For starters, let me tell you what I am referring to when I say "stationery". First, you may have noticed it is spelled stationery and not stationary. Not that it matters, but just saying, so hopefully vendors will stop offering wedding "stationary" ;). 

For stationery we refer to: the wedding invitations, of course, save the dates, and what is needed for the day itself, such as menus, programs, gift tags, order of service, table numbers, place, escort  or name cards and thank you cards, which are usually sent after the wedding. 

When you choose a printed design on your invitations, the coordination is pretty straight forward: You ask your professional stationer to simply carry on the design or part thereof, on all the cards and stationery you choose to purchase.

It is important that you choose a flexible vendor, who will not impose an invitation pack, instead of giving you the option to buy only the products you need. This will save you money by not having to pay for items not needed. For example, if you have a buffet dinner, you are not likely to need place cards, but still, you may choose to have a few menus printed, in order to inform your guests of their food choices. The choice should be yours. You should also have the choice of how each item should be decorated. You may want to have very pretty thank you cards and a simple rsvp, since it will come back to you in the mail.

Crafted wedding invitations, with more elements or materials, can be trickier to coordinate. There are more options and the prices can vary significantly. For example, if you have a hessian and lace invitation with a pearl brooch, with all the details printed on matt card, and everything wrapped with twine.... what elements do you combine? Do you use all elements for all products ordered? Do you use just some? Or do you simply stick to the base card for each item? The choice should ultimately be yours.

You can put the lot on all pieces: place cards, menus, programs, table numbers, thank you cards, gift tags, etc. However, it may look a bit over-the-top, without mentioning it could also be a budget buster. For some weddings, it may be perfect, while for others it may be better to use less of the common elements.

By using between 1-3 elements on each category of product it is still easy to identify a coordinated stationery group and decorating theme. To illustrate once more, you may choose hessian for the table numbers, just a twine around the place cards, and perhaps twine and an acrylic pearl on both.

One basic way of coordinating is to have all the stationery printed on the same type of paper and to use the same fonts throughout. Style, colours, shapes and the addition or removal of embellishments can then be used to create a uniqueness for each item. As long as your guest can identify elements in common among all the stationery: same font, same paper, or/ and some of the same elements, your wedding stationery will be well coordinated.

The images above show a well coordinated stationery set, where the only elements carried through the entire set were the natural card that was printed upon and the fonts used. You may choose to have the handmade or specialty paper featured on the menus and table numbers, but perhaps your table is getting busy, and the names cards can be printed just using the pain base card. it can also happen the their way: some venues may not offer chair sashes or colour other then white for table clothes and decorations.... In that case you man want add a bit of colour, bling or accents to the stationery shown at the table: i.e ribbon or bling on place cards, menus, table numbers or just on some and not on others. The choice is yours and the best person to help here, is your wedding planner or the reception organiser to discuss what elements you will have on the reception and have a better idea of what you need in terms of stationery on the day..
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​Being located on the Gold Coast, and with 50km of sandy gorgeous beaches very close by, what can I say?  We LOVE beach weddings! We make 1000's of beach wedding invitations every year for Australia and the USA so I thought to cover this theme and the relevant info you should consider when organising a beach wedding. Got ideas? PLEASE share them in the comment box below!

Beach Wedding Locations
If it`s possible try and book a private beach then you can have your wedding ceremony, and reception all day and night. If it is not, make a list of potential sites, and visit each one.

Ask questions during your visits, such as:

• Can I choose any beach or does each celebrant offer her services on a particular beach?
• Do I have an alternative plan if it rains? How do I communicate the plan to my guests?
• Wll my wedding be private from views? Will my wedding be the only event on that day?
• Do you have rooms or hotels nearby? Doe the hotel have a private bach where I can get married?
• Do I need council permission?

Make sure the location you choose has the amenities and facilities you desire.

Bridal Attire
There are 1000's of beach wedding styles that are suitable to wear outdoors,  without dragging sand all over it. Many brides opt to have two designs: one for the beach ceremony and a more elegant or formal one for the reception.

TIP/ IDEA: An idea that can help guests to be comfortable with their attire is to buy heaps of thongs and present them in a basket or wooden box. This allows people get changed during the wedding. High heels on the sand can be really uncomfortable and getting sand in your shoes is not much fun. Bare foot attire is also an option you could offer.​

​If you don't like beach elements crafted on your invitations: Choose the design you want, and have a ribbon or paper band in aqua or beach colours or sandy twine, mesh and raffia, which are simple and warm beachy elements.

You can also use the 'message in a bottle' idea for favours with thank you messages to your guests or even as wedding programs rolled in bottles. We do not usually reccomend these for invitations  Use place cards that won't blow away - names printed on shells or sandollars with a texta keep the theme going. ​                                      Check our beach invitation collection here

Flowers
The Hawaiian style lei flowers have a very relax beach style, also frangipani, hibiscus or any tropical flower. Enquire with your florist at your wedding destination to put together bouquets with shells attached to them.
​Catering
A seafood spread would be ideal for beach wedding meals: Prawn cocktail, lobster and fresh local sea food. A lot of caterers (especially abroad) will be able to make exotic sea food dishes. A signature drink is a fun, classy addition to you beach wedding, perhaps in aqua colour to complement the scenery.

Cake
Some people like having a unique shape, like a sandcastle, palm trees, seahorse, giant clam, starfish or anything that will really personalise your wedding cake. Others rather a traditional cake with a touch of ribbon in your wedding colours, usually aqua, coral or pastels.

IDEA: milk chocolate shell decorations scattered across the tables or placed in a basket. Only if weather is not too warm! 

Favors
You could make or buy glass bottles with a message inside as mentioned before. Another special touch to make your beach event stand out is to get glass tubes and fill with messages or lollies.

We have seen fantastic and practical favour ideas such as: sunglasses in every single seat with the wedding date printed on the side and the couple names engraved. Great favours ready to be used if you forgot your own.

Also paper umbrellas, engraved with the couples names and ready to be opened for use during the ceremony and to take home.

Check our beach invitation collection here

Photo Credits:
Signage: Christopher Nolan Photography
Chairs: Styleme Pretty

Locations for a Rustic Wedding
Many locations are suitable, but there is usually an outdoors element, where nature is second in beauty only to the bride and groom. Some of these places include a mountain top, a farm, barnyard, a vineyard, a lake, camp setting, the city park or garden, the beach, backyard, national park, or a resort. If you prefer to have it inside in case the weather changes, try inside a mountain lodge, a winery or brewery, or a clubhouse. Rustic weddings can be most anywhere you want them because it has a great deal to do with the decor.

Decor
Rustic weddings held outside can also be much less expensive because you can use the beauty of the surrounds as part of your decor.

​You can set up candles to light the way down the aisle and string white fairy lights up in the trees for an evening wedding or reception. Rustic weddings can take on many themes, shapes and sizes depending on what you want and what your budget will allow, the possibilities are endless.

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​You can add plenty of rustic chic to your wedding, with chairs and tables draped with hessian table runners. Other rustic theme items include:

• Pick fresh flowers from the surrounding woods or fields and use pine cones to hold them.
• Decorating preserving jars with strips of hessian or handmade paper.
• Fill those same jars with honey, jams or jellies to give as favours or use the jars as cups to drink from.
• Use pine bark or straw laid out as an aisle.
• Pottery filled with boughs of eucalypt, cedar or other local trees as table centrepieces.
• Cover hay bales with blankets, tablecloths or clean hessian to use as informal seating.