Wedding invitation postage is an expense that is easily underestimated or overlooked entirely.

Some couples might think they can purchase a first-class forever stamp and be good to go, but sadly, with ever-changing postage rates, that likely won’t cut it. Postage rates are based on the weight, dimensions, and thickness of the envelopes, so wedding invitations typically require more postage.

Our advice to everyone: always double check directly at your Post Office before you mail, to ensure enough postage is applied. You might order postage, apply yourself, and check when you drop them off. Or, bring a sample set for the clerk to evaluate and give you the price before you purchase. You might need to pay the oversized surcharge if you envelopes are larger than a regular greeting card.

Different post offices might also give you different answers, so best to go to the one that you plan to mail from. They will have the final say!

Vintage postage is an option too, and creates a unique first impression, but this can be an investment that adds up quickly, and it will take time to curate and assemble the right combo on each invite.

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Paying careful attention to the invitation wording and envelope addressing can help ensure your guests know who should plan to attend, and avoid any surprises on the big day!

1. Ensure your envelopes are clearly addressed to the individuals invited. For example, if you address an envelope to “The Smith Family” that implies the entire family (including any children) may attend.
3. If you are extending a plus one to some of your guests, be sure  to note that on the envelope. Their name can be listed as “Mr. Robert Smith & Guest” so it is very apparent this guest has the option to have someone accompany them.
5. Consider adding a line to the RSVP card that says “We have reserved ___ seats in your honor” so the guests know not to bring any extra people. If you are requesting an online RSVP, consider using a customized RSVP function that lists each guest’s name and does not allow them to add extra names.
7. If the wedding is adults-only, include a clear statement on the invite and website to let everyone know. Not to worry, there are very tactful ways of getting this message across! Or, consider offering childcare during the wedding for guests with little ones, which should emphasize the message, and allow parents to take the night off.
9. Consider your family and friends’ individual situations as you formulate your guest list. For example, if you are planning a destination wedding and inviting single guests, it would be considerate to offer a plus one, so no guest is expected to travel alone.

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https://www.theknot.com/real-weddings/eclectic-fashion-destination-wedding-italy-villa-lario-lake-como-album/?

The post An Eclectic, Fashion-Forward Destination Wedding at Italy’s Villa Lario in Lake Como appeared first on Momental Designs.

Most wedding programs will include the order of events during the ceremony. If you’re choosing a shorter service, a simple list would cover it. But, if you have a longer religious ceremony, it can be helpful to give guests an outline of what’s going on. This could be detailed outline of each part of the ceremony including the music choices, or a description of customs and traditions to help them feel connected.  

Beyond the ceremony outline, it’s nice to list your bridal party members, officiant, and any musicians or readers during the ceremony. Many couples choose to include a short “thank you” to guests, for making the journey to be with them. A special mention of family members who have passed is also common. You might also include a short invitation to the reception or cocktail hour. Ultimately, decide what makes the most sense for your ceremony! You don’t need to include all of those specific items.

The amount of info will determine the size or style of program needed. For brief ceremonies and small bridal parties, perhaps a single sheet program will be sufficient. Otherwise, couples with lengthy ceremonies and larger bridal parties might opt for a program with more space for text like a booklet or tri-fold style.

Once the style of program has been determined, meet with your wedding stationer to have the piece designed to coordinate with your other stationery. Programs can be a good DIY project as well if you have the bandwidth to design your own, but be sure to give yourself plenty of time.

The program serves as a beautiful keepsake for the couple and their families. It is a record of everyone who took part in the ceremony, the songs chosen, and other special details of this momentous day.

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Pricing Tip for Stationery #1: Decide what you need

Our first tip for budgeting your stationery: Not every couple will have the same stationery needs. For example, some couples might skip the save the dates if their guest list is small and everyone already knows the wedding date, or if their date is approaching soon. Each couple’s list of items will vary depending on individual preferences and venue requirements. Some caterers might include menus in their package, so you wouldn’t need to account for menus in the stationery budget.

Make a list of stationery items that are “wants” and “needs.” This will help determine a budget for save the dates, invitations and day-of stationery. There will be some items that are non-negotiable, such as invitations and escort cards. There are also stationery items that might be optional: for example, you could do without programs if the ceremony is very brief. When working with a tight budget, couples might need to skip some of the extras outside the allotted cost.

Couples should be realistic with expectations and do some research to learn exactly what their budget can get them, especially if they are not familiar with current wedding stationery costs.

Pricing Tip for Stationery #2:  Simple, or custom?

There is a vast wedding stationery market to choose from, but to help narrow things down, couples will need to decide whether to order semi-custom stationery or if they would like to go fully custom.

Semi-custom wedding stationery is usually more budget friendly and time-saving, however the designs are as-is with minimal customization. While fully custom stationery is higher in price and requires more lead time, couples end up with a design that is made to their specifications. As alternatives, some couples hoping to keep costs low might try to DIY their stationery, or send digital invitations instead of paper ones.

Semi-custom pricing can be fairly straightforward. Ordering is typically point-and-click on a website, and total costs will populate based on selections and quantity. However, when working with custom stationery designers (like Momental!) pricing will vary a lot since it is based on your specific selections. Custom artwork creation, printing method, paper quality, presentation and embellishments will all impact the cost. Even the postage needed to mail save the dates and invitations needs to be factored into the budget, as you might choose standard USPS postage, or curate a grouping of vintage stamps for the mailing.

Bottom line, as you start to think about wedding stationery, you’ll be deciding whether fully custom or semi-custom is right for you!

Pricing Tip for Stationery #3 – Quantity  

The quantity of stationery needed will be a major factor when calculating the total cost. Keep in mind, the quantity of save the dates and invitations will be based on the number of households, not the total guest list. The number of households will be around 50% of the invited guest list, as many guests will be couples or families (our tip, add a few more than you think you need!). Costs for items like escort cards or menus will be based on the final guest count, which couples can only estimate early in the planning process. Some stationers require ordering in increments of 5, 10 or even 25, while others allow ordering at any quantity, which will also impact the bottom line.

Typically, stationery takes up 5-10% of the overall wedding budget. It’s very personal though, we’ve found that our clients will spend more on stationery if it’s a priority. Wedding stationery is an area where couples can infuse their personality, set the tone for the day, and save pieces as keepsakes. On the flipside, it’s also an area where couples can keep things very basic, if stationery is not as important to them.

As a well-established custom stationery company, we believe in cost transparency. Our investment details can be found right on our website. Most reputable custom stationers will provide information about their average order costs or minimum investment, and will offer estimates based on project specifications. Overall, couples can expect costs for semi-custom stationery be as little as few dollars per invite, while custom stationers are likely to have minimum investments of $1,500 on the low end to $5,000 on the high end.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with thegirls@momentaldesigns.com and we can help!

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We are always getting included in articles about wedding planning and wedding stationery, this one was in the LA Times, all about choosing a fall wedding! 

https://www.latimes.com/weddings/planning-ideas/advice/story/weddings-autumn-wedding-pros-cons

The post The Pros and Cons of Hosting a Fall Wedding appeared first on Momental Designs.

Designing wedding stationery might not be an area where a couple wants too many opinions, since this part of planning can specifically reflect their personality. However once the design is selected, it is wise to call on a few individuals to help proofread. The more eyes on the stationery the better, to help catch typos, misspellings or inaccurate information. After being so close to the creation of the stationery, having fresh eyes is really helpful.

Couples might want to enlist the help of family and friends to compile the mailing address list. Collecting a mailing list can be a challenge, so having several people to reach out to guests to confirm their most up-to-date address makes this task easier.

One of the most dreaded planning tasks is assigning seats for the reception. There are so many details to consider when placing guests at each table. There are the people who need to sit together, the people who can’t sit together, the people who don’t know anyone, the kids’ table, the vendor table… so many different dynamics to consider. To maintain peace among the guests, it is wise to bring in some trustworthy people who can spot trouble within the groupings.

Our own Kelley offered advice to couples as part of a collab with other wedding vendors. You can check out the article here, if you’re wondering whether to ask for help from family and friends as you navigate wedding planning!

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Pinterest is a GREAT tool to gather ideas for every aspect of your wedding design! However, it’s easy to go down the “Pinterest Rabbit Hole” and lose sight of what styles and elements best suit you, your fiancé, and your day.

Our advice: it’s better to be clear in your absolute favorite ideas and styles. One central board to keep your absolute favorite design inspiration is a great idea. Only include what you really love there.

Then, you can supplement it with boards for different elements like tablescapes, florals, groomsmen’s outfits, or shoes, but try to stick with ideas that match your overall board of favorites. Then just add the best of those extra boards to your main board

If you’re getting too overwhelmed, don’t pin as many things. It’s better to be clear in your absolute favorites than keep adding different ideas that go in a dozen directions!

Need some things to add to your stationery ideas? Momental is on Pinterest, here!

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The speculation is on… what will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding invitation and stationery look like? The two just about broke the internet when they announced their highly anticipated engagement with stunning photos from the proposal featuring her glitzy vintage ring. We’re already taking guesses at what the couple will choose for their paper goods!

Taylor and Travis are already telling us their love story: “the English teacher is marrying the gym teacher”

We anticipate that the couple will, without a doubt, tell their love story through their stationery. Since that’s our specialty, we have some insight on ways Taylor and Travis might choose to do it. The lucky stationer is that gets to work with this amazing couple will have the distinct honor of recounting how they initially came together through the Kelce brothers’ podcast, New Heights. They will need to pay homage to both Taylor’s legendary music career and Travis’s collection of Super Bowl rings. 

Since this is a couple who highly values family, we would not be surprised if the stationery design ties in their loved ones in special symbolic ways. We might even see Taylor give a little nod to her precious kitties (specifically Meredith). We were thoroughly wowed by the ultimate romantic garden Travis created for his beloved Taylor in the proposal images, so it is likely the stationery will also have an abundance of florals, perhaps anemones and other symbolic blooms in a soft and romantic style. 

Taylor Swift has designed many album covers and fully knows the power of design.

We can rest assured we will not see the ultra-traditional stationery design for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding invitation that we have received many times over from the British Royal Family, or the clip-art invitation from the recent Bezos-Sanchez wedding. Whatever Taylor and Travis choose, it will be thoughtful, artistic, and will be inspirational for countless other engaged couples.

Their stationery will be both highly anticipated and highly analyzed as it will foreshadow what we can all expect to see on the big day. The potential release of a save the date image for the Swift-Kelce wedding will certainly create a firestorm of speculation, serving as the biggest Easter Egg of all. We are all on the edge of our seats, waiting for their save the date!

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Itineraries help guests feel considered and in-the-loop. They know where to be, when to be there, and what to expect. Include helpful details like dress codes, addresses, shuttle times, and even local recommendations. A well-thought-out itinerary reduces the number of last-minute questions and gives your guests the confidence to relax and enjoy themselves. You can include a list of local restaurants, activities, and attractions if folks will have some down time during their stay.  

A cute illustrated map or venue view are good personalized artwork options. Featuring illustrated landmarks, local attractions, or a mini “map” of the weekend’s events helps guests – especially out-of-towners – feel more connected to the setting. It creates a sense of adventure and shared experience from the start

A fun itinerary adds a personal and keepsake-worthy touch. Guests often hold onto these artistic itineraries long after the wedding — especially when they feature custom illustrations of your venue, meaningful icons, or a fun couple monogram. It becomes part of the wedding story, not just a throwaway schedule.

It’s also a good place to include a short note thanking everyone for making the trip. You can place the itinerary in a welcome gift bag, or hand them out as guests check in or at your welcome event, whatever works best for your schedule.

You can check out our gallery of welcome itinerary examples here for more ideas.

Bottom line: a welcome itinerary isn’t just helpful — it’s an essential part of making your wedding weekend feel seamless, intentional, and stress-free for everyone involved!

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