Do you need to send save the date cards

Whether you send save the date cards is a completely personal decision. Whilst they aren’t essential, they do provide an exciting opportunity to set the tone for your wedding and offer a first look for your guests. You can include custom watercolour artwork of your flowers, venue or even your dogs to make the cards extra special. And let’s be honest, it’s always lovely to receive something beautiful through the post.

I’d recommend sending save the date cards out about 12 months before your wedding date. Typically a save the date card will include the name of the couple to be married, the date and location. This provides guests with enough details to ensure they can take leave from work and make travel arrangements. I always recommend adding ‘formal invitation to follow’ at the bottom of your save the date cards, then guests will know more details will be provided closer to the celebrations.

If you are getting married abroad, I would suggest sending save the date cards out as early as 18 months before your wedding date. As well as the details listed above, consider creating a wedding website and including the link. This enables you to provide guests with a large volume of information without overloading the text on your save the date cards.

Watercolour wedding crests

A custom watercolour wedding crest is a personalised monogram that represents you as a couple. You can include artwork that reflects your love story and wedding day to ensure the design is completely unique. Whether you’d like something minimal, with a focus on beautiful hand painted lettering, or something more maximalist with paintings of your house, pets, favourite hobbies or even drinks, we can design something that reflects your personality.

A watercolour wedding crest isn’t just for your invitations. They look beautiful on wedding websites, envelope liners, welcome signs, seating charts, napkins, stir sticks and menus - the possibilities are endless! After the wedding they can be printed onto cards, envelopes or letterhead paper that can be sent as thank you notes following your celebrations. See them as an investment in your own personal stationery brand that can be used for years to come!

When I designed the custom wedding crest in the image above we stuck to a maritime palette of blue and white to reference the venue’s location on the bank of the river Thames. We included hand painted oysters amongst traditional floral details as a subtle nod to the ‘The Oyster Shed’, which was the restaurant where the wedding breakfast was held. To finish we added the wedding date on a banner across the bottom.

If you’d like to talk more about custom wedding crests then I’d love to hear from you! Just get in touch using the contact form and I’ll get back to you asap.

Do you need an order of service

Whether or not you need an order of service really depends on the type of ceremony you are planning. If you are having a traditional church service with congregation participation and hymns then you’ll probably need one. It will guide guests through the ceremony, prompt them when to join in and provide them with the words to hymns and prayers. It’s not essential to provide each guest with an individual order of service and perfectly acceptable to share one between two.

If you are having a more informal ceremony, perhaps in a hotel or outdoors, then an order of service it less essential. If you have readings or songs you’d like your guests to partake in then I’d recommend providing them with a card that has the words/lyrics on. You can always ask your celebrant to inform guests when their participation is required.

Your order of service does make a lovely keepsake after your wedding day and can provide a beautiful reminder of your ceremony in years to come. If you do opt for one, see it as an opportunity to further personalise your wedding day. Including a painting of the church and floral details that match your bouquet is a lovely touch. If you have an extra page at the back of the booklet to fill, you could include a thank you note to your guests or words from your favourite song, book or poem.

If you decide to have an order of service on your wedding day I’d recommend you reach out to your stationer as early as possible. They can take a little while to design and you’ll also need to factor in time for your priest or celebrant to sign everything off prior to printing.

If you have any questions at all, or would like to see some sample formats just get in touch and I’d be happy to help.

How to word adult only wedding invitations

Wording adult only wedding invitations can be a delicate matter, understandably you don’t want to upset any of your friends and family who have children. If you have decided you want an adults only wedding then try to set the tone from the very beginning and address your save the date cards and invitations accordingly. There are a number of ways this information can be phrased sensitively and I’ve included some wording suggestions below, along with some tips on how to manage guest expectations:

We are very sorry, but due to restrictions at our venue, we can only accommodate children of close family members and those travelling overseas.

I like this wording a lot, it’s succinct and offers a very valid reason for having adults only. It also explains that any children in attendance are either close family members or have traveled from abroad. This prevents anyone from wondering why some children are there and others aren’t.

In order to allow all guests, including parents, an evening of relaxation we have chosen for our wedding day to be an adult only occasion. We hope this advance notice means you are still able to share our big day and will enjoy having the evening off.

This adult only wording is definitely parent friendly. It subtly acknowledges the time required to make childcare arrangements whilst clearly communicating the desire for adult guests to attend.

If you are only inviting children of close family, or those who are travelling from overseas, you may want to reach out to them before mailing your invitations to confirm this. This will prevent them from receiving your invitation and assuming that their children aren’t invited. Foreseeing problems such as this and addressing them before they occur is the best possible way to plan a stress free wedding.

How to create a wedding seating plan

Before you start …

1. Contact your venue to check the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table. They may also have some layout options that work particularly well for your space.

2. Get some post it notes and write all of your guests names on them, not forgetting any little ones still in highchairs. This will make it easy to move people about and explore different layouts.

3. Get creative to map out your wedding seating plan. You could use plates or chopping boards from the kitchen (depending on whether you are having round or trestle style tables) and stick post it notes around them. Or grab a big piece of paper and get sketching!

The process …

1. Decide where you and your partner will sit. It’s your wedding, what will make you the happiest? A sweetheart table for 2, a traditional top table surrounded by your closest family, or perhaps you want to be seated with friends from your bridal party.

2. Once you have decided where you will sit, think about your parents. Traditionally they would sit either side of the newly married couple, but modern family dynamics mean this isn’t always possible. If you decide not to seat your parents next to you, or you have larger blended families, choose a table close to you to signify their importance on the day.

3. Next consider your immediate family such as siblings, or aunts and uncles who you are really close with. Some may be seated on a top table, others on a table nearby to ensure they have a good view and will comfortably hear the speeches.

4. Then you can think about your bridal party. Depending on size they may have a table to themselves, or may be seated across the top table and another close by.

5. Time to think about seating your friends, which is hopefully the fun part! It can be helpful to batch your friends into different groups such as school, uni and work. Try to ensure everyone knows at least one other person on their table and have fun imagining who will get along with who.

6. Extended family and parents friends. These may be the people you are least close to so it would be fair to seat them furthest from the top table. Your venue will help to ensure that everyone has a great view and can hear the speeches so don’t worry too much!

7. You could consider a kids table, depending on the age of the children. Although you’ll need to weigh up whether this will be a fun way to keep them occupied or whether things could quickly descend into chaos. If you do opt for a kids table, try to sit at least some of the parents close by so they can keep an eye out and prevent things from becoming too rowdy.

The presentation …

Once you have mapped out where all of your guests will sit you’ll need to decide how to communicate these details. Generally couples go for one of three options:

1. An illustrated seating chart with guest names positioned around tables. Typically A1 in size, either landscape or portrait.

2. Individual table cards with a list of guest names. Typically A5 in size, but can be made to any custom size/shape.

3. An alphabetical seating chart with a list of guest names that each correspond to a number. The number can then be located on an adjacent diagram. Typically A1 in size, usually portrait.

The primary purpose of a wedding seating plan is to help guests find their seats, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. This is a great opportunity to add personal details such as floral artwork that matches your invitations, custom wedding crests or even pet portraits!

What to include on your wedding RSVP cards

Clients often ask what to include on their wedding RSVP cards and whilst their primary function is to communicate who is attending the celebrations, there’s definitely room for a little creativity! I’ve put together a list of suggestions if you are struggling for ideas:

1. Name(s)

   It’s really important that you leave a blank line for guests to write their name(s). Be sure to copy these details exactly when compiling lists for seating charts to ensure spellings are all correct.

   If you are super organised then create a spread sheet with the names of everyone who you’ve invited and write corresponding numbers in pencil on the bottom corner of your RSVP cards. That way if someone replies without writing their name(s) you’ll still know who it is.

2. Accepts / Declines

   Most couples opt for a tick box or delete as appropriate format for this information. Traditionally this would be written as; accepts with pleasure, declines with regret, but if you are having a more casual wedding there’s an opportunity to personalise the language to better reflects you as a couple.

3. Dietary Requirements

   Another essential piece of information for your RSVP cards. Be sure to communicate this to your caterers and remember they may need a paper copy of your seating chart indicating dietary requirements to ensure everyone receives the correct meal.

4. RSVP deadline

   This needs to be clearly visible to ensure everyone gets back to you on time. I’d recommend giving guests at least a month to rsvp to your invitation, so bear this in mind when deciding on the date you will mail your invites. If you need help with your dates take a look at my Stationery Timeline.

5. How to RSVP

   Guests typically rsvp by mail, phone, email or wedding website. Be sure to include these details and if you are asking guests to mail their rsvp remember to include a self addressed envelope - a stamp is a nice touch if your budget allows.

   Now for the more light hearted suggestions …

6. Favourite Song

   Often written as, I \ We’ll dance if you play … This is a fun way to plan the music for your evening reception and ensures everyone is on the dance floor!

7. Advice for the married couple

   This can be fun for you to read in private, or you can give the cards to your best man/woman so that the most heartwarming/funniest advice can be read out during the speeches.

How to address your wedding invitations

You have probably spent some time finalising your guest list and might now be wondering how to address your invitations. It’s important to be clear who is invited to your wedding when addressing your invitations, as guests don’t want to have to contact you to clarify. Below I have listed a few ways you can ensure there’s no confusion:

1. Personalise each invitation with the name of the guest(s) invited. These details can be supplied in a spreadsheet to your stationer and names directly printed onto individual invitations. Alternatively you can print a blank line, onto which guests names can be handwritten. If you go for this option just make sure there is enough space and that you practice your handwriting, or better yet treat yourself to a calligraphy class!

2. Personalise each envelope with the name and address of the guest(s) invited. Again details can be supplied to your stationer and printed directly onto the envelopes, or you can hand address them. If you hand address them be sure to order a few extra envelopes to practice on and invest in a beautiful new pen - I love a Kaweco fountain pen and they have a beautiful range of coloured inks.

3. If you are having an adult only wedding I highly recommend including a few lines on your details card to highlight this. It leaves no room for confusion and ensures you won’t have any unexpected guests on the day. Take a look at my guide to wording your wedding invitations for examples on how this can be written without offending any parents.

4. If you are allowing single guests to invite a plus one, address the invitation to their name and guest. Don’t forget to confirm the name(s) of any plus ones ahead of the wedding day to ensure that your seating chart and place name cards have everyone’s name. It’s much more welcoming than writing guest of …

Hopefully these tips will help you when addressing your wedding invitations. Whether you are going to digitally print or hand write details, I recommend starting to collect guest names and addresses as soon as possible as the process can take longer than you think.

How many wedding invitations to order

Many of my clients ask me how many wedding invitations they should order, so I thought I would share my advice and tips to ensure you have just the right amount!

When placing your initial order for wedding stationery it’s important to get the quantity right as most designers work with commercial printers and it can be costly to re-print a few extras. Here are a few things to consider to help you reach the right number for you:

1. Remember that you send one invitation per household, rather than per guest. So if you are inviting a couple and their children this would count as a single invitation.

   There are a few exceptions to this general rule, for example if you are inviting an adult couple and their parents who all reside at the same address, you may wish to send one invitation to the parents and another to the couple. If you are inviting 2 single guests who reside at the same address I would recommend sending them an invitation each.

2. Consider ordering at least 5 extra sets of invitations. This should cover you in case any go missing in the post and if anyone from your initial guest list is unable to attend and you want to invite someone in their place.

   If you are mailing lots of invitations overseas, increase to 10 extra invitations to account for any that may be lost in transit.

3. Order a set of invitations for you photographer and send them ahead of the wedding day. This will give your photographer time to style a flat lay of your invitation suite and capture all of the beautiful details.

4. Don’t forget to order an extra set of invitations for yourselves! This can be the start of a wedding keepsake box full of beautiful memories which you can look back on. You can add anniversary cards each year, special photographs and dried flowers from your bouquet and button holes.

Hopefully this helps you order just the right number of invitations. If you decide to work with me as your wedding stationer I can always print extras if any mishaps occur, so don’t stress, sit back with a glass of Prosecco and enjoy the design process!

A BRAND NEW LOOK

It has been more than a little while since I posted on this blog, but I’m so happy to be writing again. I recently had a new set of brand and portfolio photographs taken and it’s inspired me to reconnect with my blog.

A lot has changed since I last wrote on here … I now specialise exclusively in fully custom wedding stationery, which means that I get to spend all of my time painting and creating even more personal designs. I’m excited to share my new work and talk you through all of the tiny thoughtful details in the coming weeks and months. A special shout out to my brand photographer, Helen Langdale, who has taken the most amazing images!

Speak soon, Kate x

ENCHANT YOUR GUESTS WITH A WATERCOLOUR WEDDING MAP

There is something quite magical about hand painted maps. They remind me of long summers spent reading Gulliver’s Travels and Where The Wild Things Are and will always hold a promise of adventure and buried treasure. They stir excitement for the journey that lies ahead and build anticipation for the final destination. What better way to enchant your guests than with a watercolour wedding map leading them to your celebrations.

The most important thing to consider when designing your watercolour wedding map is where your guests are coming from:

• If they are local to your region then a map focusing on the area directly surrounding your venue would be appropriate. You could include local landmarks and accommodation.

• Perhaps guests are attending from different cities, in which case you could choose iconic landmarks (e.g. Big Ben, Bristol Suspension Bridge, or the Angel of the North) and link these to your venue, indicating major roads.

• Maybe your guests are travelling globally to celebrate with you and if so you could adopt a world map approach and incorporate capital city skylines and flight paths.

After deciding on the geographical locations it’s time to think about adding playful details to enhance the narrative quality of your wedding map. Animals and transport are great ways to do this and I’ve outlined some suggestions below:

• rural map details: farmyard animals such as sheep and cows, local bird species, tractors

• coastal map details: marine animals such as dolphins and whales, shells, costal birds such as puffins, boats, submarines

• city map details: iconic buildings, taxi cabs, transport such as London Underground or the Subway

• details for any location: hot air balloon, zeppelin airship, compass, chart instruments

If you’d like to commission a watercolour wedding map or have any questions at all I’d love to hear from you! Click here to contact me.

WEDDING INVITATION WORDING

Your wedding invitation wording should reflect you as a couple and help set the tone for the style of wedding you are having, whether it is an informal and relaxed day, a party-filled festival, or an elegant formal occasion. You’ll need to make sure your guests have all of the practical information they need, but some sensitive subjects can also come up. For example, it can be difficult to know how to ask for monetary donations instead of gifts, or perhaps your wedding will be an adult only affair and you want some advice on how to communicate this to your guests.

I’ve put together a detailed guide to wedding invitation wording which you can read here and outlined some examples below:

YOUR WEDDING STATIONERY TIMELINE

There’s a lot to organise when planning a wedding so I thought I’d put together a guide to walk you through the stationery timeline! For a free printable version with extra details and a checklist click here.

12 Months

If you are planning on working with a wedding stationery designer now is the perfect time to get in touch to book your date. This is especially important if you want to commission bespoke artwork such as a venue illustration or wedding map. I only take on 3 bespoke clients each month of the year to ensure I can provide an excellent service so it’s good to get in touch once you’ve booked your venue to secure the date!

10 Months

Now is the time to start looking at Save The Date cards and invitations and ordering samples. I’d always recommend ordering samples before placing your order to ensure that the printed product is just as beautiful as the online images.

8-9 Months

Send our your Save The Date cards! Don’t forget to factor shipping costs into your budget a small first class stamp is 72p and second class is 65p.

4-5 Months

Send our your wedding invitations! If you’re working with a stationer don’t forget there could be a few rounds of revisions to ensure everything is perfect before the invitations are printed.

2-3 Months

Order any on the day stationery you need such as; orders of service, signage, seating plans, table numbers, place name cards, menus. This is also a good time to review your RSVPs and send out any second wave invitations.

After the big day

Send out your thank you cards!

HARMONY IN THE HOME

We’re all staying indoors at the moment and our homes have taken on a new importance as the place we sleep, eat, work, teach and relax. It’s the perfect time to think about small changes we can make to improve our internal and external spaces so I’ve come up with some ideas for you!

1. Treat yourself to some air purifying plants. Aloe Vera, Bamboo and Rubber plants are just a few which are proven to enhance the quality of air in our homes. Check out Forest London for a beautifully curated selection - they’re delivering nationwide.

2. Revamp your walls with some new art prints. There is currently 30% off prints when you order 3 or more from my Etsy Store, here are some of my favourites:

3. Invest in some healing crystals to impact your health and wellbeing. Life Rocks have developed an amazing copper water bottle that is infused with crystal energy so that people “can bin plastic and benefit from the vibrational healing powers of crystals all day long while also staying hydrated”. I have the Energy and Clarity one and it is honestly one of my most favourite possessions.

4. Check out these amazing instagram accounts for inspiration on colour, texture and interior styling: @jade.doutch @roundatnumber51 @mygreyplace @lifewithholy @littlehouseinlondon @tthesebeautofulthings @harrison_nate_and_me @dougsdigs @ann.living @arle_house

5. Read ‘Happy Inside’, an inspiring book written by Michelle Ogundehin that’s designed to change the way we think about home making and our environment. She identifies 9 steps to achieving harmony and balance, “A home that actively supports your wellbeing is a game changer, your secret super power in today’s profoundly unpredictable world”.

STAYING HOME + KEEPING BUSY

I thought I would share some ideas with you on how to keep busy whilst staying at home!

1. Support independent designers and creatives by shopping locally. You can do this online through platforms such as Etsy or Instagram, some of my favourite suppliers are Mr Studio London who sell beautiful botanical art prints and Octo London who produce natural soy candles (the eucalyptus and peppermint is heavenly!)

2. Stay connected. There’s nothing quite like getting an actual card through your letterbox with a handwritten note. Once opened the card makes it way to the mantle place or a nearby shelf and serves as a tangible reminder that we care. Check out my cute new Easter card collection over on Etsy!

3. Get creative. There are some amazing online courses and with a little more time on our hands than usual it’s the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill and invest some time in ourselves. Artisaire have produced a stunning digital care package which is absolutely free and includes workshops on meditation, inspirational affirmations, mindful painting and colouring and a 5 day gratitude challenge.

If you can afford to be a little more indulgent then I’d definitely recommend ordering a calligraphy starter kit from Written Word Calligraphy. They are based in Canada, so the package may take a little longer to arrive but when it does it is likely to be the most beautiful thing you’ve received all year!

Skillshare are also offering a 2 month free trial where you can take online classes in illustration, photography and design.

4. Pamper yourself. There are some amazing home beauty treatments out there and it’s a great way to give yourself a boost. If you are based in the USA check out Good JuJu Herbal, who produce everything from mineral-rich Rose Clay Geranium Facemasks to vegan skincare kits. If you’re looking for European suppliers check out Evolve Organic Beauty, who use natural sugar and fruit extracts to produce Tropical Blossom Body Polish and African Orange Body Wash.

5. Exercise. We all know that releasing endorphins makes us feel good so take this opportunity to enhance your physical health and mental wellbeing through yoga, meditation and Pilates. Glo are currently offering a free trial and will help you design a yoga programme to exercise both mind and body.

BUSINESS AS [UN] USUAL

I had intended to write my second blog post as a guide to ordering wedding stationery, but in these uncertain times I wanted to reach out to all of the couples who are feeling anxious about whether their weddings will go ahead as planned. After spending months, if not years, planning your wedding the prospect of rescheduling it must be so upsetting. But when the worst passes, which it eventually will, there is nothing that can raise spirits quite like a wedding with promises of love, hope and happiness.

For those of you who have confirmed that your wedding will be rescheduled I have designed some free announcement cards, which can be digitally edited and printed (A6) or sent via email to keep your guests informed. If you are still uncertain whether your wedding will go ahead as planned I have designed some posts which can be shared on social media to let your guests know that you’ll be in touch as soon as you have further details. To access these free designs you can subscribe to my email list or if you’d like a more personalised version email me at studio@katehalldesign.co.uk

If you have revised your guest list and require last minute seating plans and place name cards please don’t hesitate to get in touch and I will do my best to help. If some of your guests aren’t able to be there we can work together to design your very own wedding magazine, which you can share digitally with friends and family.  We can include a photographic timeline of the day, quotes from the speeches and even a playlist so that guests can celebrate your marriage from afar. 

Whatever you’re planning I’m here to help. Sending love from my heart to yours

Kate

x x

p.s. if you’re working from home and find you have more spare time than usual I can’t recommend painting enough – it’s amazingly therapeutic! 

HOW I STARTED MY BOTANICAL STATIONERY BUSINESS

I have always loved drawing and painting and most of my childhood memories involve paintbrushes, pencils and crayons. My mum used to buy lining paper by the roll, as I never seemed to have enough paper! School textbooks quickly became filled with floral illustrations instead of arithmetic and I think I knew from about 6 years old that my future would be in the creative arts.  

I started Kate Hall Design around 18 months ago after attending my brother’s wedding, where he’d asked me to illustrate some botanical chalkboard signs. While I was working on them my husband looked over at me and said

“Kate (sigh and pause for dramatic effect), you never look happier or more peaceful than when you’re drawing”.

He returned to his large glass of red wine, while I couldn’t stop thinking about his observation. A few days after the wedding in the picturesque French village of Brantome I decided it was time for a career change. 

My love of watercolour florals seemed a perfect fit for botanical wedding stationery and I loved the idea of creating something that would represent such a special moment in people’s lives. I spent the next few months painting in the evenings and at weekends to create the artwork that would feature in my first collection. Many, many, hours of Photoshopping later and the post-man cheerily delivered my first printed invitations. I probably looked at them for at least a week, in disbelief that I had actually created them. That feeling was pretty amazing, but it paled in comparison to my first Etsy order, which had me dancing around the house for about an hour. 

I have since designed more botanical wedding invitation suites and added cards, prints and gift-wrap to the collection. At the beginning of the year I took the decision to leave my job and focus full time on my botanical wedding stationery business. I am now working from my studio in Yorkshire with my French Bulldog Mabel at my feet. She is definitely living her best life!

The start of this new chapter seems like the perfect opportunity to introduce myself and share my story. I hope to use this blog to give insight into the design process and help you plan your wedding stationery, from botanical save the dates and invitations, all the way through to your on the day essentials. To keep up to date on my latest collections, special offers and favourite suppliers you can also subscribe to my mailing list.