand

This unique and hilarious Save the Date is available as a printed coaster or a magnet. Your guests will get a kick out of this one!

Your Pre-Wedding Stationery Checklist and Timing

You know (or you’ll find out fast!) that many celebratory events will take place to honor the two of you before your wedding. Here is what you can expect:

• Your engagement party: for a formal party, print and mail invites two to three months before, and for casual get-togethers, send e-vites about six weeks before the party.
• Bridesmaids invitations: I think a handwritten note and envelope is the best way to ask your BFFs and fam to be in your bridal party. Mail to your bridal party one month (at the latest) after your engagement.
• Bridal shower invitations: are handled by your bridal party. They can mail invitations or send e-vites for surprise showers up to three months before each shower.
• Thank-you cards for shower guests: the best bridal etiquette is mailing handwritten thank-you’s to your guests within two weeks of the shower.
• Bachelorette party: are you keeping it low-key or going big with a girl’s weekend in Vegas? E-vites are acceptable, but if you’re traveling, whoever plans this should give the bridal party a three-month notice.
• Couples events (Jack and Jill): e-vites are acceptable, and we’ll also talk about using your wedding website for these events. Try giving at least six weeks’ notice for a couples event being held one to three months before your wedding.
• Rehearsal dinner or welcome dinner: printed and mailed or e-vites are acceptable. Send within two months of your wedding day. If you’d like to save a bit on mailing costs, you can also include printed stationery for guests invited to your rehearsal dinner within their wedding invitation envelope.

Our Favorite Pre-Wedding Stationery Selections

It’s an interesting time to get married when it comes to wedding stationery. Some experts say that elegant printed invites are the way to go for your pre-wedding stationery, but e-vites are more affordable and eco-friendly.

My biggest thrill in creating these lists is giving brides as much choice as possible. So I’m including printed invites and e-vites in my favorite selections.

Let’s Toast Engagement Party (printed)

You’ll love these laser-printed invites on deluxe cardstock when you want premium quality.

Bubbles and Brews Is Too Cute (printable e-vite)

It’s a champagne and beer celebration with this adorable engagement party selection. It’s a mobile-friendly digital file, meaning you can easily edit this e-vite at home and print it out or text it to everyone’s phone.

Minimalist Chic Design for Engagement Party or Bridal Shower (e-vite)

This selection is an easy-to-edit template your bridesmaids can do online and send to party or shower guests electronically (one template per event).

Remember to include where the shower or party is, the date/time, and links to wedding registries for guests to purchase bridal gifts.

Give Them Invitations They Will Love (printed)

Ask your bridal party to join you on this ride with sweet “will you” cards that have plenty of room for your special handwritten message inside. The multiple color choices for envelopes are great too!

Mail Them a Golden Thank You (printed)

I’ve always adored golden foil on wedding invitation stationery, but the cost of printing isn’t for the faint of heart!

If you love how gorgeous these gold on blush pink thank you notes look, they’re perfect for sending your handwritten thank-yous to shower guests.

Get Ready for Neon Nights (e-vite)

This mobile-friendly choice is on-trend, and your squad will appreciate receiving the bachelorette party deets via text.

Calling All Couples (printable e-vites)

I love this choice with the goofy kid pics! You can easily edit and send this template electronically to couples you’re inviting to a shower or a Jack and Jill night.

Dinner or Party the Night Before (printed or printable)

The vendor will print your rehearsal party invites for you or send you a digital file to DIY. You can customize or change the wording, but always include the date and time, venue name and address, and where your guests should RSVP.

How To Save on Your Wedding Stationery Suite

Do you want a premium wedding invitation printed in a golden font on deckled paper with a wax seal and a silky bellyband? It’s super-deluxe: check it out here.

Other stunning stationery options for your wedding invitation, RSVP, and details card (directions and accommodation info) include this gorgeous plexiglass selection with your picture printed front and center.

But for most couples, a budget is at the top of their wedding stationery checklist, and the best way to save on your wedding stationery is with a bundle. These beautiful wedding stationery suites include everything you’ll need for your wedding day and afterward!

Your Kate Collection Wedding Stationery Bundle

With thousands of 5-star reviews for this stationery vendor, you can trust that your wedding stationery bundle will meet your every expectation.

Remember: you’ll need cardstock quality paper to print these stationery items, mailing envelopes, stamps, and return envelopes.

Available as a digital download (with instructions included), you can customize it with text and colors and print or get printed to mail to your guests. This wedding stationery bundle contains the following templates:

• A Save the Date printable invitation or e-vite.
• Your wedding invitation set (here’s what to put on your wedding invitation).
• Your wedding program (here’s what to put on your wedding program).
• Reserved signs for parking, Wedding Welcome sign, In Loving Memory sign, Precaution signs (i.e., Covid).
• Reception Timeline chart
• Reception seating chart and Table numbers
• Reception menu card
• Drinks (wine, cocktails, tabletop) signs, Cards & Gifts signs
• Customizable Vertical and Horizontal signs for buffet food items
• Thank you cards

All these items are available separately, and while they’re already priced affordably, you’ll save several hundred dollars when purchasing the wedding stationery bundle!

Beautiful Blue Bundle for Your Wedding Ceremony

If you decide to get your wedding stationery suite printed affordably through FedEx or Kinko’s, this fully customizable bundle is available in an easy-to-print JPEG format.

This bundle includes:

• Wedding Invitation (5” x 7″ or 4” x 6″ size double-sided)
• Evite
• RSVP card (5” x 3.5″ single-sided) and Details card (3.5” x 5″ single-sided)
• Wedding program (double-sided 3.75” x 9″)

You can change the fonts (size and style), keep that beautiful blue color, or change it and add your photo or even your wedding art. So make this wedding ceremony stationery bundle your own!

Special Stationery for Your Wedding

There’s no limit to the creativity of modern wedding stationery. Check out these unique stationery ideas that might be perfect for your wedding!

• A wedding stationery folder features editable templates for your invitation, details, and RSVP, with a file linking you to a printing service that sells pocket envelopes for this stylish bundle.
• A tri-fold wedding invitation template is the hottest trend going.
• An old-school boarding pass is a stationery that gets your destination wedding guests in the traveling mood!

Your wedding stationery checklist is almost complete, but I wanted to mention a few tips regarding wedding websites because a good, customized site can also save you money on wedding stationery.

A Wedding Website Really Comes in Handy

When you know how to use your wedding website to your advantage, the cost savings add up! Here’s what to know:

• Get your wedding website URL customized. It might cost a bit more, but guests won’t forget the URL, and it’s easy for them to go online and check out your site often.
• Offer email notifications. You can add or change your wedding details on your site and advise your guests in real-time. This convenience is essential with outdoor weddings if there’s inclement weather.
• Links are like gold. Your wedding site can include links to your wedding registry, local hotel booking sites, and directions between events.
• Electronic RSVP option. Offer your guests the opportunity to reply immediately to your wedding invitation on your wedding website. Even non-tech people love this idea!

I hope these tips and tricks helped you with coming up with your wedding stationery checklist. There are many great options out there when it comes to which ones to use, so make sure you pick what works for your personality!