56 Engaged, now what? Firstly, find a venue that suits you both and your budget. If you get that belly flip, you’ve found the one - and if it’s in budget then that’s a double win. Be strict with your budget and be realistic. How do I make my venue unique to me? I always say to my couples who want inspiration to make their day special and original to them is to try and bring a hobby, sport or memorable place into their wedding with their choice of décor. I had a couple that worked together at a racecourse and that’s how they meet, so on their wedding day they had trophies for centrepieces with fresh flowers and personalised rosettes of racecourses on them for their table names. They even had bales of hay and blankets outside their marquee. How far should I book my suppliers As soon as you’ve booked your venue then look for suppliers. Then you get a feel of what supplier you’re after and are able to complement your venue. My top tip... When finding suppliers, I always recommend couples to get three quotes to compare. Always check reviews, their socials and what venues they work with. Most importantly, ensure you click with your supplier, and that they can see your vision too. Simone Payne, Bespoke Proposal www.bespokeproposal.co.uk Are there rules/timeframes for when you need to send all of your save the dates and invites? Timeframes are key when it comes to sending stationery, you have to hit the sweet spot: not too early and not too late. Each couple varies on when is best for them. As a rule, I like to follow: send save-the-dates around eight to 10 months before your date. Traditionally, invitations would be sent six weeks before, but now couples who have sent savethe-dates prefer to send invites anywhere between three to six months before. Destination weddings always allow more notice, especially if your wedding is in the summer holiday season. What else do I need to think about when ordering my stationery? Ordering stationery is normally one of the things people tend to forget about but it’s an underrated hero of the day. Stationery is more than just an invite, it’s present throughout your wedding planning journey, from the first save-the-date sent, to on-the-day signage guiding people, not forgetting thank you cards post-wedding. Think further than just the invite, think about all the little details that only stationery can bring to give your day that extra special touch. For example, the welcome signs, order of the day, table place cards down to your confetti holders! What if I make a mistake? At The Bespoke Stationer, I always check, check and check again with couples to ensure all their details are correct. Before pressing the big red ‘send to print’ button, I recommend having a family member or friend look one final time with fresh eyes. However, if on the rare occasion, a mistake is made I’ll work with couples to find a solution that works for both parties. We always make sure the final product is designed and ready a week or so before the event date so we can resolve the issue without any impact. What’s your top tip for couples planning their wedding? My top tip would be to spend some time deciding the style and budget. Remember the stationery is your guest’s first impression of your big day. Choose colours, flowers, themes and share your inspiration design mood board and screenshots taking over your camera roll, to show your stationer. This helps huge amounts for us getting to know you and your style allowing us to design a stationery suite that suits you both perfectly. Kayleigh Pavelin, The Bespoke Stationer www.thebespokestationer.co.uk www.thebespokestationer.co.uk
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