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Stationery:

When Should You Send Out Wedding Invitations?

If you are wondering when you should send out wedding invitations, there are many factors to consider. 

Traditionally wedding invitations are sent 6 to 12 weeks before the wedding day. But if many of your friends and family have far to travel, you might like to give them more time, especially if they are coming from overseas. 

If you are having a destination wedding, it is normal to give 9 to 12 months notice, so guests have time to save for the trip and get time off work. Also, if you have an out-of-season wedding, a winter wedding, for example, ample notice lets people plan their time off. Most of us like to take annual leave during summer to soak up the sun. 

In general, the more time you give guests, the better. These days people have super busy lifestyles, so they appreciate knowing far in advance what dates they need to block out on their calendars. 

The more notice you give guests leading up to your big day, the more likely they will be able to attend. That is why you should only invite the guests you want there (not the ones you feel you should invite or who your parents might like to attend). Many couples feel pressure to invite every family member and their partners, but you also need to keep to a budget. So when you send out your invitations, keep in mind that everyone will probably say yes, especially when you give them plenty of time to plan on being there.

Before we go any further, there is that issue of Covid that seems to have touched every corner of our lives. It has also impacted the issue of when you should send out wedding invitations. Really as much notice as possible is good for people traveling from overseas these days. Keep in mind most airlines only take bookings one year in advance. Also, there is the issue of the post, which has been slowed down or sometimes ground to a halt during the pandemic. If you send your invitations out one to two months before the day, it should allow for potential delays. If not, the mail will arrive to your guests early, which will be just fine. Better early than late, as they say!

Another option is to go digital and forgo the need to use the postal system altogether. 

But paper is so beautiful and it’s so exciting for loved ones to receive a formal wedding invitation in the mail and display it at home to get excited about the big event. Paperlust is one of the most popular online companies for printed and digital wedding invitations. The Australian company has sample packs of papers for only $5. You can feel the papers and see how the print techniques look in real life before you order. We love this idea and say it’s never too early to order samples to help your decision on which paper and print type you want to be featured on your wedding invitation. 

So now you know when to send out wedding invitations, what about all the other invites? There is the engagement party, bridal shower, or bachelorette and stag parties to think about and you might also be having pre and post-wedding events. Hopefully, your bridal party will help you arrange the hen’s and bachelor celebrations and you would send out the wedding shower invitations one to two months before the wedding and time the events to happen at least a week before your best day ever. For other events around the wedding day, like the rehearsal dinner and farewell brunch, you can include them as part of your wedding stationery suite. Paperlust has all needs taken care of, and you can even order wedding day stationery like menus, name cards, and seating plans so your lovely day will look styled, cohesive and matching. Plus it’s easy to buy everything from one place.

It’s also convenient to take care of your order online with Paperlust. Couples can easily manage envelope address printing, add guest names to each invite, upload data and arrange express delivery from the comfort of home.

Paperlust has 300+ talented independent designers who are constantly adding new designs to the already impressive collection on offer. They keep up-to-date with the latest trends and probably started a few trends themselves with innovative and creative wedding invitations and matching stationery that is always beautifully stylish. 

When you combine the stunning designs with the options for formats, shapes, specialty print and luxe papers, wedding dreams come true. Every couple can customize and personalize their wedding stationery. 

We have our eye on the gorgeous tri-fold wedding invitations with rsvp (no envelopes needed) and also the stunning arch wedding invitations with lovely die-cut shapes that are a new product released by Paperlust recently. 

Paperlust uses inclusive package pricing so you can get the invites to your guests on time. Crisp white envelopes come with invitations and pricing is inclusive of express shipping for Australia and New Zealand (for orders over USD$300). You can also order a different color of envelope for a small additional cost. Paperlust offers great value for money with 15% off three or more in a purchase. Every detail can be checked and tweaked at the proofing stage and after printing, orders are manually double-checked. Everything is taken care of so you can dive into the next part of planning. We are sure you have cake tasting, floral selections, outfit shopping and much more to take care of while you are waiting for those beautiful invites to arrive in the mail.

We have to mention how Paperlust cares for the environment and gives back to Mother Earth. For every purchase, they plant a tree with One Tree Planted, orders arrive in recycled packaging and papers are sourced sustainably. It’s just another reason to connect with Paperlust and after a waltz around their website, we are sure you will want to invite them to be part of your wedding day.

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Real Weddings:

Jessica and Jesse’s wedding at Flood Mansion

Cassie Valente Photography

Jessica and Jesse’ San Francisco wedding at Flood Mansion was a total reflection of the hyper-stylish couple. The venue’s distinct European grandiose feel provided the perfect backdrop for their personalized details including spectacular ‘victorian-inspired’ florals by Tumbleweed Floral Truck, tarot cards for place cards and throwing tradition to the wind and serving fried chicken at their formal seated dinner. We love the way Prim Event Studio fabulously married all the details into the dusty pink and black palette and it’s all captured here in these stunning images by Cassie Valente Photography. Read on for the planner’s insight and more!

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From Morgan of Prim Event Studio:

What made the wedding special and unique? 

Jessica and Jesse have a unique sense of style and had some really fun descriptors you don’t see everyday for how they wanted their wedding day to feel — mystical is one that caught our eye in particular.  This couple didn’t shy away from darker black accents and unique magical elements like tarot cards as place cards, and stayed true to themselves with signature cocktails crafted by a mixologist to fit their specific taste. The day was woven with little pieces of this couple throughout and felt like a true reflection of what they love, including a champagne welcome and a champagne tower! Instead of the traditional wedding meal, our couple opted to serve fried chicken family style to their guests for dinner, and it was definitely a hit!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

J + J are inspired by European cities and their venue, Flood Mansion, nestled in San Francisco has a distinctly European grandiose feel which provided the perfect backdrop for their vows. As lovers of vintage style, our groom sported a vintage YSL velvet coat, and our bride’s dress is vintage-inspired. Playing to that, we also incorporated crystal cut wine glass and vintage gold floral goblets with and old-world feel. Custom made signature cocktails were a fun touch, along with custom napkins inspired by Jessica’s moon engagement ring with her favorite quote. We incorporated Jessica’s fondness of tarot by giving guests a Victorian Era inspired tarot card as a place card and carried the Victorian florals into the rest of their wedding day stationery. Our bride loves baby’s breath and carnations and found a modern and beautiful way to include these as the star of the floral show. The couple’s love of cake led to us having three cake flavors from their San Francisco favorite, Susie Cakes.

 

Tell us how you met and became engaged. If you have a wedding video that you would like to share, please send us the link!

J+J met through mutual friends more than a decade ago living in the same town.  They built a life together, including their pup Schroeder, and became engaged in Paris – Jessica’s favorite city with a beautiful Sofia Zakia ring.

Photography: Cassie Valente Photography // Planning: Prim Event Studio // Flowers: Tumbleweed Floral Truck // Stationery: Bowerbird Atelier // Venue: Flood Mansion // Hair & Makeup: Salt Spell Beauty // Bride’s Dress Designer: Liz Martinez // Groom’s Jacket Designer: Yves Saint Laurent // Engagement Ring: Sofia Zakia // Catering: LRE Catering // Cake Design: Susie Cakes // Rentals: Standard Party Rentals / Frances Lane / Hensley // Linens: La Tavola // DJ: Heart of Gold // Musicians: Synchronicity String Quartet // Lighting: Got Light // Transportation: Bauer’s

 

Inspiration Shoots and Boards:

France Mon Amour Editorial

Photography by Lisa Renault

“France, Mon Amour” was created with the idea of bringing the French savoir-faire to North America. The all French team included Eloïse, owner of MC2 Mon Amour Canada and  photographer Lisa Renault with videographer Laurent Rostaing who set out to share the ” elegant, sophisticated, audacious and creative” of France in this ode to their Country set at Paletta Lakefront Mansion. The color palette matches the French standards: soft pink, orange and blue with some white and gold and we’re smitten with the wine-hued tux and those tiny pops of vibrant pink in the florals by Flora and Farfalla. See all the details in these stunning images and read on for behind-the-scenes info from the dream team!

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From Eloïse, owner of MC2 Mon Amour Canada: It took me some time to find the perfect spot for this inspirational shoot. I wanted to find this raw diamond, a venue in Ontario that wasn’t too popular yet but where you could make the French magic happen. The Paletta Mansion was the perfect fit: the mansion is filled with light and has those old touches that remind you of Paris. The park will take your breath away with beautiful greenery and timeless lake shores. The potential was infinite!

During the planning and design, I kept in mind the reason why the world is always looking at France. France is elegant, sophisticated, audacious and creative. It has a strong identity, and this is why we are proud to make it rise and shine all around the world. I decided for this editorial to ingeniously mix some classic styles up: Versailles and Mediterranean. Elegant, sophisticated, delicate and pure are the keywords that I kept looking towards while working on the shoot. The color palette matches the French standards: soft pink, orange and blue with some white and gold.

I truly wanted to gather a team of vendors that have love for France in common. From the hair and makeup to the dress, we wanted to follow the “less is more” concept that is so dear to French fashion. Simple yet elegant! Kessia from Flora and Farfalla created romantic arrangements using mostly garden roses and ranunculus. The indoor ceremony’s flowers were designed to be reincorporated to the dinner which is an important point money/ethically-wise. The arch got moved to the foot of the head table and the decorated chairs for the ceremony’s aisle used for the head table as well. The table brings a vintage touch with the French china but shows a timeless refined style.

 

MC2 Styling Shoot – Paletta Lakefront Mansion from Laurent Rostaing on Vimeo.

 

Creative director, planner and producer: MC2 Mon Amour Canada // Photography: Lisa Renault // Videography: Laurent Rostaing // Floral design: Flora and Farfalla // Stationery: Dolce Artist // Venue: Paletta Lakefront Mansion // Wedding dress: Lisa Van Hattem // Groom’s attire: Baynes & Baker // Makeup and hair artist: Sarah Lam Beauty // Wedding cake: Fruitilicious Cakes // Tableware: Roselle & Co // Furnitures: Gatsby Event Rentals // Models: Rachelle Lynn and Filip Bajlon

 

Inspiration Shoots and Boards:

Cheery Yellow and Green Editorial

featuring Etcetera Photo

This delightfully cheerful editorial directed by Jovial Floral Co. features an outdoor-loving couple tying the knot at the scenic Stonehurst— “a venue tucked into the rolling hills of Los Angeles.” The florals, greenery and vines are delicate and impactful and we’re LOVING the textural, hard-and-soft mix in the tablescape featuring rentals for Greystone Table. Romantic stationery is by Salt and Paper Co. florals by Jovial Floral Co. with a cake by Creme and Dough and it’s all captured in these stunning images by Etcetera Photo. Get all the details below from the team behind this beautiful shoot!

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As we were envisioning ideas of this whimsical, ethereal, shoot, we drew inspiration from the woods for the modern-day bride and groom. We wanted to bring a romantic love story to life in the woods and hoped to capture the genuine love and emotion between the two newlyweds, as they basked in all of what the surrounding elements of nature had to offer. We thought that Stonehurst, a venue tucked away in the rolling hills of Los Angeles, would be the perfect place for our outdoor-loving couple to get married. Built in the 1930’s, Stonehurst is a hidden gem that exudes history and charm. What once used to be a Green House, where the previous owner grew his plants, has been transformed into a space where the most beautiful and modern dinner reception can be held.

Being inspired by the surrounding elements of nature, Jovial Floral Co. arranged luscious blooms in clean whites with greenery and a subtle tan. Loose flowing florals that cascaded down the wooden beams, gave texture and added to the natural ambiance. The dinner table was adorned by ivory white dinner plates with a raw, exposed rim, placed between olive green linen napkins, and refined, polished glassware all atop an ivory white linen tablecloth paired with relaxed wood chairs. Creme & Dough crafted a cake that was modern, yet whimsical and was accompanied by dried floral hops to add just the right organic touch. It was all tied together with a stunning invitation suite by Salt Paper Co., which reflected all of the elements we wanted for our natural and romantic design.

The bride’s Alon Livné dress featured tulle with delicate lace floral appliques and swayed with her every movement, which looked absolutely ethereal when it caught glimpses of the sunlight. Our bride’s heels by Bella Belle x Claire Pettibone had unique, iridescent blooming vines and lace butterflies, as she walked gracefully with her groom. Our bride wore natural makeup and with twisted, side-swept soft waves by Beauty Be Spoken. Our dapper groom wore a velvet black tux from Friar Tux with a dark green velvet bow tie, which perfectly suited the cooler weather.

As the sun slowly went down, we hiked up the lush rolling hills to catch the last bit of the magical golden California light, for a romantic sunset session. We ended the day with two young newlyweds, fully immersed in love, ready to start their forever.

 

 

Photography: Etcetera Photo // Creative Direction, Styling, Florals: Jovial Floral Co. // Stationery: Salt and Paper Co. // Venue: Stonehurst // HMU: Beauty Be Spoken // Cake: Creme and Dough // Bridal Gown and Veil: La Soie Bridal // Bridal Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes // Bridal Earrings: Jovial Floral Co. // Groom’s Outfit: Friar Tux // Tabletop Rentals: Greystone Table // Furniture Rentals: Lapinata Party // Models: Kellie Cage and Mackey Smith // Arch Rental: Floral Prop Rental // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Stationery:

Custom Save the Dates from Paperlust

If your hand recently got an upgrade in the form of a ring on your finger, you’ve probably started sharing the big news with friends and family. That news, we believe, is best announced in the form of unique save the dates and Paperlust is here to help you deliver that message!

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Paperlust is an Australian based stationer that serves couples worldwide in providing an endless assortment (we’re talking over 650 designs!) of wedding stationery from wedding invitations to RSVP cards, and of course one of the most important of them all—save the dates. One of the many things we love is their eye catching designs that are crafted by over 300 independent designers and are fully customizable!

Your save the date is often the first peek that your guests will get into your colors and style of your wedding, so you want to ensure you choose something that not only represents the overall feel of your big day, but also you as a couple! Because they offer paper goods for every step of the planning process, your save the dates will seamlessly match the rest of your invitation suite. Haven’t come to a decision on the style of your wedding? Don’t stress! This is the perfect time to play around with some styles and colors or browse their designs to see what stands out!

Gone are the days of only a few different save the date styles to choose from. Paperlust has also just released their line of die cut paper shapes including arch, half-arch, and angles! Choosing one of these fun styles is guaranteed to make your card unique as well as catch the eye of anyone receiving it.

When it comes to customizing your cards, Paperlust’s options for customizations go beyond just picking your colors and fonts. Choosing from their wide variety of paper types and print types such as foiling and letterpress will have you—and your guests—wowed! For the couple that wants something a bit unique and out of the box, consider a magnet, calendar, or even choosing a photo card.

We know it can sometimes feel difficult to imagine how certain papers and print types will look together. Lucky for you, Paperlust offers a sample pack of invitations (for the price of a latte may we add!) that allows you to see and feel their most popular paper and print types and help you feel confident in picking the perfect save the date cards to match the rest of your stationery suite. 

If creating a wedding website is on your planning to-do list, Paperlust has partnered with Joy to offer over 40 matching websites with their invitation design sets!

With free, worldwide shipping on orders over $300 USD and hundreds of five star reviews from brides all over the world, Paperlust is ready to bring your stationery visions to life.

Ready to say yes to your save the date cards? Head over to their website to begin designing and don’t forget to check out their Instagram page for more beautiful stationery inspiration!