Your complete guide to wedding stationery and signage!

We all know organisation is key, and when it comes to your wedding, well you’re going to really want to have things run as seamlessly as possible! So, here comes into play your signage and stationery – from day dot sending out your save the dates, to your invitations, welcomes signs, menus and more. Deciding on the practicality and aesthetic of your design really is one of our favourite creative elements of your wedding planning. Not only is it a necessity, but it’s a gorgeous memento of your special day too. Meet 5 of Byron Bay’s most loved stationery and signage designers!

What signage do we need for our wedding day?

The Blackline Bottega
We’d recommend a welcome sign and seating chart as well as bar signage if you don’t intend on having your drinks list on the menus or tables. Some of our clients ask for smaller signage for their wishing well and grazing tables too. Our advice would be to keep whatever signage you have created cohesive with the rest of your stationery, as it helps to create an ambience for your guests. 

Bridge + Co. Designs
Most importantly a welcome sign. What a way to welcome your guests and introduce yourself as the newlyweds! Definitely a seating chart if you are having a sit-down wedding and even place names or personalised menus to add that personalised touch for your guests!

Inku Press
At Inku Press our most popular ‘on the day’ signage is a welcome sign, seating plan, and menus. Menus are usually personalised with guest names and if not then a separate place card is required so guests can easily find their seats. As well as these popular prints, we also offer table numbers, wishing well signs and tags to accompany the bonbonniere gift.

The Wedding Shed
Statement signage it’s definitely a style – a “must-have” these days.  There are many amazing options with neon and acrylic signs being very on-trend to display personalised messages. When choosing your signage, we highly recommend a welcome sign and seating plan to be a must, especially if you have a large number of guests. It really helps to keep the guests flowing to the reception stage of your day. Seating plans are essential as they not only look good but help with directing your guests to where they need to be for the dining. There’s nothing worse than having hold ups with great Uncle Bob and Granny Pam not knowing where to go!  This then has a knock-on effect with slowing down the service of the day. Bar menus, personalised name cards and menus are a great option too. We even offer a combined menu, with the guest’s name at the top. This saves paper and reduces clutter to create a simple and streamlined table setting. It can even be a keepsake for your guests to take home.

Signed by Shaun
Couples research into what stationery and signage they’re after before reaching out to us. Each couple have their own style and preference, so we work together continuously to create the perfect design suited for them. Welcome Signs and Seating Charts are the most popular request. Other options are guest menus, bar menus and table numbers which add a beautiful touch, especially if you’re looking to impress your guests.

We tend to have the odd couple request unique custom stationery which holds a sentimental value to them. We have seen these special touches through personal messages to their guests which can be incorporated into the place cards/menus itself.

What is your signature style?

The Blackline Bottega
We love being experimental and incorporating handcrafted elements – whether that is the inclusion of calligraphy, lettering, painting, or illustration – as that makes every couples’ wedding feel different and special. For this reason, a lot of The Blackline Bottega suites look unique; and speaks to our overarching style which is considered and elevated with an artisanal flourish. 

Bridge + Co. Designs
I love designing and creating signs that are clean and elegant whilst still modern in fonts and current colours. 

Inku Press
Strong yet minimal. Letterpress is all about that deep impression into the paper, creating something you want to touch. Our minimal designs on 100% cotton paper allow this tactile finish to stand out. We also receive many requests for our hand-drawn maps – a custom design for your individual wedding, pressed into the soft pillowy paper. They really are like a personal stamp for your wedding day.

The Wedding Shed
The Wedding Shed’s stationery is just a simple option to assist our couples with styling their table decor for the reception. We have a simple modern style in a DL and A5 sizes – on black and white with a current trend font.  Our name cards can be either tent fold or flat.

Signed by Shaun
Ethereal, luxurious, romantic, minimal, bright & bold.

At Signed By Shaun we love to explore through our creative minds to design bespoke pieces for our couples. Whether it be a wedding in Tuscany or along the Coastal Hinterland of Byron Bay, we tailor our style to fit the location and clients brief.

When do you need my final information for stationery and signage to be ready?

The Blackline Bottega
The turn around time on any given suite differs slightly depending on the printing process you prefer and what you would like created. However, we tend to advise our clients to have the final information 3 weeks in advance of wanting the stationery sent out, and 2-3 weeks in advance for your wedding day stationery and signage. 

Bridge + Co. Designs
The more time the better but as a ballpark around 4 weeks would be perfect to get all the final information confirmed – but we do also cater for those last minute jobs!

Inku Press
Invitation suites are usually sent out 3-6 months before the wedding date, with save the dates up to a year in advance. Allow even more time for destination weddings so guests have plenty of time to arrange accommodation and flights. We are a small studio and the letterpress process is an involved process – so to ensure each job gets the attention and detail needed we only take on a handful of jobs at a time. Our turnaround time is usually 4-6 weeks, often up to 8 weeks in peak periods.

The Wedding Shed
Printed signage will be a minimum of 4–6 weeks out, and for menus 1 week is fine. Handwritten chalkboards, which our stylist sign writers can create for you, can be created within 1 week of your wedding.

Sketch & Etch
This one can be quite tricky! We like to allow four weeks for our couples to have everything finalised. We take into consideration the last minute RSVPs, wedding venue finer details confirmation etc.

Print turnarounds can vary at different times depending on print methods and the type of product chosen; however, we will do our utmost to ensure the couple has everything they need in time for their wedding day.

What’s the best way to display the menu; individually, a few per table or a large display?

The Blackline Bottega
We love individual menus as they’re a great ice breaker for guests who may not have previously met and are a simple way to create a beautiful, consistent tablescape (and they photograph beautifully). However, we’ve created large displays and a few per table – depending on the floral arrangements down the table, this can be more effective. For example, if you’re not having continuous floral arrangements down the table, having communal menus between arrangements can be a nice way to punctuate the tablescape. The key here is to not have them spaced out too sparsely.

Bridge + Co. Design
It all depends on the type of wedding, for a sit down we are loving the personalised individual menu’s that act as both a place name and a menu. As for cocktail weddings, some little menus scattered on tables or a big menu would be perfect!

Inku Press
This will depend on the style of your wedding and how your food is to be served. We usually recommend individual menus, especially for individual sit down meals – they look beautiful on the plates and finish off the table styling perfectly. If you were to hold back on quantity… shared platters or banquet style meals could get away with a few menus placed along the table. I’ve always liked having my own menu when at a wedding so I can refer to it while making my way through the courses, as I feel the beautiful letterpress!

The Wedding Shed
Here at The Wedding Shed we have a variety of timber easels, metal stands, timber VJ backdrops and plinths which you can use to display your signage and neon lighting. We advise dressing your signs with florals to make them stand out on a large scale, or for smaller pieces we have a variety of frames, brass holders, and acrylic table numbers. 

Sketch & Etch
There are many options for menus, but one of our favourites is free-standing acrylic menus. They’re a great way of displaying the menu so multiple guests can see it at once! Depending on the table configurations, we recommend one menu per 4 guests. It will be a little more intimate than one large sign and can also get guests mingling with each other.

Any hacks for reducing paper waste, whilst ticking all of the stationery boxes?

The Blackline Bottega
We use complimentary electronic pieces to reduce paper in a suite. A deckle edge invitation with a wedding website link helps invitations look clean and considered. We create wedding websites, electronic invitations, “change the dates” and images for text messages so couples aren’t having to continuously send revised paper stationery.

We encourage couples to consider:

• whether they need a separate RSVP card and envelope, that can be addressed at the bottom on the invitation
• using menus as place cards
• collecting mobile phone numbers with RSVP’s so further communication is via a designed text message
• signage, using materials that are recyclable for reuse after your wedding

Bridge + Co. Design
Well lucky for us at Bridge + Co. Designs we don’t work with paper, we use acrylic and timber… I’ve had a lot of brides keep their wedding sign and use it as wall art in their house as a little souvenir of their special day.

Inku Press
I truly believe save the dates and invitations play an important role in setting the tone for your big day. They’re the first thing your guests receive and it gives them a sneak peek into the style and quality of what’s to come. I don’t believe you can compromise on these pieces. Being selective information detailing your wedding day and afterward can be shared through a wedding website. This can include details on gifts, transport, pre-wedding party, post-wedding recovery and thank you cards. As for ‘on the day’ stationery, it’s best to keep this to a minimum – weddings are already busy and tables are full of flowers, glassware, etc. A welcome sign, seating plan and menus should set the tone nicely and keep everything running smoothly for you.

The Wedding Shed
Our classic chalkboards are a great sustainable way to create some fun signage and menu displays for your wedding day. As well, our personalised menu reduces paper usage by combing two in one!

Signed By Shaun
Wedding stationery and signage isn’t limited to just paper. We love experimenting with ideas and creating new concepts for different weddings. Silk, linen, crepe, acrylic, handmade paper, polyvinyl are all different materials which can be printed on if you would like to prevent paper wastage. We offer various glass mirrors as welcome signs for local weddings and are also a perfect sustainable option!

Learn more about Byron’s Wedding Stationery & Signage designers:
The Blackline Bottega // Bridge + Co Designs // Inku Press // The Wedding Shed // Sketch & Etch // Signed By Shaun