The date is set and it’s time to let everyone know! Two local wedding stationery suppliers share their top tips and ‘trend’ insights.

Meet the stationers

Harriet de Winton of de Winton Paper Co.

Armed with exquisite attention to detail and what can only be described as ‘watercolour genius’, de Winton Paper co. launched in January 2015. Fast forward two years and de Winton Paper co. offers a carefully curated selection of pre-designed collections, abundant in style and luxe, as well as specialising in bespoke commissions. A few facts about your passions, lifestyle and the vibe you want your wedding to strike is all you need to tempt Harriet to pick up her brushes! Check out her Instagram for an insight into de Winton Paper co. life.

Nikki Sherriff of Knots & Kisses

Coveting a modern approach, Nikki of Knots & Kisses is ‘cuckoo’ (her own words) about all things paper and anything ‘weddingy’ (a phrase she has personally coined). Nikki aims to bring a bundle of colour and personality to your wedding stationery. She’s never shy to add a hand finished flourish to her works, from printed collections to bespoke commissions. With a background in fashion promotion and illustration, Nikki takes inspiration from fabrics, jewellery and fashion history. Scroll through her Insta feed to see the full range of Nikki’s talents!

Getting started

Both of our paper gurus recommend sending out a ‘Save the Date’ around 12 months prior to your big day. This should be followed by the full invitation 4 to 6 months prior to your big day.

Modern life is busier than ever, so Nikki suggests sending the invite sooner if your Big Day falls on a Bank Holiday or special occasion. Harriet notes that giving as much time as you can will benefit overseas guests, or those with limited holiday time, such as teachers (and your wedding industry besties!).

From here, the girls all advise to chat with your stationer about your personal schedule. They will be able to help put together your wedding stationery ordering timeline.

If you’re planning your Big Day in a shorter period than outlined above, don’t panic! Simply get in touch as soon as you can, let your stationer know your schedule and ask as many questions as you like!

Inspiration and bespoke briefing

Harriet suggests keeping it personal. Her favourite briefs come from the unique traits and interests of the couples she works with. Whilst Pinterest is a useful tool, Harriet reminds you:

Not to get lost down the rabbit hole of images of impossibly beautiful, styled weddings. Keep bringing it back to what it means to you as a couple.

Sound advice for sure!

Nikki also covets a personal approach. She recommends drawing inspo from your hobbies, how you decorate your home, your favourite colours and music and use this as the basis for your overall wedding styling. Her advice is to use Pinterest to bring together these ideas, but not to use it as a starting point:

You run the risk of essentially collating lots of other people’s ideas, and your wedding looking generic and not personal.

The invite

Harriet keeps it cool, calm and collected:

Remember, the main purpose of the invitation is to convey the details of the wedding in the clearest manner possible. Postage costs are rising and those of us with a eco conscience, we don’t necessarily want to be sending out reams of paper. So, I’m a big fan of making the invitation the main event.

Sounds easy, what should couples be sure to include in the invite?

More often than not, a couple will order an RSVP card and an information card or booklet in addition to their invitation. The information card can cover all bases and I love doing a hand painted map.

Nikki suggests including the following in the information card:

Accommodation options, directions, information about gift lists and taxis.

On the day

As for the Big Day itself, the girls suggest; place cards, table names, table plans, menus and orders of service. Your stationer will be able to guide you to choose the right items!

If you’re having printed menus as part of your wedding stationery collection, let Pickle Shack know. We can send you approved menu text ready for your stationer to transform.

Speaking from personal experience, Harriet recalls being surprised by how much signage she required for her own wedding:

Signs to guide the guests to the venue, signs to point them in each direction once at the venue. Signs for drinks, cake, guestbook, hot chocolate stations, whisky bars.

When visiting your venue, have a little think about where you will position things on the day and whether you will require extra signage (or a hot chocolate station or whiskey bar!)

Nikki echoes this! Drop outs happen:

Having a few spare invites to hand means you can invite extras if you would like. Many stationer’s prices will be based on a minimum order. It may not be possible to order just 2 or 3 extras at a later date, especially if you have gone for a foiling option.

All the rage

With wedding stationery being so personal, it’s somewhat exempt from ‘trends’. However, our lovely ladies have let us in on the styles and palettes that they are coveting right now:

Harriet has noticed that neon and greenery have been gaining popularity over the past year:

I think they are here to stay for a while. I am personally excited about constellations and celestial star designs. In terms of colours, Pink seems to be back with a more grown up feel: muted, faded shades of pink are effortlessly cool and will blend into many colour palettes.

For Nikki, it’s all about luxe finishes:

Foiling continues to be popular, but look at different colours other than your standard gold and mix with gorgeous colours like mustards, dark greens, navies and burgundies and finishes such as velvet and silk ribbons.

Make the most of it!

Harriet loves an off-the-wall table plan idea. She encourages couples to get creative and not to feel like it must follow suit with their other wedding stationery:

It’s the one item of  wedding stationery that has every guest’s name on it, so you could frame it afterwards as a brilliant memory of the day. I also like the idea of a guestbook that isn’t a book: Creating a large print that people can sign. Again, you can hang it on your wall and remember the day every time you walk past it.

Nikki is all about a stunning back drop! She’s a dab hand at bringing extra pizzazz to her clients style vision:

A fabric backdrop is an amazing extra for a ceremony room. Especially so if your venue doesn’t have an obvious focal point. I’ve also started creating lots of fabric and ‘hanging’ table plans. Really making the table plan an installation and focal point rather than just a plain board on an easel.

Wedding stationery top tips

You can trust them! They’ve all been there, done that and got the wedding stationery souvenirs to show off!

Harriet’s piece de resistance:

Don’t be swayed too much by trends. Remember at the end of the day it is just about the two of you. Always ask questions of your suppliers even if you feel silly asking them. This is a once in a lifetime experience and you don’t want to look back with any regrets.

Nikki’s practical side proposes that you:

Set your RSVP date at least 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding. You will always invariably have to chase a few stragglers for their RSVP. Then it will probably take you a week or so to finalise your table plan. This gives you a bit of breathing space, so you aren’t being chased and hassled by your suppliers for final numbers.

We couldn’t agree more! In the bespoke world, if you’re ever feeling the pressure, never hesitate to contact your supplier. It’s our actual job to be there for you!

Photography courtesy of: Casey Blackmore and Clare Kinchin