Tips, Tricks & Trends for your Wedding Stationery from Tree of Hearts

Expert wedding stationers, Tree of Hearts, give us their top tips and tricks for your wedding stationery. Plus, they also cover some of the trends they expect to see in 2023!

Every couple hopes for the perfect wedding day, and the first step in creating that perfect look is having the right stationery. Whether you're looking for wedding invitations, save-the-date cards, or thank you cards, it's important to find a style that reflects your personality and tastes as a couple.

Luckily, there are some great options out there when it comes to wedding stationery! In this post, we'll take a look at some of the most popular styles and share some top tips on how to choose your perfect set for the big day.

Still stuck for inspiration? Don't worry! We'll also be sharing our favourite trends and ideas too!

Courtesy of Tree of Hearts

It starts with an Invite

Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse your guests will have into your beautiful wedding. They have the very important job of setting the tone and theme for the entire day and will be something everyone will keep for years to come. As you can imagine, with so much riding on such a small piece of paper, choosing the perfect wedding invitation can be a daunting task! But don't worry, we're here to help.

There are a variety of invitation styles to choose from, so we have put them together for you here and detailed their best qualities and potential challenges:

Postcard Wedding Invitations:

Positive: These are an elegant, simple choice for those on a tighter budget and work perfectly for those with fewer details to share. It's also the perfect style to choose if you want to add something extra special such as a vellum band or beautiful wax seal.

Consider: Occasionally, this style can come paired with hidden costs! Whilst the base price of the invite might appear low initially, if you want to add additional information such as guests' dress codes, maps or menu choices, the price may creep up.

Pocketfold or Boutique Wedding Invitations:

Positive: Boutique wedding invitations are the crème de la crème of invites! They're much more indulgent and sophisticated as they give your wedding a timeless and classic first impression. You can share information such as menus and RSVP's all in one item, meaning everything is included in one cost.

Consider: Boutique and pocketfold invitations do come at a higher cost per invite, as they contain extra information like RSVPs and guest information cards.

As with so many different choices, it's worth taking some time to work out what style will fit your theme and overall look. Plus, it's worth thinking about which design will best suit your wedding fund. It's also important to consider how much information you have to share with your guests and the space you will need for this.

Courtesy of Tree of Hearts

Top Tip!

When it comes to writing your invitations, less is more. It's easy to get carried away, but we suggest you stick to the essentials: who, what, when, and where. You can include additional details like dress code, timings etc by enclosing them alongside your invitations.

We would always recommend getting a professional wedding stationer to set and print your stationery. Whilst online platforms are cheap and quick, you risk money on potentially poor-quality card/paper and spelling mistakes or margin errors. Experts such as us will ensure your stationery is perfect and we will be on hand to advise and help you every step of the way!

To theme or not to theme?

Ok, so to start, your wedding destination will play a big role in choosing the right theme. A beach-themed wedding might call for stationery with a nautical flair or modern neutrals. Alternatively, a stately home wedding might warrant more traditional, floral invites.

In contrast, more and more couples are choosing to mix up themes and colours that complement each other as opposed to one theme for everything. This gives variety and individuality to the wedding journey and allows for more excitement for you and your guests. To do this, you may want to start with a simpler invitation style, then go more lavish by developing your theme for reception stationery once plans and visions come together over time.

However, many others still want that coordinated theme throughout, which as well as beautiful, gives newlywed couples ease and confidence in their wedding look. It's completely your choice!

Some different stationery themes we love include:

• Personal theme: Engagement announcements, save the dates and invitations that include photos of the happy couple.
• Mash-up theme: Themes that complement each other such as modern and florals or rustic and neutrals.
• Regal theme: With the rise in popularity of shows such as Bridgerton and The Crown, we love to see invitations that include beautiful florals, vellum and lace.
• Modern theme: Anything goes when it comes to modern themes. Keep it simple and chic with monochrome, or go bold with colour contrasts such as pinks and greens. Viva Magenta was also the 2023 colour of the year, so we expect to see a lot of couples including this confident colour on their wedding day.

Courtesy of Tree of Hearts

Trends we expect to see in 2024

The cost of living crisis is looming over us all, including engaged couples who are planning their weddings. Early signs have already shown that along with the long-standing effects of the pandemic, our financial state will continue to affect couples getting married. This will have a huge impact on what will be popular and trending with our brides-to-be.

Small and Intimate

Of course, the more people you invite to your wedding, the more you need to spend on all aspects of the day. We expect to see couples lean towards a smaller and more intimate wedding celebration in 2024. This is so they can still indulge in all the beautiful features and extravagance they would want on their wedding day, but for less people to keep costs under control.

Less weekends

We also expect to see more weddings taking place in the mid-week than on the weekends. Everybody knows weekend weddings cost slightly more than one in the midweek. So, we expect this option will become increasingly attractive to couples over the next few years, as again, it will allow them to focus spending on the event itself by avoiding the increased cost of a weekend date.

Courtesy of Tree of Hearts

The DIY Bride

Couples getting crafty with DIY extra touches will also be more popular. Platforms like TikTok and Pinterest will continue to inspire nearly-weds to get creative and “make their own” wherever they can!

However, with this, ensure you have fully researched how cost-effective it is to create something yourself over choosing a professional. Sometimes, the cost of supplies and the stress of things not going perfectly doesn't always outweigh the cost of using someone more experienced.

Eco-Friendly

The consideration of impacts on the environment is growing in importance to many people, which is great news! Eco-Friendly weddings will continue to be popular as couples aim to cut down, not only on the cost to their pockets but the cost to the environment. Stationery that is fully recyclable and responsibly sourced, along with rented dresses and locally-sourced food will be in high demand for years to come!

We hope these ideas, trends and helpful tips will be useful to you as you begin planning your own nuptials! Remember, picking your invitations is not something to be rushed last minute! They set the tone for your entire event, so take your time choosing (or creating!) the perfect ones. For even more advice and ideas, check out our latest designs and social platforms so you can be sure all your stationery is on point. Thank you for reading and congratulations!

Courtesy of Tree of Hearts

About Tree of Hearts:

Tree of Hearts is a wedding stationery specialist that puts love at the heart of everything they do. From designing beautiful, bespoke Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations to ensuring your order arrives in perfect condition, they take care of every little detail so you can relax and enjoy your big day. With over a decade of experience in the industry, their skilled team will create the perfect design for your wedding – no matter your style.