Advice — Offbeat Wedding Stationery for Alternative Couples

Hey! How’s wedding planning going?

I often get emails from couples who have posted their save-the-dates and invitations, and then come across me and my stationery much closer to their wedding day. The question that usually follows is, ‘How much should my wedding day stationery match what we’ve already sent out?’ Well, let’s break it down.

The benefit of consistency

Whether we’re talking about a suite of wedding stationery, a chain of donut shops, a medical setting or recognising your favourite tea bags on a supermarket shelf - the one thing these all need to have in common is a consistent visual brand.

It’s important for these businesses and products to stand out from the crowd - not only to demonstrate their individuality in the market (or in the case of stationery, to represent your individuality as a couple), but also build touch points which are recognisable. This helps the user - be that a hospital patient, a tea-lover or a wedding guest - anticipate and understand the things which belong together. This can help them navigate choices, ideas and even places - so that they feel safe, comfortable and well-catered for.

*Doughnut Time* use a signature mint green and their navy logo throughout their touchpoints to keep things recognisable.

Smiling white woman stands in front of mint green shop with matching box and t-shirt. There are donuts for sale. — The branding is carried through to packaging, staff t-shirts and store fronts.

Hand reaches for one donut in many rows with Doughnut Time boxes off t the side. — They keep a visual consistency with lighting and their branded mint green.

The visual style and the tone of voice used in your wedding invites sets the atmosphere for the day, ahead of time. You might have chosen high-contrast monochrome and formal wording, or be at the other end of the spectrum with a neon palette and a text-to-RSVP. Carrying this developed tone through to your day allows your guests to anticipate the types of celebrations you’re throwing. This might be relevant to what they choose to wear, what gift they bring, or even how much booze they plan to drink (and therefore how they get home).

The benefit of consistency could not be anymore poignant than when talking about signage. If you have a large or multi-room venue, or if guests will have to walk between places, then signage to point out directions and welcome them are really super helpful. When I was studying graphic design, we were told this story by a mentor on the importance of clear and consistent messaging. He said there was once a major incident where a fire broke out at an airport, and passengers were running round, all panicking, looking for the way out. Sadly the signage was so unclear and confusing, that people didn’t know what to look for and some got trapped.

I’m not telling you this to frighten you - the only fire at your day will be on the dancefloor, am I right?! 😉 But this tale shows the need, in some circumstances, for consistency, (and in all cases really) clarity and ease-of-use. If your guests have seen your invites, colours, fonts - then they can anticipate the aesthetic for the day and it can help them way-find and plan.

Monochrome invites with a wavy pattern laid on a blue background. — Suzi and Bobbie’s wedding invitations ahead of their wedding day

A white woman in a light dress adjusting a black and white welcome sign on an easel, which is topped with tropical flowers. The design of the sign is retro with alternating black and white waves and a wavy font which says “Suzi and Bobbie”. — Their welcome sign on the wedding day was recognisable to guests who had received their invites.

The benefit of inconsistency

On the flipside, there are some pros to having something completely fresh on your wedding day. I would say though, that the level of formality should remain the same - so the anticipation and expectations of the type of event you’re throwing won’t be jarring to guests. You don’t want people expecting the Ritz if they need wellies in a field.

In this (pretty sad) age of planning, re-planning and waiting for weddings whilst we shift out of the pandemic, I’ve had more than a few couples who have lost their wedding-planning lustre. They’re actively looking to move on from old plans, which have made them frustrated and sad, and are re-invigorated with excitement at the thought of something new.

I’ve also worked with couples who want their day to be filled with surprises for their guests, so they keep things a bit simpler in their invites and then explode their actual wedding day with colour, sequins, glitter and live music.

There are, of course, also couples who are new to design as a process and don’t know about the benefits of keeping things similar across the board. I like to think that I’m not just a ‘point, click, buy’ type of business, and that my clients can ask me for help and guidance. Not everyone - in fact very few people - have experience directing a creative team, giving visual feedback or making design decisions. I am always here to help, suggest, recommend and guide anyone who isn’t quite sure.

Lastly, the vibe can be consistent, but if another designer did your invites and now you want me to make stationery for your day to exactly match, I won’t be able to do this. More on that in the next section!

Design integrity and originality

The wedding industry is so friendly - full of the most open, warm, collaborative people. When I can’t work with a couple because I’m booked up, or my style isn’t quite right - I’ll always recommend some of my fellow stationers who will be a better fit. It’s not competitive, we all help and support each other. This is my first reason for not replicating another designer’s work. It’s their baby, they livelihood, their creative property - and so I won’t for any reason copy it, just as I wouldn’t expect them to copy my work. I can definitely follow a set tone - so if the previous designer did something tropical, I can continue that on - but I would never try to hunt down the same fonts and assets.

Secondly, it’s a legal matter. Morals and integrity aside, if I plagiarised someone else’s’ intellectual property then I’d be in big trouble. And no one wants that kinda drama, you know?

This is relevant to our original question of consistency because I will always work with couples who understand this and are happy to fuse their previous aesthetic with my style, remembering that ‘consistency’ doesn’t mean ‘exact match’.

What can you replicate, Carly?

So glad you asked. No one owns colours (although I’m sure it’s not long until Elon Musk tries), so I can always use the colour palette from your invites, if they were designed elsewhere. Also, not to brag, but I have a pretty good knowledge of typography, so I can find you fonts which were created in the same era and keep a consistent vibe with what you had before. I can also create and source you new assets that aren’t a direct copy, but are recognisable as the ‘brand’ you’ve already started to build.

The whole shebang (or a mini-shebang - whatever works!)

Obvs it’s ideal if you find me early in your wedding-planning journey, as I can dream up and design a whole suite of stationery for you two, from start to finish. It’s great getting to know couples and their plans, and working together to create something they love.

Brown, pink and mustard save the date and invite info card, with a lightning bolt and heart motif.

Brown, pink and mustard cocktail menu, with a lightning bolt and heart motif. Shot from above on a table with gold cutlery and dried flowers.

Welcome sign on an easel with a lightning bolt and heart motif.

A close-up of a name card in a wire stand, with a lightning bolt and heart motif.

If however you’ve stumbled upon me with a few months to go until you get wed, and then just can’t LIVE without my stationery at your wedding (ah, imagine! 🤣) - then it’s not too late to work together on something that merges the style of your invites with something fresh, and feels like you. Just get in touch!