You’ve got each of your big day invitations signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered to the final destination in one pretty little piece — that’s the hope, at least! After spending a few months working on your stationery, you probably feel like you know everything there is to know about those paper products. But before you head to the post office to ship out your invitations, there are a few major thing you need to consider that may have never crossed your mind. So, without further ado, here are five things to do to make the most of your mailing.
1. Tissue paper inserts aren’t just for good looks. While placing tissue paper between the layers of your stationery suite can increase your costs, it also helps prevent the ink from smudging. If you chose to use a darker colored ink on your invitations or you went with thermography, your cards could rub together as they make their way through the mail. If it’s not too late, add a bit of tissue paper to ensure your pretty paper arrives in pristine shape.
Photo Credit: Esmeralda Franco Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
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2. Square invitations require more postage. Due to the abnormal shape, square envelopes require more postage to mail. While this isn’t a huge monetary difference (about 20 cents per card, depending on the size) you can easily cut a couple of extra dollars by opting for a regular ol’ rectangular envelope. If you’re looking for other ways to save on your invitations, opt for an RSVP postcard rather than a traditional mail-in response card, as the cost of a postcard stamp is less than a normal stamp.
Photo Credit: Ben Q Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
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3. Never lick the adhesive to close your envelopes. To avoid having one of your precious invites open en route, reinforce the closure method on your envelopes by using glue or some other super strong adhesive. Licking is not only hard on your mouth (the taste! paper cuts!), it also doesn’t guarantee the package will arrive in one piece. For a pretty touch, add a sticker or piece of washi tape, but don’t rely on these things as the main closure method. They can fall off or catch on other items during delivery.
Photo Credit: Katelyn James Photography on Grey Likes Weddings via Lover.ly
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4. Always take your cards inside the post office. For extra peace of mind (and to avoid risking your invitations having to battle the elements), never drop them off in a street-side mailbox. If you hand them to a person at the post office directly, they are less likely to get damaged in transit, and you can ensure you’ve done everything correctly, from the postage to the writing of the addresses. This is an especially important step if you’re using vintage stamps — they can be tricky!
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5. Ask the post office to hand cancel your stamps. Instead of letting the post office run the invites through a machine-operated sorting system (which marks the envelope with thick lines in the top right corner and may damage the envelope in the process) ,ask them to “hand cancel” your invitations. This means that they’ll use a special ink stamp to mark your invitation, and they’ll sort it by hand, reducing the risk of the damage. While some post offices refuse to do this, most are flexible if you pop in during a slow time.
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Inspired by artists from Kandinsky to Mondrian, give your food, tableware and stationery an expressive update. Take inspiration from our modern art themed wedding shoot today.
Menu and name tag, both Secret Diary; plates stylist’s own; red-wine glass, Sauvignon Blanc glass (set of 2) and Pinot Noir glass (set of 2), all Wine Essentials; white-and-gold cutlery to hire, Check My China; napkin, Mr Price Home
Malva pudding with naartjie jelly, chocolate caramel sauce and a caramelised red cardamom sugar crisp, Cakes by Wade
Save the date, invitation and name tag, all Secret Diary
Table number, Secret Diary
Orange pound cake with chocolate filling, Cakes by Wade
Sign, Secret Diary; favour box, @home
Mobile stylist’s own; chairs to hire, Urban Tonic; candles each, Sobeit Studio; candle-holders, Indigenous; menu and name tags, all Secret Diary; white-and-gold cutlery to hire, Check My China; napkins, Mr Price Home; plates stylist’s own; red-wine glass, Sauvignon Blanc glass (set of 2) and Pinot Noir glass (set of 2), all Wine Essentials
Styling: Francoise Jeanne de Villiers
Photography: Andreas Eiselen
*Products subject to availability
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Your wedding day is a joyous occasion, but all your leftover decor items can take up tons of space if left to collect dust in your home. And throwing them away is no good either. Take a look at some of our tips on how to recycle all your beautiful items to ensure they don’t go to waste.
1. MAKE A SCRAPBOOK
Keep all your wedding memories together by crafting a scrapbook filled with a copy of each stationery item, pressed flowers and any other decor items you can flatten and add in. Plus all your favourite wedding photos and any other bits and pieces you want to keep close.
2. THE WEDDING DRESS
If you aren’t too keen on keeping your dress in the back of your cupboard, you can sell it as a second-hand garment, or donate it to a charity. But rememeber to keep a piece of the fabric to add to your scrapbook!
3. THE FLOWERS
If you’re stuck with bunches of flowers from the wedding arrangements, gift them to your loved ones as thank yous, or liven up a hospital or old age home by creating beautiful bunches to donate.
4. THE STATIONERY
Leftover stationery items such as coloured paper, ribbon and other decor features can be sent to underprivileged schools and used for arts and craft classes. You can also use them in your scrapbook or hand them over to friends who are avid scrapbookers. If you are going to throw them away, make sure you are recycling them.
5. THE DECOR
Any wedding decorations such as fairy lights, ornaments, etc can always be put to good use, whether for special occasions or even just to brighten up your home. Alternatively, if you really don’t want to keep the items, you can always market them on various Facebook groups or local second-hand stores.
Image credit: Instagram
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Picture this. It’s your big day in a few months time and you feel completely torn between whether you want to stick to tradition or scrap it all and reinvent a whole new wedding style. Not to worry, we’re breaking down the standard options to provide alternatives to wedding traditions to leave behind and give a variety of options and creative ways to celebrate with your loved ones.
THE WHITE DRESS
While regarded as a symbol of purity, the traditional white wedding dress only became popular after Queen Victoria opposed the norm by wearing a white lace and satin gown for her wedding with Prince Albert in 1840. It is still a popular option for many brides today, but definitely has room for change. If you want to be daring and different, opt for colours like red, black or gold. Pastels of blue, pink, cream and grey have also become stunning options that break tradition.
Image: @gracephilipsbridal
THE BOUQUET
Some believe that bridal bouquets were used to mask the stench of the brides, who only showered once or twice a year before running water was a norm. But brides would also carry herbs and spices to protect themselves from evil spirits. While it may seem odd to walk down the aisle empty-handed, there are plenty alternatives to holding a bunch of flowers. Make a glamorous entrance carrying a matching clutch purse, or be unique with themed balloons or coloured ribbon. Having an outdoor wedding? Carry a stunning custom umbrella to match your dress.
Image: @philipjamesphotography
GIVEN AWAY
A standard norm for weddings is for the bride to be walked down the aisle by her father to be ‘given away’ to her future husband. In older times, this was a symbol of transferring ownership of the bride from her current family to her new family. While still a common practice, modern times have seen brides walk down the aisle alone, with both parents, or a close loved one.
Image: @event.life.entertainment
BRIDESMAIDS
Way back in the day, bridesmaids would dress similarly to the bride to confuse evil spirits and anyone trying to harm the bride. Nowadays, they are a group of women hand-picked by the bride-to-be to offer support and perform certain bridal duties. Even if you aren’t too keen on this tradition, it’s a great idea to have a group of close friends by your side to offer support assistance in planning your big day, and their outfits can be unique too!
Image: @ranch_505
BOUQUET & GARTER TOSS
This interesting tradition began (supposedly) as a way to distract the wedding guests while the happy couple engaged in the consummation of their marriage. Strange, right? Nowadays the throwing of the bouquet and garter are meant to bring luck and love to whoever catches them. While this can be a fun treat, it can also be slightly embarrassing for all the singletons taking part. Wedding games that include everyone are fun and creative. Have the bride and groom participate in a ‘How Much Do You Know About Your S/O’ for some light-hearted entertainment during the evening.
Image: @sofiakatherinephotography
Traditions are always changing, as do their meanings in our lives. Whether you choose to follow tradition or not, it shouldn’t be an issue for your big day. Whatever a practice means to you, it should only be a part of your day because you want it to be. Don’t feel pressured to follow the norms if you don’t agree with them or value them in your own life. Your wedding day is all about you and the celebration of love!
Header image: @lovemydress
Photography: instagram.com