Wedding weekends have become increasingly popular in recent years. As a human, I love the way wedding weekends give couples more time to spend with their guests. As a stationery designer, I love all the creative ways to communicate information efficiently and beautifully. If you’ve ever attended a wedding weekend, you understand just how much planning goes into them—especially if it’s a destination wedding or most guests are from out of town! From choosing venues to arranging transportation, your stationery needs to communicate a lot of information. But don’t worry, it can still be beautiful! This blog tells you everything you need to know when designing stationery for wedding weekends. 

Things to Remember While Designing Invitations for Wedding Weekends

The best part of wedding weekends is all the different events. So think about the events you are hosting. Is there a welcome party, or is it strictly a rehearsal dinner? Is everyone invited, or are only certain guests invited? Deciding on your wedding stationery is much easier after you know which events you’re hosting! 

Another thing to consider while designing your stationery is what “clues” you want to give your guests. Your stationery is a great way to subtly hint at the kind of event they can expect. Is your wedding going to be fun and festive, or classic and serene? Whatever it is, guests need to know how to show up for you! Give them a glimpse into what’s to come. 

Stationery Pieces to Consider for Multi-Day Weddings 

Wedding weekends involve a lot of moving pieces. Keep your guests informed with stationery that is equal parts cute and explanatory. In addition to the traditional initiation, my favorite way to do this is through booklets! Multi-page booklets help separate the days and events into chapters, so your guests know what to expect at every turn. (Plus, booklets are some of the most gorgeous stationery pieces!)

Maps are another great piece to include. Maybe you’re hosting a welcome dinner on the beach, and the ceremony the next day is at the adorable old church in the center of town. Illustrated maps show guests what to expect and help them plan their day. I also recommend sharing what kind of transportation they can expect! 

Lastly, you can incorporate QR codes into your stationery. I know, I know, I thought they were ugly for the longest time, too. But I’ve recently found ways to incorporate the QR code into the stationery so it matches your aesthetic instead of standing out as an eye-sore. One of the best ways to do this is to infuse your monogram into your QR code design! 

When to Send Your Wedding Weekend Invitations 

Generally, the sooner you send your invitations, the better. If your wedding weekend is local, I recommend sending your invitations three months in advance. If your wedding is at a destination, or many of your guests are from out of town, send them four months in advance. The more time your guests have to plan, the happier they will be! 

You can also send a Save the Date to give your guests even more time! This will alert guests that your event is on the horizon while giving you time to solidify your details. Save the dates should be sent out six to eight months in advance. 

How to Coordinate Stationery (Without Being Too Matchy-Matchy)

The most common question I get while designing stationery for wedding weekends is how to coordinate everything. I always tell my clients that the goal is cohesion, not identical pieces. Choose a color palette and a typography suite. These two elements will ensure that everything feels cohesive without needing to duplicate the same design for every piece. 

Still, we can find a fun and unique element to bridge the gap, so every piece nods back to a central theme. Say you’re getting married in Scotland. Maybe a family plaid will help tie everything together. Or maybe it’s a beach wedding—why not pick shapes that resemble sand or water? When we work together, I love to find unexpected ways to unite designs, often pulling an element from your love story or wedding theme! 

Creative Stationery for Wedding Weekends 

Wedding weekends are a wonderful opportunity to bring people together in a lasting and meaningful way. And your stationery sets the tone! Don’t be afraid to incorporate bold and exciting details into your wedding weekend stationery—this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, after all! 

I hope this guide has been helpful. Planning a wedding weekend can be tricky, but your stationery doesn’t need to be! Explore my wedding stationery designs and inquire about working with me. I would love to design an unforgettable suite for your wedding weekend. 

Vendors:

Tori + Aquiles

Stationery: Fig. 2 Design

Planning and Design: Glint Events

Kris + Dwayne & Adam + Tim: 

Stationery: Fig. 2 Design

Planning and Design: Rocket Science Events