Wedding stationery has a very important purpose; outlining to your guests what they can expect from your big day. Picking your stationery can be tricky as you want it to encapsulate the theme of your wedding. To make it easier, why not draw inspiration from your venue!

Your wedding stationery is a critical part of your big day, rounding out your design and adding a beautiful touch of elegance. The invitation alone also offers your guests a sneak peek of the theme before the day begins, whilst also serving as their main source of information. It’s a polite way of providing guidance and allowing people to feel informed and included.

Before you begin picking your wedding stationery, you need to have a firm concept of what style your wedding will be. Is it classic and elegant? Whimsical and romantic, or urban and raw? Is it contemporary, vintage, hosted at a beach or barn? As you can see, venue, style and stationery go hand in hand. With this in mind, here are a few stationary ideas to complement venues of different styles.

Classic –

A classic wedding is typically a traditional, formal occasion. This may include the couple marrying in a church, a larger bridal party including flower girls, page boys, ushers and ring bearers. Classic receptions may include a 3 course sit down meal and formal introduction to traditions such as speeches, first dances and the garter and bouquet toss.

For this style I am drawing inspiration from Thorpe Manor, Oxfordshire. The charming and secluded manor allows guests to enjoy both drawing and dining rooms as well as a grand kitchen, bar, games room and flower room. It comes with extensive grounds and four-tier gardens with a magical courtyard, summerhouses, croquet lawn and orchard. Thorpe Manor is the perfect classic venue, complete with butlers and opposite the church.

For this classic venue, the style of wedding stationery I would choose would be comparable to the Classic Calligraphy Wedding Day invitation from Cartalia. This elegant collection is made from a luxurious Italian ivory board, with an elegant tripe embossed sunk frame and a pearlised envelop liner. It comes in a variety of papers and fonts, so you can create a truly personal collection. This wedding stationery is simple, sophisticated and perfect for a classic, white wedding.

Romantic –

Soft hues, delicate lighting and plenty of florals are usually evocative of a romantic wedding. When I think of a romantic wedding, I imagine fairy lights, delicate calligraphy and tonal, thought provoking colours. Think of pairing blues with greys, wine with soft neutrals and round out any scheme with bushels of over-flowing foliage.

For a romantic wedding, I feel that you want a venue steeped in stories and magic. There is no better place for this the wild yet stunning backdrop of the Malvern Hills. Set lakeside, I am drawing my inspiration for romantic styled wedding stationery from Barns & Yard in Worcestershire. This venue is a restored barn, the perfect juxtaposition of classic and modern, traditional and quirky and rustic and contemporary – it’s fused with history and romance.

As far as romantic stationery goes, I am a big fan of pairing moodier darker colours with whimsical soft colours to create a dreamy scheme. A good example is the Mulberry collection from Paper Knots. These pieces include beautiful calligraphy with delicate floral accents delivering a contemporary yet elegant invitation. It uses contrasting textures such as cotton recycled cardstock paired with rich envelopes and waxed cords. Decorated with delicate gold mesh wraps, this collection screams opulence and wild romance.

Urban –

Think city chic for this trendy wedding style. Urban décor can usually have elements of rustic or romantic, but also look to incorporate an industrial aesthetic. Picture a gorgeous warehouse wedding, with characteristics such as raw textures and materials, polished concrete, aged timber or exposed brick. It doesn’t sound like much, but this stripped back background contrasts brilliantly with the whimsical, romantic elements of the wedding.

The urban style is perfectly summed up by the Asylum Chapel in London. This unique bombed chapel consists of exposed brick, chipped paint and high ceilings. But the best part of this venue is that it is a dry hire, meaning the creative space is yours to decorate as you wish – it’s literally a blank canvas! Picture dusty green foliage and tonnes of fairy lights and candles for the perfectly intimate, urban wedding.

To solidify this style, consider wedding stationery such as De Winton Paper Co’s Midnight Luxe collection. This smoky, black and gold stationery is gorgeously glam, perfect for an urban, yet seriously sophisticated affair.

Rustic –

A rustic wedding is inspired by the simplicity of country life and references the outdoors. It usually incorporates rustic elements such as timber, metal and natural unstructured bouquets and flowers. Rustic weddings usually work best in venues such as barns or outdoors under a canopy of trees or flowers. Typically, this style of wedding is usually quite laid back and may lack some of the formalities of a classic affair, however it is beautiful in its own way.

One of the many beautiful rustic venues is Camp Katur, North Yorkshire. This exquisite venue is full of fantasy and magic – let your imagination flow and make your dream day a reality in this enchanting, woodland wedding venue. Your big day is sure to be unforgettable when it’s set within the natural beauty of the 250 acre Camp Hill Estate.

This venue would be perfectly accompanied by Baby’s Breath wedding stationery by Emmy Designs. This beautiful collection has a craft background printed onto textured card, this allows the text and delicate baby’s breath flowers to show up prominently.

Contemporary –

Contemporary weddings have the foundations of a classic and traditional one, yet with a modern twist. This could be design choices such as a non-traditional wedding dress or venue, or contemporary invitations, styling, flowers or decorations. Think geometric, geode, minimalism, or metallic accenting. It’s essentially a classy wedding with some elegant, yet trend-focused style choices.

A strong contender for a contemporary venue would be a modern hotel, such as the Ace Hotel, London. This venue is a hip, boutique hotel with social spaces including a bar, art gallery, coffee shop and basement bar. There is also a juice bar, modern brasserie, gym and an awesome flower shop. The 7^th floor events spaces have wide windows showing stunning views of the London skyline.

To fully embrace the contemporary vibe, opt for wedding stationery such as the Modern Minimalism collection by Sincerely May. Ideal for a classy affair, this classic design has a modern twist, making them effortlessly elegant – the perfect contemporary invitations.

No matter what your style or theme is, drawing inspiration from your venue is the perfect starting point to picking your wedding stationery. You want to tell your guests exactly what they can expect from your day. And give them insight on how formal the affair is. Working from your venue also allows every aspect of your big day to tie together nicely creating a theme across your entire wedding.

Photography – All venue photography has been taken from Coco Wedding Venues – the very best Wedding Venue Finder website in the UK, which is where all of the listed venues can be found.

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