Wedding Stationery Checklist: From Save the Date to Menu

From the save the date to the thank-you card, a wedding can easily involve a dozen printed items. Without a plan, you end up ordering under time pressure, or discover on the day itself that the place cards are missing. This checklist arranges every piece of wedding stationery by the moment you need it, and shows the right format and paper for each stage.

The order: which item, when

Your stationery follows the course of your planning. First comes the announcement, then the invitation with all the details, on the day itself the paper decorations on the table, and after the celebration, the thank-you. Build in some extra time at every stage: the delivery time is shown before you order, and once it arrives you'll still need time to address and stamp everything.

• Save the date: as soon as the date and venue are set, usually as a postcard.
• Invitation: with the programme, address and RSVP deadline, as a postcard or a folded card.
• Reply card: only if you'd rather collect RSVPs by post than online.
• Order of service: a leaflet with the running order, hymns and readings.
• Menu, place cards and seating plan: for the drinks reception and the meal.
• Labels: for wine bottles, favours and jam jars.
• Thank-you card: after the celebration, ideally with a photo from the day.

Save the date and invitation: the postcard as your starting point

For the announcement and the invitation, a postcard is the simplest format. A6 is the classic choice, A5 gives more room for the programme and directions. Our postcards come in DIN sizes from A8 to A3, square, round or oval, in a custom size from 5.5 x 8.5 cm to 29.7 x 42 cm, and in a special shape, for example a heart, in sizes from 13.8 x 13.8 cm to 13.8 x 20 cm.

For the material, choose between offset and recycled paper, effect papers, Gmund papers and natural papers such as grass, hemp or kraft paper. For a more festive look, hot foil finishing is available depending on the configuration, along with sturdy woodchip board with a letterpress finish, and rounded corners on request. The postcards can be printed on both sides and are available from 10 pieces. That's handy for bilingual couples: front in English, back in French.

Need more space? Choose a folded invitation instead. A leaflet with a single fold gives you a four-page folded card: the design on the outside, the programme and directions inside. In a custom size it can be square or rectangular, closed size from 10 x 9.8 cm to 21 x 29.7 cm. For postage, note that round, oval or heart-shaped cards count as a special format: check the postal guidelines, or simply slip the card into an envelope.

Order of service, menu and place cards: leaflets and flyers

On the day itself, your stationery accompanies guests from the ceremony to dessert. An order of service can be set up as a leaflet with a roll fold (6 to 16 pages) or a zigzag fold (6 to 12 pages). For the menu, a leaflet with a pyramid fold works well: thanks to the tabs, your guests can see at a glance where the starter, main course and dessert are listed. It's printed on 135 g or 170 g art paper, matt or gloss.

A simple menu per guest also works as a flat flyer. In a custom size you set the dimensions yourself, between 5.5 x 8.5 cm and 29.7 x 42 cm, for example a narrow format that fits on the napkin. For place cards, the single-fold card works well again, since it stands up on its own. A practical tip: have place cards printed to match your invitation design, but without names, then write the names by hand. It feels more personal, and a last-minute cancellation doesn't mean a new order.

For the seating plan at the entrance, many couples turn to a poster: available in a custom size from A4 to 100 x 140 cm, it displays well on an easel or on a wall.

Labels for bottles, jars and favours

Labels turn a bought bottle of wine or a homemade gift into a personal touch. For bottles on the tables, vinyl film is usually the best choice: it resists moisture, an advantage for bottles served chilled. Transparent labels with an added white print look almost as if they were printed directly onto the glass. For jam, honey or biscuits given as favours, food labels are available, suitable for direct contact with food under European directive 1935/2004/EC.

• Roll labels in a custom size: from 1.6 x 1.6 cm to 29.6 x 29.6 cm, round, oval, rectangular or square, from 1 piece.
• Labels in a custom outline: such as a heart or a monogram, from 2 x 2 cm to 29.6 x 29.6 cm, also on cream or pearlescent textured paper.
• Labels on a sheet: A4 sheets with 1 to 48 labels depending on the format, from 1 sheet, ideal for sealing envelopes or naming favour bags.

For roll labels, you can order sample pieces in your own layout beforehand. Worth doing before you label a hundred bottles.

Thank-you cards, timing and print files

After the celebration, the thank-you card closes the circle. A postcard with your favourite photo from the day on the front and a few personal words on the back is all you need; a square card puts a single image especially in the spotlight. And if you're marrying next spring or summer, save the date cards are often sent in autumn, or alongside your festive season greetings.

For a smooth print run, keep three points in mind: set up the file at final size with bleed, use images at 300 dpi in CMYK, and embed the fonts. Also have a second person proofread names, dates and addresses. On small edge-to-edge labels, fine white cutting edges can appear for production reasons; a narrow margin in your design avoids this.

Frequently asked questions about wedding stationery

How many invitations does a wedding need?

Count one card per household, not per guest, and add around ten per cent extra: for late additions, addressing mistakes and a keepsake copy for your album. Since the postcards are available from 10 pieces, that small margin is easy to build in.

Which paper suits a wedding invitation?

It depends on the style of your celebration. Grass or kraft paper suits an outdoor or barn wedding, while Gmund papers and hot foil suit a more formal evening. Recycled paper is a simple, sustainable choice, with FSC or PEFC certification depending on the configuration.

Do labels stay on chilled bottles?

For bottles kept in an ice bucket or a fountain, choose vinyl film rather than adhesive paper: the film resists moisture and copes better with condensation. Order a sample with roll labels first and test it on your own bottle.

When should wedding stationery be ordered?

Order each stage separately, as soon as the content is finalised: the save the date once the date and venue are set, the invitation once the programme is planned, and the menu and place cards only after the last RSVPs are in. The delivery time is shown before you order, so you can plan without surprises.

You'll find everything for your wedding across three ranges: postcards for the save the date, invitation and thank-you, flyers and leaflets for the order of service, menu and place cards, and labels for bottles and favours. You see the price in CHF instantly in the configurator, with delivery across Switzerland.