There are so many things to keep track of when planning a wedding. To make things a little simpler, I’ve tried to pull together some of the important stops for picking out and sending out your wedding stationery.

One year out

Pick a theme! This is my *absolute favorite* part of the process. Think about where your venue is, what season you’ll be getting married in. Consider the color combinations you love, and narrow down stationery elements that you want to run through your whole paper set. Pin stationery sets that you love on Pinterest, and think about what it is about them that you love. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with this step, talk to a designer! I would love to help you pin down the right theme for your wedding.

7-9 months out

Send out Save the Dates. This step is super optional for most weddings, and only gets important if you expect a good portion of your guests to have to travel, OR if your date falls near or on a holiday. If you’re sending out Save the Dates, this can be the first time you let your wedding theme shine, however, this is absolutely a time that you can get cute, and not worry about tying them into your overall theme.

5-6 months out

Send out your invitations! I recommend ordering these about two months before you actually want to send them out to give A) your designer, B) yourself, and C) a calligrapher if you’re using one plenty of time to make sure your invites are perfect. If you’re having a custom set designed from scratch, back that up a little more, you can’t start a custom design too early! Set an RSVP deadline for 2-3 months before the big day to help you get those numbers locked in with your vendors.

2 months out

Pick out the rest of your final details for your stationery. Again, if you’re having a design made for you from scratch, start early! Find programs you love, decide whether you need menus. If you’re having assigned seating, decide how you want to do your seating chart (there are TONS of cute options.) Other paper options you might want to consider are scavenger hunt lists, advice cards to place at the tables, and thank you notes for sending to your awesome guests after the wedding.

Gorgeous wedding photography in this post by the talented, kick ass Amaris. See more of her stuff here: Amaris Photography.