What a neat way to tie down lolly bags!

These passport invitations were printed on Quartz metallic board, adding a touch of playful sophistication.

We are in love with this bunting! There is nothing that some fabric and twine can’t achieve!

Thank you Josephine for sharing! Photos by Poppy Maeve Photography

Leaving the traditional fare for Christmas day, we opted for a champagne afternoon tea to celebrate the year that was 2013.  Loving an opportunity to put together a pretty table setting, we made the most of the wonderful products we had at our fingertips from local businesses.  Setting the scene was wrapping paper designed by Little Branch in Violet which we used as a table runner for maximum impact.  Also in the picture here are gorgeous florals by Elise from Elyssium Blooms who nailed the brief with these vibrant blooms.

We always jump at the chance to use our lovely Alex Mae diy stationery and all of the gold foil PRINTme papers coordinated perfectly with the purple hues of the table runner, but alas which design to choose? After much deliberating, we decided on Dreamy for its subtle influence to compliment the beautiful table settings from Lovestruck (more on that to come). The individual place cards were backed with gold glitter tape for a little bit of extra sparkle (a new product for next year!) and the menus whipped up using the new Alex Mae DESIGNme software (official launch coming soon). We custom made napkins using linen fabric from the Sometimes Quarter Fabric Packs created by Dailylike, and we must say we were quite impressed with the quality of the fabric – it felt so good!  The table was finished off with some gorgeous pieces from the Lovestruck hire range including scalloped plates, crochet placemats, vases and gold rimmed champagne coupes, and the awesome wooden dividers were also from Lovestruck.

For our afternoon tea pleasure, a delicious mix of sweets and savouries were lovingly made by Simply Cupcakes as part of their High Tea at home option.  The food is all made in-house and comes packaged with heating instructions for when you’re ready to serve, and you can even hire their high tea tiers to complete the high tea experience! With much delightful eating and toasting to be had, we also put together our own little cheese board to finish the meal, leaving our taste buds extra happy.

As the afternoon sun set over the horizon, we savoured the many wonderful culinary, design, styling, floral, fabric and paper goodness that lay before us and resolved to do this much more often next year!

We hope you all have an amazing Christmas filled with laughter, love and the good things in life. xxx

Well, we have done some research and found some great resources to help answer these questions, including this amazing little timeline from online wedding invitation boutique Crafty Pie. The timeline provides a great breakdown of when to order and mail your wedding stationery, including save the dates, invitations and thank you cards!

SAVE THE DATES

WHAT - Save the Dates are a great way to let friends and family know about your upcoming wedding/event. They allow your guests plenty of time to plan ahead, and ensure they mark that special date in their calendars!

WHO – Because you are asking them to keep the date free, Save the Dates should be sent to wedding guests only.

WHEN – After confirming your wedding date and booking your ceremony and reception venue, we recommend ordering and mailing your Save the Dates 6–​12 months before your wedding.

WEDDING INVITATIONS

WHAT – Your invitations are the first glimpse your guest will see of your wedding, they will set the style and tone for your wedding, so you’ll want to allow yourself plenty of time to discover, decide, and design your invitations. Get inspired! Take time to research trends, explore colour options, patterns, textures, and designs you like. Pinterest is a great starting point and full of so many great ideas!

WHEN – Whether you are doing your invitations yourself or using a professional, we recommend getting started on your invitations 3–​5 months in advance. This will allow you plenty of time to assemble and address them before mailing them out (6–​8 weeks in advance). It’s also a good idea to order extra invitations to account for last-minute invites, personal keepsakes, and any mistakes during addressing/assembly.

POSTAGE - Before mailing your invitations, bring one fully assembled invitation (envelope included) to the post office to have it weighed for proper postage. Also, remember to double-check the spelling of each guest’s name, title, and address before sending.

For more information on Wedding Invitation Wording, make sure you check out this blog post by Crafty Pie – Wedding Invitation Wording Dissected

RSVP

WHAT – A small RSVP card is normally sent out in the mail along with your invitations. Most RSVP cards will have the date you require a response by, as well as any dietary requirements or special requests. The RSVP cards are normally mailed back to you by your guests, so make sure to include a return postal address on the card. Alternatively, some people find it more efficient and preferred by their guests to respond via email or phone.

WHEN – You should set your RSVP date to be 3-4 weeks prior to your wedding. This will allow you sufficient time to chase those guests who haven’t responded as well as to let your caterers and venue know final numbers.

For more information on RSVP Cards, make sure you check out this blog post by Crafty Pie – RSVP Cards Dissected as well as RSVP Wording Ideas

THANK YOU CARDS

WHAT – If you plan on including a wedding photo with your thank you cards, you will have to wait until you receive your photos from your photographer. Sometimes this can take 2-3 months after your wedding to receive your photos, so it might be a good idea to mention to your photographer that you are wanting to include a photo with your thank you cards so he/she can arrange to send you a couple photos to choose from asap instead of waiting to receive all of your photos.

If you don’t plan on including a photo with your thank you cards, we recommend ordering your Thank You’s at the same time as your Wedding Invitations. This will ensure you are carrying over the same style across your wedding stationery, as well as the fact that they will be done and ready to send out as soon as you return from your honeymoon!

WHEN – It is best to send your Thank You cards out as soon as possible after your wedding. Your guests will understand when you’re on your honeymoon or getting settled in as newlyweds, but a timely Thank You card is always appreciated.

WHO – Thank You cards are usually sent to all guests who gave a gift or made a contribution to your wishing well, however you may also want to consider sending a special Thank You card to all those who travelled far to join you for your wedding, or helped with plans leading up to the day or on the day itself.

WORDING – There is nothing more appreciated than a hand written Thank You card. Your Thank You cards should acknowledge the specific gift that was given (and perhaps how you plan to use it), as well as any special effort that was made by the guest (travelling, helping set up etc.)