This month I'd like to talk you through how to appoint a wedding stationer. Whilst appoint is a rather formal word, I've used it because sometimes, and I'm talking from experience here, it feels like an interview process. Appoint, commission, ask, they all mean the same; you're getting married and you need someone reliable, good, amazing and completely wonderful who is absolutely on your wavelength to produce your wedding stationery.

Google "wedding stationery" and you'll see about 700,000 listings, not including sponsored links. Open yellow pages and you'll see listings for independent stationers, printers and bespoke designers. It's mind boggling and can be a minefield.

Let’s start at the beginning. Define your requirements and set out your expectations. Before starting Two by Two Weddings I was a design consultant and there's a great adage in the design world I'd like to share: You can have it quick, you can have it good, you can have it cheap. You can have two of these but not three. Apply this to your wedding stationery: it can be good and cheap but it won't be quick, it can be cheap and quick but it won't be good, you can have it quick and good but it won't be cheap. I once had a friend who started a small wedding stationery business purely to supplement the family income when she had her son. Her work was nice and she was flexible in the colours she could produce, but it was all printed on an inkjet which made the text look a bit fuzzy. Whilst she had the time to produce the work the finish wasn't that great.

In terms of your expectations, it could be something as basic as when do you wish to speak to the company? Weekends, evenings or during the day? Another expectation could be do you want to meet the designer? Do you want to collect your order?

Once you've done the requirement/expectation bit there are three further areas to consider. These are my top three and, in my opinion, critical to a good stationery experience.

1. Budget

There are three types of stationer: rack, custom and bespoke. Rack relates to the invites you write/print yourself and are low budget, custom are designs that can be customised to suit your wedding and bespoke are new and original designs unique to you and obviously are high end.

Decide on your budget and stay within its realms. If you are looking to produce your stationery for £30 don't approach the top stationery companies, you'll blow your budget just on samples and be disappointed when the quote comes in at £2000. Similarly, if you wish to commission a range of bespoke stationery, opt for companies who have the appropriate production processes in place.  A lot of home based hobby companies aren't able to offer specialist finishes easily or need to outsource to commercial printers to meet certain requirements. 

2. Turnaround times

Before proceeding it is absolutely vital that you check how long it is going to take. A good stationery house needs about 7 - 14 days to print, longer if it's a specialist finish. Printing occurs after everything has been proofed and proofing takes...well as long as it takes! Just ensure you have enough time to use the company you have chosen.

3. Processes

Check what the processes are, read the terms and conditions and ensure you are 100% happy. One process pivotal to your final product is the proofing process and your means of checking what you are receiving. Most stationery companies have great websites, but it's worth remembering that screen resolution and print resolution are completely different. A hard copy proof is crucial. Some stationery houses don't 'hard copy' proofs but rely on electronic means. You don't necessarily need a finished invitation as a proof, but you need to see how the colours look when printed. Any company that isn't bothered to send you hard copies isn't taking your order seriously.

My final bit of advice - do your research. You'll need to put in a bit of time here but it will be worth it!  Researching can be great fun. Visit the wedding shows, both local and national, buy magazines and read blogs. Don't necessarily opt for a company in the top 100 Google results, it doesn't necessarily mean they are any good it just means they have spent a lot to get their site up there.  Finally, trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't, and if something feels too good to be true it probably is!

To get you on your way take a look at the following recommendations. These are the companies I've met along the way who, in my opinion are reliable, good, amazing and completely wonderful! Enjoy!

Chartula - I have loved Chartula since they began.

Louise Richardson - Her work is astounding, one of the most innovative designers I have met.

Borrowed Blue - Inventors of vintage.

Mandalay Bride - Fabulous foiling!

Article by Wedding Stationery Designer Natalie O'Donovan

Images Courtesy of Wedding Stationery Company Two by Two Weddings