Building a Wedding Stationery Wardrobe (Part 2)

Last week we covered a couples' stationery needs before the event through to the end of the ceremony. Next up, the reception!

Menus: A menu is a nice touch, can accent your place setting, and serve double-duty. Here at Bride Design we often creatively include a menu with the table number or escort card. Sharing a printed menu with your guests can be helpful at a buffet or full-service seated dinner event and gets guests excited about what is to come! They're also a great way to showcase all that effort you put in to choosing the perfect dishes for your guests.

Escort Cards and Table Numbers/Names: Most weddings we work with at Bride Design have assigned seating, and escort cards are the perfect way to get your guests from the cocktail hour to their seats in an orderly (and fashionable) manner. Escort cards are usually placed in a central location in alphabetical order and each card contains the guests names and what table name or number they'll be sitting at. Besides having tented escort cards or flat cards in envelopes displayed on a table, we've helped couples work with their florist to create an escort card tree. You can also pin them on boards or display them on moss or beds of wheatgrass...perfect for those summer weddings! Table names and numbers are also another place where you can get creative. For names you can choose places you've lived or have traveled to, your favorite marriage related words (Love, Joy, Friendship, Happiness), or variations on your theme and venue. For example, if your wedding is at a vineyard, name your tables "Shiraz," "Pinot Gris," and "Merlot."

Signage, Favor Tags, and "In Lieu of Favors" Cards: Help guests easily navigate their way through the event you have planned with effective signage. Favor tags (which can also double as escort cards in some cases) assist guests in locating their favor or can contain a simple message of thanks for their part in your wedding. A more recent wedding trend is to eliminate favors and instead give the money that would be spent towards that expense to a charitable cause. "In Lieu of Favors" cards can be placed at guests' seats individually, or a few larger signs can be scattered at strategic places throughout the venue (bar, coat check, escort card table etc.) and let guests know that you've made a donation to a specific charity and why that cause is important to you.

Guest Book or Guest book Alternative: Guest Book" options are endless as we covered in this post on Bride Design's own "Make-a-Wish, Take-a-Wish Kits."
Besides a traditional hand-bound guest books, brides are often choosing personalized trays that can be used for future entertaining, a photo mat guests can sign that will surround a picture of the couple and displayed in their new home, and the list goes on...

Thank You Notes: These are a must-have and are always a huge hit when they include a picture of the couple or further expand upon the couples' theme.

Stationery choices may seem limitless, but shouldn't be overwhelming. Find a stationer you connect with and whose work you love and I think you'll find creating a wedding stationery wardrobe a fun and rewarding process!

Erin Mckenna Nowak
Owner and Principal Designer
Bride Design