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Working out what stationery you actually need for a wedding is one of those tasks that looks simple until you sit down to do it. Most couples underestimate the number of separate pieces involved and do not realise how far in advance the ordering process needs to start. This checklist covers every piece of stationery from twelve months out to the week after the wedding, with a timeline calibrated for Australian lead times and postal considerations.
The Full List: Every Piece of Wedding Stationery
Before the wedding: save the dates, formal invitations, inner and outer envelopes, envelope liners (optional but impactful), RSVP cards or a digital RSVP reference, a details or information card for venue directions or accommodation, wax seals if you are sealing your envelopes, and ribbon or belly bands for layered suites. On the day: ceremony programs, menus, place cards, table numbers, a seating chart, a welcome sign, and any bar or gift table signage. After the wedding: thank-you cards.
Not every couple needs every item on this list. The core pieces — save the date, invitation, envelope, and RSVP — apply to nearly every wedding. Day-of stationery is increasingly selective. Use this as a master reference and choose what fits your format and budget.
12–14 Months Out: Research and Save the Dates
Australia’s peak wedding season runs November through March. If your date falls in this window, twelve to fourteen months is not excessive for beginning your stationery search — venues and designers fill quickly for summer and New Year dates. Off-peak weddings (April through October) can start slightly later, but eight to ten months is still advisable.
At this stage: finalise your guest count, choose your stationer, and begin thinking about your aesthetic direction. If you are considering bespoke wedding stationery, begin those conversations now. Bespoke designers take on a limited number of weddings per season and the design process takes two to three months before print begins.
Save the dates should be sent twelve to fourteen months out for peak season weddings, and ten to twelve months for off-peak. Include your names, the wedding date, the general location, and a wedding website URL if you have one.
6–8 Months Out: Invitation Design and Ordering
Your invitation suite is the piece your guests will handle, read, and in many cases keep — it sets the tone for everything else. Six to eight months out is the window for placing your invitation order; design discussions need to begin earlier if customisation is involved.
A full invitation suite typically includes the outer envelope, the invitation card, a details card, and either a physical RSVP card or a digital RSVP reference. Envelope liners are the most impactful upgrade you can add — they create a moment of delight when the envelope is opened. If you are using wax seals on the back flap, order your wax seal stamp alongside the invitation suite so the design coordinates from the outset.
Allow time for proofing. Check every name spelling, address, date, and time before approving any proof for print. Australian print production typically takes two to four weeks once approved; allow additional lead time from October through December when production queues extend across the industry.
4–5 Months Out: Addressing, Assembly, and Postage
Invitations arriving from print is the beginning of assembly, not the end of the process. Address your envelopes (digitally printed, calligraphed, or hand-written), insert the suite components in the correct order — invitation face up, details card on top, RSVP card and return envelope on top of that — and prepare for posting.
Australia Post’s large letter threshold changes your postage rate if your suite is heavier than a standard letter. Weigh a fully assembled envelope before purchasing stamps in bulk. If your envelopes carry a wax seal on the outer back flap, hand-submit them at the post office counter and ask staff not to machine-sort them — machine handling is the primary cause of seal damage in transit.
2–3 Months Out: RSVP Deadline and Day-of Stationery
Work your RSVP deadline backwards: identify when your venue or caterer needs final guest numbers (typically two to four weeks before the wedding), add one to two weeks buffer for late responses, and set that as your RSVP date. In practice, four to six weeks before the wedding is realistic — couples consistently underestimate how long it takes to follow up non-respondents.
Once RSVPs are in, order day-of stationery: menus, ceremony programs, and place cards. These pieces require a confirmed guest count and a final seating arrangement — they cannot be ordered earlier. Allow two to three weeks from order to delivery.
1 Month Out: Place Cards, Seating Charts, and Signage
With the seating arrangement confirmed, place cards and the seating chart can go to print. Supply your stationer with a clean alphabetically sorted list of names matched to table numbers — any errors in the supplied list appear on the finished cards. Venue signage covers a welcome sign, bar menu, table numbers, favour tags if applicable, and any photo display or hashtag sign.
On the Day: What Stationery Goes Where
Ceremony programs at the entrance for guests to collect as they arrive. Menus at each place setting, or one per couple. Table numbers visible from the entrance of the dining room. The seating chart near the dining room entry with names arranged alphabetically — considerably easier for guests to navigate than a table-by-table layout. Welcome sign at the venue entry. Favour tags attached to guest gifts if you are sending something home with them.
After the Wedding: Thank-You Cards
Send thank-you cards within six to eight weeks. Order them before the wedding so they are ready to write on your return. A simple flat card with your names or a monogram is sufficient; personalise each note with a specific reference to the gift or gesture rather than sending a generic template. Two to four sentences, written sincerely, is the standard.
Australian Lead Times: What to Factor In
Every timeline in this checklist reflects standard Australian production and postal conditions. Peak season (November through March) extends all lead times by two to four weeks — stationers are fully booked and production queues extend across the industry. If your wedding falls between November and January, move every item in this checklist at least a month earlier.
Paper Alchemy produces invitation suites, envelope liners, wax seals, and day-of stationery from our Sydney studio. If you have a firm date and are working backwards through this checklist, our team is happy to advise on current production availability and what can realistically be achieved within your timeframe.
