35 Unique Wedding Guest Book Alternatives

Wedding guest books are a traditional and beautiful way to capture your guests’ thoughts, feelings, and advice on your special day. But you’re here because you don’t want a guest book like everyone else’s. You’re here because you want something creative, unique, and different. Let’s not beat around the bush — join us as we explore 35 unique wedding guest book ideas and break down exactly how you can make these funky and fresh keepsakes a reality on your big day!

And if you’re not sure what kind of message to write in a wedding guest book, be sure to check out our dedicated post.

What is a wedding guest book?

A traditional wedding guest book is a bound book with blank pages which wedding guests can fill with signatures, well-wishes, and advice during the wedding reception. It’s kept as a keepsake by the newlyweds and serves as a happy reminder of everyone who attended their wedding.

A unique wedding guest book is anything but traditional. You can mix it up with photos, doodles, and interactive elements. If you’re quirky, different, or a fan of the unusual, a unique wedding guest book alternative could be right up your street.

35 wedding guest book alternatives

If you’re looking for classic but creative alternative guest books for weddings, check out this list of 35 fun ideas!

Paper-based guest book ideas

Photo © Illustries | See their Bridebook profile

These types of guest books blend the classic aspect of book-signing with a creative twist.

1) Thumbprint tree guest book

A thumbprint tree guest book is a creative and unique way to remember who attended your wedding. Instead of guests simply signing their names, they use ink pads to leave their thumbprints on the tree branches. Each thumbprint represents a leaf on the tree, and guests can then use pens to sign their names next to their prints.

Consider using two ink pads in complementary colours or colours that match your wedding decor.

2) Message in a bottle guest book

Message in a bottle guest books invite guests to write their names, special memories, and advice on pre-cut cards before storing them in a glass bottle. Guests should then cork the bottle to prevent any peeking on the big day itself. The happy couple can then uncork each bottle after the wedding and enjoy the well-wishes.

Although this is a beautiful wedding guest book alternative, storing these bottles may take up a lot of space in your cupboard. Consider displaying the messages in a scrapbook after the wedding to prevent clutter.

We also recommend that you source glass bottles from charity shops, pubs, recycled wine bottles, and more. This will help keep the cost down and ensure your collection of bottles is varied and eclectic, adding to the whimsy of your display.

3) Recipe card guest book

This wedding guest book alternative asks guests to share their favourite recipes with the happy couple. You can then combine the recipe cards into a personalised cookbook to help nourish married life.

Each guest is provided with a blank recipe card upon which they can write out the instructions for their favourite meals, puddings, and snacks. If you’re going to use this style of wedding guest book, we recommend letting your guests know beforehand. Few are likely to know the recipes for their favourite dish off the top of their heads, and you might end up with a lot of recipes for ‘Spag bol’ or ‘Tuna pasta’!

4) Postcard guest book

A postcard guest book is a beautiful way to incorporate your special memories and photographs into your big day. Simply collect your favourite digital photos of you and your partner, make them into postcards, and ask guests to sign the back of the postcard. They can also add a special memory, a piece of advice, or some well-wishes. This is great for couples who love travelling or who are holding a destination wedding.

Make sure you have enough postcards for each guest in attendance, and consider providing a pretty display or postbox where guests can drop their completed cards.

5) Advice cards guest book

You’re embarking on one of the biggest journeys of your life, and the advice of your friends, family, and other guests will be invaluable. Create advice cards which guests can fill out with their pearls of wisdom, words of encouragement, and heartfelt guidance. These cards can range from lighthearted tips for a happy marriage to more profound reflections on love and commitment.

Set up a designated table at your venue with a stack of advice cards, pens, and fun stickers. You should also have a decorative box where guests can deposit their cards.

Once the wedding day is all said and done, you can sit down with your new spouse and re-live the magic by reading everyone’s sage advice.

6) Wishing tree guest book

A wishing tree is similar to an advice card guest book, where guests write their wishes for your married life on pre-made wishing cards. These cards will need a space for guests’ names, their messages, and a piece of string so you can tie the card to your tree. You can then tie them to either a real or synthetic tree and present it as a beautiful centerpiece at your wedding reception.

This will also make for a beautiful conversation piece in your home and serve as a constant reminder of your special day.

7) Message bunting or garland

Lean into a tea party or garden party theme with wedding guest book bunting. Have your guests sign a paper or fabric triangle and attach them to a string, creating a decorative bunting. These triangles can be pre-cut in various sizes and colours to match your wedding theme or colour scheme.

Throughout the event, the bunting will gradually fill up with heartfelt messages from your guests, creating a beautiful and interactive display that adds to the ambiance of your whimsical wedding.

Creative guest books ideas

Photo © Wedding Illustrator | See their Bridebook profile

Creative wedding guest book alternatives are perfect for arty couples who want to add a personal touch to their wedding day. These 7 creative guest book alternatives may require a little forward planning, but they’ll be a special and memorable part of your day.

8) Vinyl record guest book

If you’re big music buffs, having your guests sign a copy of your favourite vinyl or a portable vinyl case is a unique and meaningful guest book alternative. Guests can leave their signatures and well-wishes directly on the record’s surface, turning it into a lovely memento of your special day that you can display in your home.

9) Guest book bench

Having your guests carve their name into a bench for your garden is a unique and nostalgic take on a traditional guest book. Choose a bench made of robust wood, and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture that is both a functional addition to your garden and holds special significance from your big day.

If you’re not confident in your guests’ ability to carve their names legibly, consider hiring a professional carpenter to pre-engrave the bench with spaces where guests can inscribe their names or leave messages. This ensures a uniform and polished look while still allowing for personalisation from your guests.

10) Message board

A message board is a fun way to display your guests’ well-wishes while adding an interactive element to your wedding reception. Instead of a traditional guest book, put out some brightly coloured markers and invite your guests to write their messages on a giant poster board. If you like colourful and chaotic, this is the wedding guest book alternative for you.

Pro tip: Put your wedding guest book in a prominent place during your wedding reception. For example, near the entrance, the gift table, or the bar. This will prompt guests to sign your book and ensure it isn’t overlooked during the celebration.

11) Wishing well guest book

First things first: you’ll need a wishing well for a wishing well guest book. This can be a (clean) bin made to look like a well, a pretty container, or even a large, covered bowl for smaller receptions. Provide guests with small cards or pieces of paper where they can write down their wishes for you as a couple.

Encourage guests to drop their wishes into the well throughout the reception. Watching the well fill up with special messages from your loved ones adds a touch of magic to your celebration and creates a visual representation of the support surrounding you on your special day.

After the wedding, you can gather all the wishes from the well and keep them in a special keepsake box or album.

12) Scrapbook station

If your guests are especially crafty or enjoy expressing their creativity, a scrapbook station can be the perfect addition to your wedding reception. Set up a designated area with a variety of scrapbooking supplies like photos, glue, pens, glitter, washi tape, and more.

Encourage guests to unleash their inner artist by creating personalised scrapbook pages for the newlyweds. They can include well-wishes, drawings, or even small photos taken during the wedding festivities.

This interactive activity provides guests with a fun and engaging way to participate in your special day, and results in a unique and heartfelt keepsake for you and your partner to treasure for years to come. Just make sure no one closes the book before the glue is dry! What a disaster.

13) Jenga guest book

Buy a wooden Jenga set with giant blocks and ask your guests to write their names and well-wishes on each side of the blocks in permanent marker. Your guests can then play this timeless game during cocktail hour, and you can be reminded of everyone’s love and well-wishes every time you play together as a couple.

14) Wine label guest book

This is a at option for those who enjoy a tipple. Ask your guests to bring their favourite bottle of wine to the wedding reception, and then ask guests to write their congratulations directly onto the labels using metallic or permanent markers. This guest book alternative will require a little more planning, but it’s a great option for nearly-weds who don’t plan on asking for wedding gifts.

Photo guest book ideas

Photo © Smartpicsuk photo booth | See their Bridebook profile

A picture is worth a thousand words, so a photo album must be the greatest guest book of all, right? Try these fun alternatives if you’re looking to shake up a regular photo guest book.

15) Polaroid guest book

Polaroid guest books are an instant and fun way to capture those who attended your wedding. Simply set up an area with a few Polaroid or other instant cameras, some fun props, pens, and a photo album, and have guests snap pictures of themselves in the moment. Place the instantly developed pictures into the album and ask guests to write a few words of congratulations or well-wishes next to their photo.

16) Photo booth

Photo booths are another great and instant way to capture your guest’s likenesses while adding a touch of entertainment to your wedding reception. For a DIY approach, set up a designated area with a backdrop, props, and a digital camera. Encourage guests to step inside and strike a pose, creating fun and memorable snaps which they can pop into your photo album as a token of the special day.

Alternatively, you can hire photo booths that will send you a link or QR code to any photos taken in the booth on your wedding day. Guests can also follow this link to download their photos as keepsakes of the big day.

17) Doodle or sketch guest book

You can hire incredibly talented artists to create sketches, doodles, or drawings of your guests in their wedding attire on your special day. The drawings can be more lifelike or cartoony depending on the style of the artist, and either way will add a unique and personal touch to your wedding festivities. Guests will be super excited to have their portraits created on the spot, and to receive a one-of-a-kind keepsake by which to remember your wedding day.

The artist should have the tools and means to create a duplicate of each drawing, meaning guests can take one home, while you can store a copy in your own album as a memento from your special day.

18) Selfie station guest book

This is similar to a photobooth, but the selfie-station nature makes it even more interactive and personal. Set up a designated area with a backdrop, props, and a selfie stick or two. Encourage guests to snap their own selfies or group photos throughout the reception, capturing candid moments and silly poses.

Consider adding a cohesive prop to add some uniformity to this chaotic guestbook. For example, ask guests to wear the same pair of sunglasses, use the same sign, or wear the same themed accessory in all the photos to tie the album together.

19) Photobook app

You can download photobook apps where guests can follow a link or scan a QR code to upload their personal pictures from the wedding. This is a candid and stress-free way to create a guest book. Plus, it’s nice to see your big day through the eyes of your friends and guests.

These apps will usually allow you to print a physical copy of your guest book for a small charge so you can have a tangible keepsake to cherish for years to come.

20) Mugshot wall

This is a tongue-in-cheek way to add some humour and entertainment to your wedding reception. Set up a designated area with a backdrop that resembles a police lineup, complete with height markers and numbers.

Encourage guests to strike a pose and have their “mugshots” taken by a photographer or with a selfie station. Guests can get creative with props such as fake handcuffs, police hats, or “Wanted” signs. After the photos are taken, display them on a wall or bulletin board for all to see. Guests can have a laugh as they browse the lineup of silly and playful mugshots.

To turn it into a guestbook, provide markers or chalk so guests can write a brief message next to their photo, adding a personal touch to their “arrest record.”

21) Giant polaroid frame

This was a popular photo style a few years ago, and it’s still a charming addition to any wedding celebration. Set up a large polaroid frame prop, either made of lightweight wood or cardboard, in a prominent area of your venue. You can also encourage guests to pass it around the dance floor for a fun twist on traditional guest book photos.

Encourage guests to step inside the frame and strike a pose, capturing candid and memorable moments with their friends and loved ones. Snap a photo with an instant camera, pop it in a photo album, and encourage guests to sign their name and some words of wisdom for a fun guest book wedding alternative!

Collectible guest books

Photo © The Handmade Favour | See their Bridebook profile

Collectible guest books involve either customising or creating collectible items to help remember your big day. Collectible guest books are a great option for maximalists or anyone who wants a tangible reminder of the big day.

22) Wishing stone guest book

Wishing stones are large, smooth pebbles upon which guests can write their blessings using permanent markers or paint pens. These stones can then be displayed in your home or garden as a unique and meaningful keepsake from your wedding day.

Be sure to put a bowl near the wishing stone so guests can easily differentiate between decorated and non-decorated stones.

23) Customised ornaments

If you’re having a winter or festive wedding, you could ask guests to create a customised ornament or decorative bauble as their guest book entry. Provide plain ornaments along with an assortment of decorating materials such as paint, glitter, ribbons, and pens.

Guests can let loose their creativity by personalising their ornaments with their names, congratulations, or even a special message for the newlyweds. Whether they opt for elegant designs, beautiful words, or quirky illustrations, each ornament will be a unique reflection of the guest who created it.

After the wedding, you can hang these custom ornaments on a special tree or display them in your home during the festive season.

24) Miniature canvas paintings

Ever heard of a paint and sip? Paint and sip events are popular gatherings where participants enjoy painting while sipping on beverages. For your wedding, you can adapt this concept by providing miniature canvas paintings as a guest book alternative.

Set up a painting station at your reception venue with small canvases, paintbrushes, and a variety of paint colours. Encourage guests to unleash their inner artists by creating miniature masterpieces which reflect their personalities or convey their well-wishes for the newlyweds. You could ask them to recreate their favourite part of the day, paint a portrait of themselves, or to even just paint a simple heart for those who aren’t too creative.

As guests complete their paintings, they can sign their names or write messages on the back of the canvases. This adds a personal touch to each artwork and transforms them into unique and meaningful keepsakes. You can then display these canvases on a shelf in your home.

25) Customised playing cards

If you’d like to keep your wedding guest book low-key, consider asking guests to sign a pack of playing cards for a fun and practical twist on the traditional guest book. Simply provide a deck of playing cards and a permanent marker, and encourage guests to sign their names, write messages, or doodle on the cards.

Guests can take their time to personalise their chosen card, whether it’s the Ace of Hearts or the Queen of Spades, adding a touch of whimsy and personality to their contributions.

Once all the cards are signed, you can gather them together and keep them in a special box or pouch as a memento of your wedding day.

26) Customised guitar picks

If you’re musically inclined, consider asking guests to sign guitar picks as an alternative to a traditional wedding guest book. Guests can personalise their guitar picks with their names, thoughts on love, or even drawings that reflect their personalities or your wedding theme.

Don’t use the guitar picks to actually play an instrument. Instead, collect them in a dedicated photo album or shadow box display. This will mean you can keep them safe and enjoy them for years to come.

27) Time capsule

If you’re having a back garden wedding, you could consider creating a time capsule of the big day with all your guests. Ask everyone to write a piece of advice or a happy memory from the day on a piece of card, enclose it in a time capsule, and then bury it in the ground.

Agree to open it again in a specific amount of time. For example, 5, 10, or 15 years. You’ll need to own the land or have permission to bury the time capsule at your wedding reception, which is why we only recommend this for back garden weddings.

Opening the time capsule after a designated period of time will allow you to reflect on how your lives have changed and grown since your wedding day. It’s a beautiful opportunity to reconnect with your loved ones and reminisce about the love and joy that surrounded you on that momentous occasion.

28) Customised ceramic tiles

If you’re redecorating, or a fan of home decor, consider having customised ceramic tiles as a unique and decorative guest book alternative. Provide plain ceramic tiles along with paint markers or pens in various colours.

During the wedding reception, invite guests to decorate their own ceramic tile with their names, well-wishes, or drawings that reflect their personalities or your wedding theme. Whether they’re budding artists or simply enjoy expressing themselves creatively, guests will appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this personalised guest book.

Once the tiles are decorated, allow them to dry completely before sealing them with a clear coat to preserve the designs.

Interactive guest books ideas

Photo © The Telephone Guestbook | See their Bridebook profile

Interactive guest books are an alternative to traditional guest books in that they encourage guests to play and engage with them. Check out the following interactive guest book ideas.

29) Audio guest book

Now this will be a real talking point for your wedding! An audio guest book offers a twist on the traditional guest book, allowing guests to record their own personalised audio messages or well-wishes for the newlyweds.

Consider setting up a recording station where guests can leave their heartfelt messages, anecdotes, or words of advice. This unique guest book idea captures the authentic voices and emotions of your loved ones on the big day, providing a fabulous and interactive keepsake to revisit for years to come.

30) Jigsaw puzzle guest book

You can buy blank or custom-made jigsaw puzzles online. Consider using a photo from your engagement shoot or a couple’s selfie to create a personalised jigsaw puzzle guest book. Encourage guests to write a message on the back of the jigsaw pieces to add a personal touch to your jigsaw puzzle.

Make sure that the pieces are quite big so people can write freely, and that there are enough pieces for everyone to leave a message!

31) Typewriter guest book

If you can find a vintage typewriter, consider setting it up at your wedding so guests can write a sweet message or offer sincere wedding advice in a classic way. This is a beautiful, unique, and nostalgic way to engage your guests and capture their sentiments. Try hunting around resale sites, antique shops, or asking around trusted friends. You might be surprised who has an old typewriter just gathering dust!

After the wedding, you can collect the typed messages and compile them into a guest book or keepsake album.

32) Chessboard guest book

If you’re a fan of chess, try asking guests to write a message within the individual chess board squares. This unconventional guest book idea combines your love for chess with the sentiments of your guests, creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake that reflects your personality and interests as a couple. If you pick an especially beautiful board, you can keep it out as a home decoration or display it in a shadow box as a unique piece of art.

You’ll need either a glass paint pen or a permanent marker to ensure the messages don’t rub off. Consider glazing the board with resin or clear epoxy to protect the messages.

33) Personalised board games

If you and your partner share a love of board games, consider asking guests to customise a blank board game for you.

The technicalities of this will depend on your favourite types of board game. However, if it’s a game like Monopoly, you can ask guests to name the properties, customise chance cards, and even create unique playing pieces that represent different aspects of your relationship or interests.

For example, guests could name the properties after where you met, got engaged, or plan to honeymoon. They could customise the chance cards with inside jokes, personal anecdotes, or words of wisdom. Additionally, they could design player tokens to resemble symbols that hold significance to you as a couple, such as your favourite animals, hobbies, or shared passions.

34) Wedding bingo

Wedding bingo is a fun and slightly cheeky game where guests are provided with bingo cards featuring various wedding-related scenarios, traditions, or events. Throughout the wedding reception, guests mark off the squares on their bingo cards as they observe or participate in these activities. Make one of the squares ‘write a message on the back of this card’ for an automatic point and a fun way to collect guest book messages!

The scenarios included on the bingo cards can range from spotting the bride and groom kissing, catching the bouquet, or witnessing a dance floor mishap. Guests can play individually or in teams, competing to be the first to complete a row or fill their entire bingo card.

Whoever fills their bingo card first should win a prize like a bottle of champagne, but you can also have prizes for whoever fills a line first or achieves a certain pattern on their card, like a heart. Collect all the cards at the end of the night and organise them into a photo album for a unique and fun guest book idea.

35) Date night jar

Ask guests to fill in an advice card with their name and a date night idea for your new life as newlyweds. You can then put all the cards into a jar or postbox to enjoy in the future. This thoughtful and practical guest book alternative encourages guests to share their wisdom and creativity while providing the couple with a treasure trove of date night ideas for their married life.

The bottom line on wedding guest book ideas

Although a classic wedding guestbook is charming and beautiful, infusing your personality, hobbies, and personal love story into your big day makes it all the more special. However, with so much to think about running up to the wedding day, it’s easy to overlook more creative or unique wedding guest book ideas.

So, take a moment to step back from the hustle and bustle of wedding planning and consider how you can make your guest book truly reflective of you as a couple. There’s nothing wrong with using a classic wedding book or a more low-key idea. However, if you’re looking for something unique or creative, try any of these 35 guest book alternatives for a wedding. Whether you fancy creating a beautiful keepsake or having a more candid reflection of your big day, there’s something for everything in this comprehensive list.

Happy Planning!

The Best Wedding Stationery to Buy – Bridebook x Papier

There’s no better way to tell a wedding story that lasts a lifetime than with the finest paper details. In this digital age, there’s something extra special about sending and receiving real paper correspondence – giving you and your guests something to treasure beyond the big day. From contemporary designs to timeless classics, Papier is our top choice for wedding stationery to elevate your celebration from start to finish. (Psst: keep scrolling for an exclusive promo code!)

Reasons to choose Papier

From save the dates and invitations, to menus, place cards and order of service, plus thank yous, guest books and photo books, Papier’s wedding stationery spans every chapter of your wedding journey. Everything can be easily personalised with your own words and event details.

Here are just a few more reasons why Papier is at the very top of our wedding stationery wish list:

Stationery for every stage of your wedding journey (pre-wedding, on the day and post-wedding).
Hand-painted designs with extraordinary details, printed on premium, textured paper.
The option to order your first sample FREE – experience their quality firsthand and be sure before you buy.
A wedding style finder that provides a tailored selection of stationery just for you.
A friendly team of experts who can tweak and tailor any design to bring your unique paper vision to life, whether you’d like to customise colours or add new elements.

And if that wasn’t all, Bridebook couples can get a 15% discount off their first Papier order with code BRIDEBOOK15. So, what are you waiting for? Start telling your wedding story with Papier now.

Start your wedding story with Papier

No matter where you are in your wedding planning process, Papier has endless paper details to reflect your personal style. All designed with love in mind and ready to be made distinctly yours – pick and personalise your designs today!

Creative and Inspiring Wedding Invitation Ideas

Your big day is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of love, happiness, and two families joining together. As a result, you’ll want every detail to be a reflection of the special journey that brought you to this moment. From the choice of venue to the wedding invitations, every aspect of your wedding day should be a reflection of you.

That means you won’t want a wedding invitation like everybody else. Although traditional wedding invitations are elegant and professional, there’s no reason fun wedding invitations can’t be equally beautiful! In this post, we give you 10 unique wedding invitation ideas that will make your big day unique and memorable. We include some vendors you can work with, what materials you may need, and how you can DIY these invitations. Let’s get started!

10 unique wedding invitations

Photo © Bellapeach Creative | See their Bridebook profile

Check out these 10 ideas for unique and unusual wedding invitations.

1. Scratch-off invitations

Photo © Box Clever Wedding | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

You know those scratch-off lottery tickets you can buy? Think of that, as a wedding invitation.

Scratch-off wedding invitations are a fun and interactive way to invite your guests to your big day. Your guests can scratch off metallic shapes to unveil the time, date, and location of your big day. This novel approach to wedding invitations adds an element of playfulness and sets the tone for your big day.

What you’ll need

A printer or calligraphy ink
Design software if digitally designing
Scratch-off stickers. You can get a bag of 50 for around £1
Cardstock
Cutting tools
Sealant spray
Envelopes

Method

Step 1. The first step is to design your invitation. You can either do this by hand using ink and rulers, or on a computer using design software. When creating a scratch-off design, you’ll need to set your invitation out in a specific way. The time, date, and place of your wedding will need to be separate on the design. This way, you can place scratch-off stickers over the information once printed out.

Step 2. If working with a computer, you’ll need to print your design onto cardstock. If hand-designing your invites, you’ll need to cut them out of a larger piece of paper.

Step 3. Apply the scratch-off stickers over the crucial information. Check the instructions for your stickers to check if you need sealant spray. If not, you can place the invite in an envelope and send it off. If you do need sealant, be sure to let the sealant dry properly before placing the invite in an envelope. Otherwise, the sealant may stick to the envelope, and your guests will struggle to open it!

2. Storybook invitations

Photo © Wedition – personalised wedding magazines | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

A storybook invitation is perfect for a forest, castle, or other whimsical-themed wedding. A storybook invitation will be a little more expensive to produce, but it’s a beautiful way to tell your love story and invite your guests to the happiest day of your life.

A storybook invitation is set out like a book. It will usually have a more durable cover and thicker, high-quality pages to enhance its appeal. It should have little illustrations throughout, and the information should be written as a story to support the whimsy.

This invitation style will likely be kept as a keepsake for years to come, so be sure to pick durable materials and choose elements that will stand the test of time.

What you’ll need

Because of the nature of these invitations, it’s best to employ the help of a professional stationer. We recommend:

Any of these specialist wedding invitation stationers will be able to help you with your design. However, there are still some steps you’ll need to take.

Method

Step 1. You’ll need to write the wording for your wedding invitations. Work with your designer to find out how many pages you’ll need to fill. If you’re struggling with that to write, try something like this:

“Once upon a time, there was a [handsome prince/beautiful princess/magical imp]. They decided they would go on a walk in the Forest of [how you met your significant other. For example, the Forest of Blind Dates]. Unfortunately, they got lost. They were very frightened, alone in the woods. They continued to walk in the forest when they came across a clearing. And there they saw [the king/the queen/a mysterious time traveller], the most beautiful person they’d ever seen. It was love at first sight. They agreed they would be married at once, and everyone in the [kingdom/queendom/magical land] was invited.”

Feel free to mix up this story to include special moments in your relationship. Try including inside jokes from your hen do/stag party, when you were dating, or other sweet anecdotes to help your guests feel more involved with your story.

The final page of your story should include all the details of your fairytale wedding. Be sure to include the time, date, place, and dress code as a minimum.

Step 2. Work closely with your designer to fit your story onto the pages of your invite. They may recommend that you have some illustrations made to enhance the fairytale feel. If you’re creative or artistic, you can create these illustrations yourself.

Step 3. Select a font that complements the fairy tale theme and enhances the readability of your story. A script or calligraphy-style font can add a touch of elegance and add to the whimsy of the invite.

Step 4. Once you have finalised your invitations and received the finished pieces, pack them into large envelopes (potentially the ones with bubble wrap) and post them to your guests.

3. Passport invitations/boarding passes

Photo © LoveLi – Design for Love & Life | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Passport invitations or boarding passes are perfect for a destination wedding, for couples who met on holiday, or for those with a love of travelling. They’re easy to DIY with the help of a little technology and creativity.

What you’ll need

A printer
Cardstock
Cutting tools
Envelopes

Method

Step 1. Design your passport or boarding pass using digital design software. You can either create your own design or try searching any of the below vendors for a template which you can then customise:

Step 2. Print out your design and trim using cutting tools. Fill in details like the names of guests.

Step 3. Place your invite in an envelope and send it to your guests.

4. Vintage postcard invitations

Photo © Fine Art Design Studio | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Vintage postcards are similar to creating your own boarding pass or passport. All you’ll need is a digital template or inspiration piece, and you’re good to go!

Try creating a vintage postcard based on where you met your partner, a place that holds special significance, or where you’re getting married. Bonus points if this location has a special historical significance of vintage flair. For example, a sweet café in Paris.

What you’ll need

A printer
Cardstock
Cutting tools
Envelopes

Method

Step 1. Design your postcard using digital design software. You might want to use an actual vintage postcard or digitally edit a new postcard to look vintage.

Step 2. Print out your design and trim using cutting tools. Fill in details like the names of guests on the back.

Step 3. Place your invite in an envelope and send it to your guests.

5. QR code invitations

Photo © Gettin’ Hitched Rocks | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

QR codes are a modern and increasingly popular way to share your wedding invitation.

This will require quite a bit of background work before you can send a QR code in the post. For example, you’ll need to create a wedding website with information about the time, date, and location of your wedding. However, this can be handy as you can store all your wedding information in one place for guests to access.

What you’ll need

A wedding website
A QR code generator
Design software
A printer
Cardstock
Envelopes

Method

Step 1. Your first step will be to create a wedding website. This will act as the landing page for your QR code and include all the essential information about your big day. You can have a professional help you with this, but it’s also easy to create a simple website using online guides. You will need to consider:

Which host you will use. There are a range of website hosts you can use, and they vary in price. Some are free like WordPress, whereas websites like Squarespace are a little pricier but come with beautiful, easy-to-customise templates.
The design of your site. It’s recommended that your website’s design matches your wedding’s theme. The level of design will depend largely on your skill level, but you can employ a professional to help you with this.
Your essential wedding website pages. You should include the following pages: Home, Key Details, RSVP, Travel Plans, Gift Registry, Gallery. You could also include additional pages that add a personal touch and enhance the overall experience for your guests. For example, Our Story, Dress Code, Social Media Hashtags, Countdown, Song Requests, and even Fun Facts.

Lots of website hosts will allow you to create a QR code that links to your website. You’ll need a QR creation tool if they don’t.

Step 2. Find an online QR creation tool, like Adobe’s free QR code generator. This image will link back to your website, where guests can find all the information they need about your big day. Once you’ve created your QR code, download it as an image file ready for printing.

Step 3. Use design software to create an invitation that centres your QR code. You can put this in an envelope and send it to your guests as you would a paper-based wedding invitation. It’s traditional but with a modern twist.

6. Hand-painted invitations

Photo © Yellowstone Paper Works | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Hand-painted wedding invitations offer a personalised and artistic touch. Plus, they’re easier to create than you might think!

What you’ll need

Cardstock
Watercolour paint
A paint palette or an old saucer
Brushes
Calligraphy ink
Envelopes

Method

Step 1. Put a small blob of the paint colours you’d like on your palette. Be sure to keep them far apart so they don’t mix and get muddy. Add water to the paint until they become translucent.

Step 2. Apply the paint to your cardstock in unusual shapes and patterns. Don’t worry about it being too perfect –- it’s supposed to look abstract! Wait for the first layer to fully dry before adding a second. Build up the layers until the invitation is bright enough. If you prefer a more delicate, pastel look, only use one or two layers of paint.

Step 3. Allow the paint to fully dry before writing your wedding details over the top. Once the ink from the information has dried, pop your invitations in an envelope and send them to your guests.

7. Origami fortune teller invitations

Photo © Origami Fox | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Remember the fortune teller origami games you made at school? You might have also called them whirly birds or cootie catchers? Have you considered making them into a wedding invitation? They’re a fun and unique way to engage your guests and add a playful touch to your wedding invitation.

What you’ll need

Design software
A printer
Specialist printer paper
Envelopes

Method

Step 1. You might benefit from making a draft fortune teller, marking each section, and then unfolding it so you can know exactly what information to put where. This way, the information will sit in the right place when the fortune teller is all folded up.

Step 2. Begin creating different sections of the fortune teller in your design software. Clearly label each section with the information it will contain, such as date, time, venue, and RSVP details.

Step 3. Print a draft of the fortune teller and fold it up to check the layout. This step ensures that when your guests fold the fortune teller, the information will be presented in the correct order.

Step 4. Print the fortune tellers on high-quality printer paper or cardstock. Consider using slightly thicker paper to ensure durability.

Step 5. Pop the fortune tellers in the envelopes and send them to your guests.

8. Magnetic Invitations

Photo © NIVI Design | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Did you know you can print your wedding invitation onto a fridge magnet? Magnetic invitations are a practical and memorable way to ensure your guests don’t miss your wedding details every time they reach for a snack. They’re great for the busy (or disorganised!) people in your life, and work particularly well for save the dates.

What you’ll need

Look for printing companies or specialised vendors that offer magnetic printing services. Check their reviews, portfolio, and the types of materials they use to ensure quality. We’ve got plenty of suppliers right here on Bridebook who offer fridge magnet style wedding invites. For example:

Method

You’ll need to work closely with a vendor to design your magnetic wedding invitations. You can work together on your designs, font, colours, and more. Ask them to create one on the first run. This way, you can quality-check the item and make sure everything has come out the way you expected. Once they’re all approved, you can create a larger batch and send them out to your guests.

9. Custom puzzle piece invitations

Photo © Dreamcatcher Events | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Printing your invitation onto a puzzle and asking guests to put it together adds a fun and interactive element to sending your wedding invitations. You should make it fairly easy to solve. Think 20 pieces or less. It would be a bit embarrassing if no one could solve the puzzle so no one showed up!

What you’ll need

As with the magnetic invites, you’ll need to work with specialist vendors to help you create your puzzle invitation. These vendors typically specialise in unique and creative invitation designs, and will have specialist equipment to help you achieve your creative wedding invite. These will include custom printing, die-cutting, and intricate paper engineering.

Method

You’ll need to work closely with them to design the size, shape, and complexity of the puzzle pieces. Discuss your vision for the overall aesthetic, theme, and colour scheme to ensure that the final product is exactly what you’d hoped for.

10. Message-in-a-bottle invitations

Photo © Creative Calligraphy | See their Bridebook profile

The idea

Message-in-a-bottle invitations are great for beach bums, sailing couples, or anyone with a sense of adventure. These invitations are designed, printed off, rolled up, and placed in a bottle. We won’t go as far as to say guests should go looking for them on a beach! However, it might be an idea to hand-deliver these precious parcels instead of sending them in the post.

To enhance the experience, try incorporating beach sand, tiny seashells, or even a subtle maritime fragrance within the bottle. This provides a multisensory experience for your guests as they unseal and read the message.

What you’ll need

Glass bottles
Candle wax
Corks
Cardstock
Any additional elements like seashells or beach sand

Method

Step 1. Start by picking your glass bottles. While you can of course purchase matching glass bottles, it adds to the rustic appeal if they’re all different. Try collecting them as time goes on or visiting a second-hand shop or charity shop to see if they have unique and eclectic options.

Pro tip: Use nail varnish remover and a cotton ball to remove any sticker or label residue.

Step 2. Design and print the invitation messages on durable cardstock. Consider adding a touch of creativity to the message to align with the adventurous theme. At this point, you should add any seashells, sand, or other elements you’re considering using. Roll each message tightly, making sure they fit easily into the chosen bottles.

Step 3. Cork every bottle and seal it with some melted candle wax. This step seals the bottle and adds a rustic, nautical aesthetic to your invitations.

Step 4. While posting the invitations is an option, the true charm of a message-in-a-bottle experience is heightened when delivered by hand. Plus, this way, there’s no risk of the bottle breaking during delivery.

The bottom line on creative and inspiring wedding invitations

Photo © Pretty Creative Stationery | See their Bridebook profile

Although they take a little more effort, creative and inspiring wedding invitations set the tone for your big day and can be a memorable keepsake for your special guests.

There are a number of options for unique and unusual wedding cards, and each one is just as beautiful as they are fun. Ultimately, it’s up to you and your partner which one will suit your wedding best. Our top tips are to look for inspiration online, work with a trusted vendor, and not be afraid of redesigning or reworking if something goes wrong.

If you’re feeling crafty and want to tackle your own wedding invitations, we’ve collated a brilliant guide to how to make DIY wedding invitations. We also have a great roster of professional stationers who are ready to help you craft your wedding vision.

Happy Planning!

How to Make DIY Wedding Invitations

Between save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, and thank-you cards, the cost of professionally printed wedding stationery certainly adds up. Although hiring a professional to create these important keepsakes is a fantastic hassle-free option, there’s something to be said for the warmth and cost-effectiveness of DIY wedding stationery.

Making your own wedding stationery is a great way to not only save money but also add a personal touch to your big day. It’s an opportunity to let your creativity shine, craft bespoke keepsakes, and leave a lasting impression on your guests from the moment they receive their invitation.

So, if you’re looking to add a touch of uniqueness and a dash of your own personality to your wedding stationery, keep reading! This post explores the benefits of making your own wedding stationery, gives a step-by-step guide to DIY wedding invites, and highlights some wedding invitation etiquette to consider.

The benefits of making your own wedding stationery

Photo © Made By Rae Designs | See their Bridebook profile

There are several benefits to making your own wedding stationery. These include:

Budget-friendly. Professional printing services can be very expensive, and the cost-saving benefits of making your own wedding invitations can’t be underestimated. Plus, anything you save in wedding invitations can go towards other aspects of your big day!
A personal touch. Professionally printed wedding invitations are professional and beautiful. However, there’s nothing like the handmade beauty of a DIY wedding invite. This personal touch means your wedding invitations are 100% original and tailored to match your colour scheme and decor.
Quality control. When you make your own stationery, you have full control over the quality. You can choose the type of paper, font, printing method, and ensure that every detail meets your standards. This level of control guarantees a finished product that’s exactly as you envisioned.
Easy to make last-minute changes. DIY stationery gives you the flexibility to make last-minute changes to your design. For example, you might have a sudden inspiration for a different accent colour or decide to include a special quote or song lyric that resonates with you and your partner.
A bonding experience. Making your own wedding stationery can be a fun bonding experience with your soon-to-be spouse, maid of honour, or other members of your wedding party.

How to make your own wedding invitations

Photo © Anna Jayne Designs | See their Bridebook profile

Making your own wedding invitations isn’t difficult. It just takes a little bit of time, effort, and forward planning. Try following our eight steps to design, create, and send your dream, budget-friendly wedding invitations.

Making your own wedding invitations isn’t difficult. It just takes a little bit of time, effort, and forward planning. Try following our 11 steps to design, create, and send your dream, budget-friendly wedding invitations.

1. Find your style

The first step of wedding invite DIY is to gather inspiration and find your personal style. Most people like to match their invitations to the theme of their wedding. For example, neutral and elegant, dark and bold, bright and colourful, or pastel and cutesy.

However, if you’re not yet sure what theme you want, try flicking through wedding magazines, checking out dreamy Instagram posts, pinning on Pinterest boards, or visiting art galleries. Take photos of anything that catches your eye and collate them into a physical or digital mood board. Are there any common themes, colours, or styles? If so, these might be the clues to your wedding invitation style, and you can use these as your inspiration when crafting your wedding invites.

2. Calculate your budget

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that low cost means no cost. There will still be expenses you need to budget for when making your DIY wedding invitations. For example:

Paper. Consider the thickness of your paper and the type of paper you’d like. For example, you might opt for heavyweight cardstock if you want a luxury look and feel. On the other hand, recycled or coloured paper is great for a shabby-chic or rustic look.
Ink. Higher-quality ink is understandably more expensive than its budget-friendly counterparts. In addition, printer ink is usually cheaper than calligraphy ink or specialty glitter ink. While it may seem like a small detail, the choice of ink can significantly impact the overall aesthetic of your DIY wedding invitations.
Envelopes. Think of envelopes as the gift wrapping of your wedding invitations. Custom-designed or coloured invitations will be more expensive than their standard counterparts. Embellishments like wax seals, custom printing, or personalised stickers will increase the cost.
Postage. Postage costs will be pretty standard no matter where they’re sent from. However, you can save money by ensuring your invitations fall within standard size and weight guidelines to avoid extra fees. You can also hand-deliver invitations to save on postage costs.
Embellishments like ribbon, glitter, bows, dried flowers, or appliqués. Again, the quality of these materials is usually reflected in their cost.
Crafting tools. Crafting tools might include small things like glue, scissors, or precision knives. However, they might also include larger items like printers, computer software, or larger paper cutters. These large tools can save a lot of time if you have a lot of invitations to craft, but the upfront cost can significantly increase your budget. If possible, consider renting these tools or hiring professional vendors for one-off use, for example, a one-off printed stencil which you can then use for many hand-crafted invitations.

It’s also a good idea to keep a small budget aside for any unexpected costs or last-minute changes that might creep up during the design process. Setting a small extra budget aside will help you be prepared in case of any bumps in the road.

Pro tip: If you’re not a fan of number-crunching, don’t worry – our handy budget tool will do all the hard work for you!

3. Consider using technology or professionals

If you’re not very crafty, you can speed up wedding invitation DIY by using technology or professional wedding vendors. For example, you could download a wedding invite template, print it off on cardstock, and hand-finish it with dried flowers, ink, and ribbon. You can find a range of print-on-demand wedding templates with the following great suppliers:

On the other hand, if you’re looking to speed up the writing process, you could print, cut, and decorate your own wedding invitations, before handing them over to a professional calligrapher for a touch of elegance. This way, you get the best of both worlds —the efficiency of technology, your own personal touches, and the beautiful finish of a skilled calligrapher.

The key takeaway here is that making your own wedding stationery is a flexible and customisable process. If hands-on crafting isn’t your forte, technology and professional vendors are there to lend a helping hand.

4. Pick your theme and colours

The next step is to pick your theme and colours. Most couples match their invitation colours to the colours of their wedding. This will give guests a sneak peek at what they can expect and keep a consistent theme across all the wedding stationery.

However, some people prefer their wedding invites to be in a contrasting colour or style to their wedding theme. This can make your wedding invites more striking and memorable.

Ultimately, the choice between matching or contrasting invitations comes down to your personal preferences and the message you want to convey to your guests.

5. Consider the fit

The secret to getting professional-looking wedding invitations is to ensure they’re properly centred in the middle of your paper and there’s an even border all around the document.

Start by ensuring your design sits right in the middle of your chosen paper. Centring not only enhances the visual appeal but also gives a sense of balance and professionalism. Use a combination of precise measurements, guides, and printer settings to ensure your corners and borders are aligned, and make sure your printer settings are calibrated for accurate results. Pay attention to factors like paper size, weight, and orientation to avoid any unexpected surprises.

Be aware that your printer might not always play ball: we recommend cutting your invitations with an extra-wide border. You can then trim them down to the exact size after printing for a flawless finish.

6. Gather your supplies

You should then gather your wedding invitation supplies. Although you can collect them as you go, it makes more sense to take a proactive approach and collect all the materials you need before you start your wedding invite DIY. This way, you can settle down and focus all your attention on making your beautiful invites.

7. Make a first draft

Now for the fun part — it’s time to get started! It’s a good idea to make a first draft of your invitations to make sure you’re happy with the layout and colour scheme, and to make sure there’s enough room for all the written information.

Creating a first draft allows you to fine-tune your wedding invitations and ensure they communicate all the essential information. Take your time at this stage to make sure your invite is exactly how you’ve envisioned. Once you’re satisfied with the draft, you can start crafting the rest of your invitations!

You don’t have to go completely DIY when making your first draft. There are plenty of downloadable wedding invitation templates you can find online, which you can customise and then print out at home for a fraction of the price.

Many professional stationers also offer bespoke, DIY options. For example:

Print Glorious Print – Print Glorious Print is an online customisable wedding invitation company. You can tailor pre-designed templates to build the perfect design for your wedding invites.
Amore Invitations – Amore Invitations specialise in creating and designing elegant handmade wedding stationery and greetings cards. This includes templates you can edit and print at home (with digital downloads starting from as low as £1!).
Pure Invitation – Pure Invitation offers bespoke DIY and handmade invitations and on-the-day stationery, in countless colour combinations. Choose to DIY using their easy assembly kits or let them do the assembly for you.
Chic wedding designs co – Chic wedding designs co work with leading artists, illustrators, calligraphers and brands to offer a highly curated and unique collection of designs. These can be personalised by you online and sent digitally.
Danielle Hamilton – Danielle Hamilton provides fully editable DIY wedding stationery. You can download them as a digital file (in PNG, JPG, or PDF), and then take to your local printer or print at home to save thousands!

8. Assemble your wedding invites

Once you’ve perfected your first draft, you can start making your invitations. We recommend blocking out a day and doing them in one sitting. Although it might seem like a lot of work, the relief that will come from completing your wedding invitations in one day will be well worth the effort.

If you have a lot of invites to DIY or you aren’t very crafty, we recommend enlisting the help of your soon-to-be spouse, parent, or someone else from the wedding party. Having an extra pair of hands and a fresh perspective can make the process smoother and more enjoyable. Plus, it can be a fun experience that creates happy wedding planning memories.

9. Post your invites

Once completed, it’s time to pack your invitations into envelopes and post them to your guests. Be sure to include an RSVP card so your guests can respond to your invitations.

Double-check any addresses before you post your wedding invitations. There would be nothing worse than putting all that effort in for the invitation to go to the wrong place!

10. Track your RSVPs

Try to keep track of your RSVPs as they come in. Although this may seem like a task you can put off, keeping a record of your RSVPs as you receive them will save you a lot of time and stress as your wedding day approaches.

Pro tip: Use Bridebook’s Guest List tool to effortlessly manage all your wedding guests and invites. Here you can add the date you sent their invitation, the date you received their RSVP, any important information like dietary requirements, and even their contact details.

11. Celebrate!

The final step is to celebrate! Finishing making your own wedding stationery is no small task, and you deserve a glass of bubbles or a nice cup of tea once it’s all over.

Recommended wedding invitation etiquette

Photo © Deabill & Quince | See their Bridebook profile

Send them in plenty of time

Wedding invitations should be sent out six to eight weeks before the wedding date, allowing your guests ample time to RSVP and make necessary arrangements. If you’re having a destination wedding or a wedding during a busy season, consider sending them even earlier.

Include a dress code

If you have a specific dress code for your wedding, mention it on the invitation. Common dress codes include “black tie,” “formal,” “semi-formal,” or “casual.” However, you can also ask people to dress in specific colours, or even to completely avoid specific colours. For example,

“We would appreciate it if our guests dressed in pastel shades to maintain the tea-party aesthetic. Please avoid dark colours like black or navy blue. And, of course, please don’t wear white.”

Address the cards properly

Although it may sound simple, addressing your cards to the proper people can prevent any miscommunications or mix-ups regarding who is invited to the wedding. For example, if you’re having a child-free wedding, but you address your wedding invitations “To The Smith Family,” there may be some miscommunication regarding which members of the family are invited on the day. However, if you specify, “To Jane and John Smith only,” there will be no confusion.

Include an RSVP card

Including RSVP cards is a practical way to facilitate the RSVP process. To be extra proactive, pre-address the RSVP slips and include a stamp in the envelope.

The bottom line on DIY wedding invites

Photo © Lily & Lottie Stationery | See their Bridebook profile

Making your own wedding stationery is a fun and creative way to infuse a personal touch into your wedding day. Although professional wedding invitations are beautiful and convenient, crafting your own invitations will allow you to design an invitation that’s as unique as your big day, not to mention affordable. Although it might seem daunting, crafting your own wedding invitations is easier than you might think. All you need is a little forward planning, a dash of creativity, and plenty of time.

So, if you’re considering DIY wedding invitations, take the plunge with confidence and enthusiasm. Enjoy the process of turning your ideas into special keepsakes for your family and guests, and remember that every detail you add and colour you choose becomes a part of your love story.

If, on the other hand, you’re not sure DIY wedding invites are for you, we’ve got plenty of professional stationers right here on Bridebook who can create handmade, bespoke designs that are sure to delight your guests-to-be. We’ve also got a host of money-saving tips to help your wedding stationery budget go further.

Happy Planning!

Who Should You Send Wedding Thank You Cards To?

So, it’s all over. All the months of planning, fitting, and crafting have come to an end. You’ve had your photographs back, your honeymoon was a dream, and you’ve made memories to last a lifetime. It can’t all be finished, surely?

Good news — it doesn’t have to be! There are still lovely wedding thank you cards to send. Wedding thank you cards are a great way to express your thanks and re-live the magic of your special day. But here’s the tricky part — who gets one?

In this post, we explore who you should send a thank you note to, whether you should send one to someone who didn’t attend the wedding, and look at some wedding card etiquette. Ready to start? Let’s jump in!

What is a wedding thank you card?

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A wedding thank you card is a card given by the happy couple to their guests after the big day. It can be used to express gratitude for a wedding gift, for a cash gift, for their efforts in wedding planning, or simply for their attendance at the wedding.

Wedding thank you cards aren’t only a polite gesture but also a way to show how much the couple values the presence and contributions of their guests. These cards may include a personal message, a photo from the wedding, or other special touches to make the thank you more personal and memorable.

Who should I send wedding thank you cards to?

Photo © tamsin richardson | See their Bridebook profile

You should send wedding thank you cards to the following people:

Your wedding party members

Your wedding party members are anyone who played a significant role in your wedding day. For example, the maid of honour, best man, bridesmaids, and groomsmen. You should thank them for their efforts in wedding planning, their unwavering support, and the countless memorable moments they created throughout the journey.

If you’re stuck on what to say, try the following example:

We are so grateful to you for being part of our special day. We know how much work it’s been, and can’t thank you for standing by our side and supporting us on our special day. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Your parents

Your parents will no doubt have also played a big part in your wedding planning. If you’re lucky, they may have also paid a portion of the bill! It’s good manners to send them a card to acknowledge their efforts and support. Try using the following example:

Thank you so much for all your help in wedding planning and for all your guidance throughout our relationship. We couldn’t be more grateful for all your support.
We couldn’t have asked for better parents, and your love and support have meant the world to us, especially on our big day. Your involvement in our wedding planning and your generous contributions are much appreciated. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Wedding suppliers

It’s also nice to send a card to your wedding suppliers and wedding organisers. They hardly ever get thank you cards, and you couldn’t have put the big day together without them! Keep it short and sweet, but let them know how much you appreciate their professionalism and hard work on the big day. For example:

We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your hard work on our wedding day. Your expertise and dedication made our day run seamlessly, and we couldn’t have asked for better support.
Thank you so much for all your hard work on our special day. Our wedding was a dream come true, and your contribution played a significant part in that. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

People who bought a gift from your registry

It’s good manners to thank the people who bought a gift from your registry. Be sure to thank them specifically for the gift, and include a short anecdote about what you’ve done with the gift. For example:

Thank you so much for the beautiful vase. We’ve popped it on the coffee table where we can see it every day!
Thank you for the gorgeous soft towels. I’m looking forward to my next bath so I can snuggle up in their fluff!

People who gave you money

Money is always appreciated when you’re starting out as newlyweds, and those generous souls who gifted you with cash deserve a special mention in your thank you cards. Let them know how grateful you are for their gift and what you intend to put the money towards. For example:

We were blown away by your generosity in our wedding card. Thank you so much. We’ll be putting the money towards our honeymoon. We’ll be sure to send you lots of pictures!
Thank you for the generous gift on the big day. We’ll be putting it towards our house deposit so we can have a fresh start as a married couple.

People who gave you an unfamiliar wedding gift

Buying gifts that weren’t on the registry is becoming more and more common. Although unexpected, these gifts can add an extra layer of excitement to the gift-opening experience.

Make a special effort to thank those who went ‘off-book’ for their creativity and consideration when buying your gift. Don’t mention that you weren’t expecting it. Instead, just thank them for their generosity. For example:

Thank you so much for your beautiful wedding gift. We don’t have an air fryer, and we’ve heard a lot about them, so we’re really excited to try it out!
Thank you so much for the beautiful painting you made us. We’re so grateful you took so much time to make us this gift, and we know it’ll look beautiful in the living room!

People who shared in a group wedding gift

Shared wedding gifts are a great way to keep down the cost of large or extravagant gifts. When thanking someone for a shared wedding gift, you should acknowledge the part they played in selecting the gift and the effort that clearly went into organising its purchase. For example:

I was blown away when I opened the beautiful gift from you, Jamie, and Sophie. I can’t believe you all took the time to get together and buy this beautiful statue for us. Thank you so much for your efforts; we really appreciate it!

People who got you a gift you don’t love or will exchange

If someone has given you a gift that isn’t to your taste or that you might exchange, the best advice is to handle it with kindness and understanding. After all, gift-giving is all about spreading love and joy, and sometimes, personal tastes can be as unique as the gifts themselves.

So, first and foremost, take a moment to appreciate the thought and effort behind the gift. Remember — it’s the thought that counts. There’s no need to tell them it isn’t to your taste, or you’ll likely return it for credit. Instead, wholeheartedly share your plans for the gift. Emphasise where you’ll put it in the house or how it brightens up a room. If there’s nothing nice you can say about the item, explain that you’d never heard of that designer before, or playfully explain you’ve found a new favourite shop.

Either way, keep the card positive and focus on the connection and kindness behind the gift. For example:

Thank you so much for the fruit bowl. It’s such an unusual colour and really brightens up the living room!
We really appreciate how thoughtful you’ve been in picking those wine glasses. I was just saying to [spouse’s name] that we need to try and visit that shop more! Thank you for introducing us to our new favourite.

People who couldn’t attend but sent a gift

Guests can’t plan for last-minute emergencies, and those who didn’t attend the wedding but still sent a gift should also be recognised for their efforts. If you’re stuck on what to say, try:

We’re so sorry you weren’t able to be with us on our special day, but of course, we understand! We just wanted to send a note to say thank you for your beautiful gift, and that we hope all is well with you.

People who travelled to see you

People come from far and wide to attend weddings. However, special thanks should be given to anyone who travelled a great distance to attend your wedding or who came from abroad. For example:

We are so honoured that you travelled all the way from California to come to our little wedding. It was such a beautiful day, made all the more special with your attendance. I can’t thank you enough for the effort you made. Thank you again.
We are so grateful to you and Auntie for travelling all the way from Glasgow. It sounded like it was quite a tricky journey, so we can’t thank you enough for coming all that way.

People whom you don’t know well

It takes a lot of courage to attend a wedding where you don’t know many people, and anyone who made the effort to attend your wedding in spite of this should be thanked. If you’re stuck on what to say, try:

Thank you so much for coming to the big day. I really appreciate you coming and representing my school friends!
Thank you for your presence on our special day. It was made all the more special for you being there.

Anyone else with a significant role in your wedding

You should also send a card to anyone else who played a significant role in your wedding. This includes family and friends who went above and beyond to help make your day special.

While it may not be traditional, expressing your appreciation for their contributions is a lovely way to round off the wedding planning process. A short but heartfelt note, acknowledging their unique role and the joy they brought to your celebration, is the perfect way to say, ‘Thank you for being a part of our love story.’

Should I send a card to someone who didn’t attend the wedding?

Photo © Perfect Day Essentials | See their Bridebook profile

It’s polite to still send a wedding card to anyone who:

Couldn’t attend the wedding, but still sent a gift
Couldn’t attend the wedding, but still gave you money
Couldn’t attend the wedding due to ill health, but would have otherwise
Couldn’t attend the wedding due to a bereavement, but would have otherwise

Sending a wedding card to someone unable to attend the wedding for these reasons is a kind and considerate gesture. It demonstrates your gratitude for their well-wishes, support, and understanding of their situation.

Writing etiquette for wedding thank you cards

Photo © Polkadot Stationery | See their Bridebook profile

Send the card within a week or two

Be sure to send your thank you card within a week or two of your wedding. This will not only ensure your big day is fresh in your guests’ minds, but also make sure you don’t forget who sent what gift or any details about the big day!

Handwrite your cards

Wherever possible, you should handwrite your cards. Although this will take a little more time than typing them, the personal touch and effort put into each note are what make them truly special.

Include both parties

Be sure to address the cards to all the people who attended the wedding. By the same token, be sure to sign the cards off from both yourself and your new spouse. It’s a lovely way to show that you’re grateful for their support and love, both individually and as a united front, in this new chapter of your life together.

Keep it positive

Keep the content of your wedding card light and positive. Focus on expressing your gratitude, sharing cherished moments from your wedding day, or mentioning how their presence added to the joy and love in the atmosphere. Avoid discussing any issues from the big day or telling them you don’t like their gift!

Can you send email thank you cards?

You can absolutely send email thank you cards if it’s easier. However, hand-written is always best. They show that you’ve taken the time and effort to craft a unique message for each recipient, making your appreciation more meaningful.

The bottom line on wedding thank you cards

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Wedding thank you cards are a thoughtful and kind way to wrap up your wedding celebrations. Think of them as the final farewell or curtain down. Although they may seem small, these little notes carry immeasurable weight in gratitude. They’re not just a formality — your wedding thank you cards are the cherry on the cake of your special day.

Wedding thank you cards should be sent in good time and should be handwritten. Send a wedding thank you note to anyone who played a significant role in your wedding day, anyone who sent a gift or money, and anyone who would have attended but experienced a personal emergency. If you’re on the fence about whether you should send someone a wedding thank you card or not, our advice is just to send one. Remember — you’ll never regret being a kind person.

If you’re looking for wedding thank you card writing tips, check out our post on what to write in a wedding thank you card. It has great advice on card writing etiquette and some handy wedding card examples to use as inspiration!

Happy Planning!

How to Write a Wedding Card Message for a Family Member

A family member’s wedding is an extra special occasion. Not only are you there to celebrate your sister, brother, parent, or cousin’s big day, but you’re actually welcoming a new person into your extended family!

A wedding card is a great way to express your support, love, and wedding congratulations on this special day. Plus, you can express your gratitude for being invited, share any wedding wishes you have, and properly welcome your new family member to the fold.

If you’re unsure what to include when wedding card writing, we break it down for you below. We’ve included guidance on how to write a wedding card message, ideas of things to write in a wedding card, and top tips for wedding card writing.

What is a wedding card for a family member?

A wedding card for a family member is a wedding card given to the newlyweds on their big day. It can be given in replacement of a gift or alongside a registry gift. There’s no need to give money in a wedding card. However, a token of £20-£30 is okay if the couple are comfortable accepting cash gifts.

The card should be more formal in tone than a wedding card to a friend. It should contain a formal greeting, a ‘congratulations on your wedding day’ message, and then a formal sign-off. However, if you have a close relationship with your family member, try including a happy memory from your childhood or an inside joke you share.

How to write a wedding card message for a family member

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If you’re stuck with where to begin with writing your wedding card, try following our advice below.

A formal greeting

A wedding card to a family member will usually be more formal in tone than a wedding card to a friend. However, if you are close to your family member or have a more casual relationship, you can certainly add a more personal touch to your greeting.

A formal greeting might look like:

Dear [COUPLE’S NAMES]
To [COUPLE’S NAMES] on your special day

A congratulations message

Your congratulations message can be as simple as “Congratulations on your wedding day” or as heartfelt as “I’m so proud of you both for taking this next step in life.”

Either way, your congratulations message should be short, sweet, and to the point. Avoid any long declarations of pride or in-depth observations about the wedding day. Although these comments might come from a good place, the right time to share your thoughts isn’t in a wedding card.

Your pearls of wisdom

You should then move on to sharing some advice or guidance with the newlyweds. This could be your advice on love, friendship, compromise, or even the importance of communication. Remember, you don’t need to be married or have a wealth of experience to give advice. Instead, share your personal perspective on these important aspects of a successful marriage.

For example, you could try:

Love is not just a feeling — it’s a choice you make every day. Choose to love each other, even when the going gets tough.
Take the time to communicate with each other as you decompress from work. It can seem small, but taking 20 minutes to have a cup of tea and chat about your day will keep communication open and positive.

A friendly sign-off

Sign your card off with a friendly conclusion and your name. This can be simple, something like:

All my love, [YOUR NAME]
Thank you again for inviting me. From, [YOUR NAME]

Wedding card message structure

Check out the infographic below to help guide your writing:

How to Write a Wedding Card Message for a Family Member: Structure Guide — Follow this general structure when composing your message

Do you have to give a wedding card?

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You don’t have to give a wedding card. However, it’s a nice gesture and is often better than showing up empty-handed. Cards can be given alone, with money, or with a gift depending on your personal choice and the couple’s preferences.

Top tips for wedding card wishes

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Use a wedding quote or poem

If you’re unsure what to include, a wedding quote, line from a reading, or poem about love is a great place to start. Check out our guide to wedding readings and love quotes to gain some inspiration.

Handwrite your message

Where possible, you should try to handwrite your message. Although a typed message keeps the card tidy, a handwritten message adds a personal touch. Taking the time to handwrite your message will add a feeling of intimacy and thoughtfulness.

Keep the tone light and friendly

Keep the tone of your wedding card light and friendly. If you’re offering advice or sharing an anecdote, make sure it’s warm, positive, and optimistic. Remember, the happy couple will likely look back on their wedding cards for years to come, so leave them with words that bring a smile to their face.

Be genuine

Your family members will know you through and through, so they’ll be able to tell if you aren’t being genuine. Let your authentic feelings shine through in your card with a positive and loving message.

A good tip is to write as if you were speaking. Think of what you’d say to them in person on their wedding day, and express that in your card.

The bottom line on a wedding card for a family member

A wedding card to a family member is a great but simple way to express your gratitude for being invited, to share happy wedding wishes, and to convey your love and support to the newlyweds.

Your wedding card doesn’t need to be extravagant or an over-the-top declaration of support to the couple. Instead, a wedding card is a happy keepsake that conveys your genuine care towards a family member on their big day. Plus, wedding cards can be given in place of, or alongside a wedding gift.

If you’re struggling with getting started on wedding card writing, check out our post on what to include in a wedding card. We’ve got great examples of wedding card writing, as well as top tips for writing etiquette and how to be mindful of tone.

Happy Planning!

How to Write a Wedding Card Message for a Friend

A wedding card is more than just a kind gesture. A well-written and thoughtful wedding card acts as a treasured keepsake from the big day and can help you express your well-wishes for the happy couple.

However, knowing what to write on a wedding card can be difficult. How do you condense the big feelings of your bestie’s special day into a tiny little card? Wishing them a long and happy marriage is standard, but how do you strike the balance between heartfelt and loving without being cringey? If you’re looking for guidance, we’re here to help. We know exactly what to write in a wedding card, and we’re here to make the process easier for you.

In this article, we explore how to write a thoughtful wedding card message to your friend, some top tips for what to include, and some guidance on how much money to put in a wedding card.

What is a wedding card message for a friend?

A wedding card for a friend is a card gifted to the happy couple on their big day. A standard A4-sized wedding card is perfectly acceptable for a friend’s wedding card.

The card should include a semi-formal greeting, well-wishes for the newlyweds, a funny memory or anecdote, and then sign off with a congratulations message or special wish for their long and happy future.

How to write a wedding card message for a friend

The message in your wedding card can be as unique as your relationship to the happy couple. However, if you’re stuck with where to start, try following the below advice:

A friendly greeting

A warm greeting is always a great place to start. Greet the couple by first names or titles and surnames. This is especially exciting if the couple has decided to change their names, as it’ll likely be one of the first times they see it written down!

Traditionally, you should address the card to ‘Mr. and Mrs. [NAME]’. However, for non-traditional, same-sex, or non-binary couples, you can mix up the names and titles however you’d like. For example:

“To the newlyweds; Dear love birds; To the happy couple”
“To Mr and Mrs [NAME]; Dear Mr and Mr [NAME]; To Mx and Dr [NAME]”
“Dear Jenny & Jane; To Michael and Adam; Dear John and Sophie”

Heartfelt congratulations

This day is the start of the couple’s happy married life, and a wedding congratulations card is a beautiful token they can look back on for years to come. Try sharing your wedding wishes for the couple’s long and happy future, how excited you are for them, and your gratitude to be part of the big day.

Funny story or memory

In a wedding card to a friend or close family member, you don’t need to include formal wedding wishes. Instead, try including a funny story about how you met, happy memories from your friendship, or even an anecdote about wedding planning.

If nothing springs to mind, try thanking them for the free booze, apologising in advance for your terrible dancing, or even sending your best wishes for the honeymoon!

Advice and guidance

You can then move on to sharing any wedding wishes, marriage advice, or guidance you’ve picked up along the way. If you’re married, you could share something you’ve learned from your special day. But, if you aren’t, don’t let that deter you!

Instead, share a thought about lasting love, tips on compromise, the importance of teamwork, or even re-visit your earlier congratulations. You could also highlight that this is just the beginning of their beautiful love story, and explain how excited you are to see them grow in their love as a married couple.

Warmest wishes

Sign off your card with the warmest wishes and kindest regards. Be sure to include your name so the couple can identify who sent this lovely card.

Wedding card message structure

Check out the infographic below to help guide your writing:

How to Write a Wedding Card Message for a Friend: Structure Guide — Follow this general structure when composing your message

How much money do you put in a wedding card for a friend?

A cash gift of between £20 and £30 is usually sufficient for a wedding card.

Money can be a tricky subject at a wedding, as everyone’s financial situation is different. The best tip is to give what you can afford — a true friend wouldn’t want you to go into debt for the sake of giving them a gift.

Should I give a wedding card and a wedding gift?

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Whether you give a wedding card and a wedding gift depends on what the newlyweds have asked for. Some couples prefer to have a casual wedding day, and are strongly against receiving gifts. A card with a well-written message can be a happy medium in these instances.

As a general rule, if you’re giving a gift, you don’t need to bring a card. However, you can do both if you want to.

But, if you aren’t giving a wedding gift for whatever reason, it’s better to give a wedding card so you don’t show up empty-handed.

Pro tip: If the happy couple are strongly opposed to receiving gifts, it’s best to check whether they’re accepting cash before you slip a £20 into their card.

Top tips for wedding card wishes

Keep it clean, keep it light

Remember that the newlyweds will likely keep and look back on these cards for years to come. They might even share the cards with their family and friends. Ensure that any stories, special memories, or anecdotes you share are tasteful and appropriate for these audiences.

There’s no such thing as the perfect wedding message

Try not to get too overwhelmed at crafting the ‘perfect wedding card.’ The reality is that the perfect message or wedding card wording doesn’t exist. Instead, trust that any message you write to the happy couple will be perfect in its own way.

Don’t be cringe

It’s easy to get caught up in the sentimentality of writing a wedding card. However, a good friend will be able to see through any disingenuous messages. Keep your message short but sweet, and be sure your card conveys a personal and thoughtful message to the happy couple.

Include your name

It’s easy to forget to include your name when you’re focused on what to include in your wedding card. Try signing your name at the beginning to avoid this common mistake!

The bottom line on wedding card messages for a friend

Writing a sweet wedding card message to a friend is a lovely and sentimental way to share your congratulations and well-wishes on their special day. It’s also a great way to thank them for inviting you and to remind them of any special memories you’ve shared in your friendship.

Wedding cards to a friend don’t need to include formal wedding messages or any elaborate prose. Speak from the heart, write casually, and wish them a fun-filled future full of happiness and love. Tell them what a joy it is to be included in their big day, and if appropriate, include a little financial help.

If you’re still stuck on what to include, we have a great post on what to include in a wedding card. This includes some brilliant examples of wedding card messages and some top tips on personalising a wedding card.

Happy Planning!

What to Write in an Engagement Party Thank You Card

Your engagement party is a wonderful opportunity for you and your loved ones to celebrate your recent engagement. Family and friends from up and down the country are likely to come, with some generous enough to give you and your new fiance a gift.

You’ll no doubt express your thanks to everyone attending on the day or night itself, but a popular way couples like to show their gratitude is by sending engagement party thank you cards. Thank you cards offer a thoughtful and personal way to show how much you appreciate your guests being with you to celebrate your engagement. But what do you write in them? What tone should you use? And what information should you include?

In this post, we’ll answer common questions surrounding how to write engagement party thank you cards, including where to get them from and how to send them, and offer you examples of what you could write in your own. For more information on planning the perfect celebratory bash, read our post on how to plan an engagement party.

Should you send thank you cards after your engagement party?

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If you sent out invitations for your engagement party that were more than a simple text, like an evite or paper invitations, then the usual etiquette would be to send thank you cards to everyone who attended your engagement party.

It isn’t a necessity, but it tells those who came to celebrate that you appreciate them taking the time and spending the money they did to be with you. This counts double for those guests who were generous enough to give you an engagement gift. It’s a lovely gesture that shows how much it means to you that your guests could be there to celebrate your amazing news with you.

Should you send a thank you card to everyone?

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If you send one guest a thank you card, then you should seriously consider sending everyone who came to your engagement party a thank you card as well. Don’t just reserve them for guests who gave you a gift – if you only send a thank you card to select guests, then word could spread, which may make those who didn’t receive one feel unappreciated or even a little hurt.

When should you send an engagement party thank you card?

Generally, you’ll want to send your thank you cards around two to four weeks after your engagement party. Thank yous aren’t usually expected by guests but are certainly welcomed, so make for a lovely little reminder of your big night. Leaving it this long also allows any guests who might want to send you a late engagement present time to do so, which you can then thank them for in the note.

How should you send engagement party thank you cards?

Couples will usually choose to send thank you cards through the post, even if the actual invitations were sent via evites. Email thank you cards aren’t quite as personal as a lovely card sent through the post. That being said, if your wedding stationery budget doesn’t quite stretch to engagement party thank you cards, your guests won’t mind if you choose to save money and send a digital thank you note instead. The average couple spends £414 on wedding stationery, so you may have to carefully choose which traditions you do and don’t follow.

Where can you get engagement party thank you cards?

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If you choose to send postal thank you cards to your engagement party guests, there are several ways you can do it that suit a range of budgets. Each option will also have varying degrees of personalisations available.

You can pick up a big pack of generic thank you cards from high street party planning shops or card and stationery retailers. Many couples handwrite their thank you cards anyway, so this is an affordable way to do it. You could also handwrite letters, an art that has been lost in the digital age. Everyone loves to receive a handwritten letter through the post because they’re so rare and so special these days!

You could also design your own cards using photographs taken at your engagement party and have them affordably printed on a website such as Vistaprint.

If you do want to keep costs as low as possible and save yourselves the cost of postage, sites like Paperless Post give you the option to send thank you cards in next to no time. You can also personalise them so your guests still know how much you appreciate them coming to your party.

At Bridebook, we work with a wide selection of wedding stationers who can help you design thank you cards that complement your invitations and the theme of your party. It’s also a great way to add personalisations and that extra special touch.

For more information, read our post on ways to save money on wedding stationery, which includes plenty of tips and tricks for cutting costs if you’re keen to show your gratitude to your guests.

What tone should you use when writing engagement party thank you cards?

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Choosing the right tone to use when writing your thank you card should strike a balance between warmth, gratitude, matching the formality of your party and being true to how you usually speak. For example, you might want to send a card saying ‘Cheers for partying with us, chaps,’ but this might not reflect the formality of your party if you invited them to a three-course meal at a golf club.

Try to be as genuine as possible while using a tone that will be well received by whoever reads it, whether it’s Grandma or your best mate. Be appreciative and personal, and use positive language throughout. Make sure you also look forward, bearing in mind that anyone who was invited to your engagement party will usually expect an invite to your wedding as well.

What should you include in an engagement party thank you card?

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However you choose to word your thank you notes or cards, they’ll usually follow a similar structure. They don’t need to be a long, heartfelt outpouring of gratitude, but they also need to be a little bit more than ‘Thanks for coming.’

When planning what to write, think about the following structure and how your cards or notes include each of these:

Open with the name of your recipient(s), which could be something like ‘Richard and Kelly’ or a collective like ‘The Harris Family.’
Express your appreciation for them coming to your engagement party, including if they made any kind of contribution, such as bringing a cake or balloons.
Touch on something they were involved in, said, or did while at the party and how it contributed towards you having a fabulous time.
If they gave you an engagement gift, highlight this too, perhaps referencing how it made you feel or how it will be used (especially for monetary gifts).
Mention the future and how you hope they can also make it to your wedding.
Include a closing statement that reiterates your love and appreciation, such as ‘With heartfelt thanks and love.’
Sign off with your names.

Should you handwrite engagement party thank you cards?

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When sending thank you cards through the post, most couples choose to write them by hand. Not only does this allow for extra personalisation, but it shows the recipient that you’ve taken the time and effort to thank them for being there. There’s nothing quite like receiving a handwritten note, which is also why it’s not recommended that you send digital thank you cards if your budget and time allow for it.

Engagement party thank you card examples

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If you’re looking for some inspiration for what to write in your engagement party thank you cards, or you’re not quite sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a couple of examples you can use to get you started so you can let your guests know just how thankful you are.

Example 1

Dear Walker Family,
Thank you so much for joining us for our engagement party at Markenfield Hall. We felt so lucky to have you there with us to celebrate this next chapter in our lives. Daniel winning the limbo contest was a particular highlight – we hope you enjoyed the bottle of wine, Dan!
We’d also like to thank you for your generous gift. The money will be put to such good use as we plan our honeymoon for a much-needed break after our big day next June. We hope to see you there for even more celebrating (and another limbo contest if we’re lucky!).
Thanks again, we’re so lucky to have you in our lives.
Amber and Chrissy

Example 2

Dear Aaron and Julie,
We’re so grateful you could come to our engagement party at Eric’s parents’ house to celebrate our amazing news. The cupcakes you brought were delicious and very well received – there were lots of pink fingers from the icing, so thank you for giving everyone such a treat!
We’d also like to thank you for the vouchers. We’ve already got our eye on something to use them on which will help make our wedding extra special.
We’re so excited for our big day and we truly hope the two of you can come along to celebrate our wedding with us all over again.
With love and thanks,
Mary and Eric

Do you need to include any kind of RSVP when sending thank you cards?

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No, when you send out your engagement party thank you cards, you don’t need to include any kind of RSVP, because you don’t require a response. That is, unless someone attended who doesn’t have your contact details and you want to pass them on.

Plan your big day on Bridebook

After you’ve thrown your engagement party and sent your thank you cards, the time will soon be upon you to get busy planning your wedding. Sign up to Bridebook today for all the wedding planning tools and expert advice you need.

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Happy Planning!

What to Write in a Wedding Card: Top Tips and Examples

Love is in the air, and it’s the happy couple’s big day. Maybe they’ve insisted on no gifts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them a card, right?

A wedding card is a lovely gesture that can sometimes mean more to the newlyweds than a physical gift. After all, they’ll be able to look back on your words for years to come and reminisce about the love and warmth shared on their special day. However, knowing what to write can sometimes be hard. Do you stick with the classic, “Congratulations!”, or go for something a little more creative?

Don’t worry, we’re here to guide you. This article explores what to write in a wedding card, some top tips for what to include, and some great examples of wedding card messages.

What is a wedding card?

A wedding card is a card given to the happy couple on their big day. Cards can be given in addition to traditional gifts or simply as a tribute so you don’t show up empty-handed. You don’t have to include money in the card. However, it’s a nice gesture if you aren’t giving a wedding gift.

Wedding cards are a token of your appreciation for being invited to the wedding reception or ceremony. There are no strict rules for what should be written inside, but our advice is to keep it short, sweet, and warm. Offer your words of wisdom, wedding wishes, or share a personal memory to make the card truly special.

What do you write inside a wedding card?

It can be tricky deciding what to put in a wedding card. Trying using the following writing tips for inspiration:

Include the key components

The key components of a wedding card include:

Greeting the couple. This is simply a line addressing the bride and groom. For example, “Dear [X] and [Y]” or “To the newlyweds”.
A congratulations message. This is another short and sweet message. “Congratulations on your big day” is fine, as is “You did it! Congrats.”
A heartfelt story, memory, or wedding wishes. This is where the card can get a little more complicated. You need to decide what message you would like to share with the couple. Try to make your message unique and memorable. For example, you can recall how they met, offer advice for a happy marriage, or simply convey your love and best wishes.
A sign-off. Conclude the card with a warm closing, such as “With love,” “Best wishes,” or “Sincerely.” Don’t forget to sign your name below so the couple knows who the card is from.

Check out the infographic below as a handy reference:

What to Write in a Wedding Card: Structure Guide — Follow this general structure when composing your wedding card message

Consider writing etiquette

Writing etiquette is a series of small mannerisms you need to consider when writing your card. For example:

Use appropriate titles. Address the couple with the appropriate titles. Tradition dictates that the man’s title usually comes first in a male-female couple. However, if they’re a same-sex, gender-neutral, or non-binary couple you can mix it up however you’d prefer. For example, ‘Dr. and Mr,’ ‘Mr. and Mrs,’ or ‘Mx. and Mx.’
Handwritten is best. Where possible, hand-write your card. Typing your card on a computer takes away the personal element and may feel a little transactional.
Avoid any controversial topics. Trust us, a couple’s wedding card is not the time to remind them they owe you £5.
Respect the happy couple. If the couple has asked guests to omit something specific from cards, you should respect this. For example, if they’ve stated they don’t want money or no personalised messages, you should respect this. Although it can feel disappointing to have a dampener put on your generosity, ultimately, it’s their big day, and you should oblige their wishes.

Consider your audience

Consider your relationship with the couple when writing your wedding card. For example, are they family, friends, colleagues, or neighbours? The nature of the relationship will change the tone of your card. For example, you might want to keep it more light-hearted and funny with a friend, but more formal with a work colleague.

Wedding card for a friend. A wedding card to a friend should be warm, friendly, and convey your support for the couple’s future. Consider including a happy memory you’ve shared, a funny anecdote from the hen or stag-do, or even a piece of advice for the journey ahead.
Wedding card for a family member. A card to a family member is usually more traditional and celebratory in tone. It’s your chance to thank the couple for having invited you, to welcome their new partner to your family, and to include your well-wishes on their happy day.
Wedding for a colleague or acquaintance. Keep the tone traditional or formal for a colleague or acquaintance. In this instance, you may not have been invited to the wedding and may be passing on your congratulations afterwards. So, keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

Be mindful of tone

As above, your relationship with the happy couple will determine the tone you take in the card. You might consider keeping a more traditional tone in a card to a family member. However, if the family member is your sister or close cousin, a funny or casual tone might also be appropriate— It all depends on your relationship with that person.

To achieve different tones, try following these tips:

A funny tone. Try including a playful anecdote, funny story, or even a light-hearted joke in your card to keep the tone funny and playful.
A traditional tone. For a more formal or traditional tone, use polite and respectful language. Express your congratulations and best wishes in a sincere and straightforward manner.
A casual tone. When writing in a casual tone, use relaxed and conversational language. Talk to the couple as you would in person, sharing your excitement and affection.

What to write in a wedding thank you card

You might like to position your wedding card as a thank you card. For example, “Congratulations on your big day, and thank you for inviting me!”

This is a handy way to express gratitude to the couple for inviting you, while also acknowledging their big day. Think of it as hitting two birds with one stone!

Try using the following template for a casual wedding thank you card:

Dear [NAME] and [NAME],
A massive congratulations on your big day! I’m so excited for both of you to start your new married life together.
It’s been a privilege to watch you grow in your relationship together. I can’t wait to witness your shared journey as you move forward.
Thank you so much for inviting me to your special day. It’s been one in a million, and means the absolute world!
Love,
[YOUR NAME]

Wedding card examples to inspire you

Check out two more examples of both funny and traditional wedding cards.

Funny wedding card example

Hey lovebirds,
You did it! A huge congrats on your special day. I’m super proud of both of you for making it through together.
I remember when you guys met on that rainy night out! Who would have thought you’d end up here when you were both sharing that kebab lady-and-the-tramp style?!
Seriously though, jokes aside — I wish you guys a happy lifetime of love and laughter together.
Best wishes,
[YOUR NAME]

Traditional wedding card example

Dear [NAME] and [NAME],
Congratulations on your big day. It was such a lovely day, and I am so grateful for the invite.
I wish you a lifetime of love, health, and happiness in your life as a married couple.
Kind regards,
[YOUR NAME]

Casual wedding card example

To my wonderful besties,
Wow, you’re officially hitched! A massive congrats on this fantastic day. I’ve got to say, I’m impressed you two made it this far together.
Thinking back to when you first crossed paths, who could have predicted that you’d wind up right here, starting this incredible journey on married life?
Wishing you both so much love, joy and all the good stuff that comes with it.
Cheers to your happily ever after,
[YOUR NAME]

Top tips for writing a great wedding card

Keep it simple. There’s no need to write an essay in the couple’s card. Don’t forget, they’ll have a lot of these to read! Instead, keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
Personalise your message. Steer clear of generic or boring messages. Even a traditional card can include a thoughtful wedding wish or express heartfelt excitement for the couple’s future.
Sign clearly. Sign your name clearly so the newlyweds can know who the card is from.
Proofread thoroughly. There’s nothing worse than receiving a card that’s full of spelling mistakes! Consider writing out what you want to say on a separate piece of paper first. You can then commit to writing in your card with confidence.

Write your heartfelt wedding card today

A wedding card is an often-underrated way to express your heartfelt congratulations and gratitude for being invited to a wedding. It can be used alongside a traditional gift, or in place of one where couples have asked for no gifts.

The most important thing about writing a wedding card is that it’s short and sweet. There’s no need to write an essay about how grateful you are. Instead, thank the couple for inviting you, pass on your congratulations, and personalise your card with a special story or wishes for their future.

If you’re struggling with what to include, we have a great selection of wedding advice and tips available here to help guide your wedding card writing.

Happy Planning!

Engagement Party Invitations: What to Write & Who to Invite

Planning your engagement party will give you a taste of what it’s like to plan a big celebratory bash where you’re the centre of attention. The best part is, unlike with a wedding when there are certain traditions and processes you might follow, what you do for your engagement party is entirely up to you. So, whether you want a big, formal do at a swanky countryside hotel, or you’d prefer to get your closest family and a few best mates around to your house for some drinks and nibbles – go for it.

But, whatever you do for your engagement party, there’s only one way to make sure your loved ones are there – invitations. But how do you invite guests to your engagement party, what do you write and who should you invite to celebrate with you? In this post, we’ll let you know the answers to those exact questions and more, so you can throw the perfect party to celebrate your wonderful engagement.

When’s the best time to throw an engagement party?

Finding the perfect time to throw an engagement party is something of a balancing act. You and your fiance won’t want to dive straight into planning, and instead enjoy your time as a newly engaged couple. But at the same time, you’ll also not want to leave it too close to the wedding, because at that point your guests will be less excited about your engagement but super excited about your impending marriage.

The sweet spot is between two and four months after you get engaged. This gives you enough time to get used to the idea of calling your partner your fiance, plan a party from scratch and give your guests plenty of notice so as many of them as possible can come along.

For more help with what to do and when after you get engaged, read our detailed guide on what to do following your engagement.

Who typically throws an engagement party?

Traditionally, the bride’s family are the ones to throw an engagement party, whether it’s at their home or a venue elsewhere. Of course, everyone’s situation is different, so this might not always be possible. Today, anyone can throw an engagement party and you can host it anywhere you please so long as it fits within your budget. Remember, the average cost of a wedding in the UK is £19,184, so you might not have all that much budget to spare.

Your budget may also influence the size of your party, so it’s worth bearing this in mind if you’re keen to invite 80+ guests.

For more information, read our guide on who traditionally pays for what at a wedding.

Who should you invite to your engagement party?

Once you know exactly how many guests you can invite to your engagement party you can put your guest list together. Generally, you’ll at least want to invite your closest family and friends and any members of the wedding party, even if you haven’t asked them yet. Then you might want to invite your wider family, other friends, colleagues and neighbours from there. But, it all depends on the size of your party and, ultimately, who you want to be there.

An important thing to be aware of is that whoever you invite to your engagement party will often automatically expect an invitation to your wedding. So, just bear this in mind when it comes to putting your guest list together. If there’s someone you don’t want to be at your wedding, you probably shouldn’t invite them to your engagement party as well.

How do you invite guests to an engagement party?

How you invite guests to your engagement party depends entirely on the level of formality you’re going for. If you’re hosting a three-course meal at a golf club or even a party with a buffet at your local pub, then you may want to send out invitations.

But, if you’re having a few people round for drinks or a movie night, a text might just do the trick. Then again, nothing’s stopping you from sending out invitations for this, either. Or to keep costs down, an evite can tell your guests everything they need to know but with a little less formality.

How far in advance do you send out engagement party invitations?

Photo © Silk & Ink Designs | See their Bridebook profile

Because your engagement party is a little more special than your average get-together, you’ll want to make sure as many guests as possible can make it. So, you need to give your guests as much notice as possible so they make sure they’re available. We’d recommend inviting your guests at least a month before the date of your party, but ideally six weeks if possible.

Basically, as soon as you’ve secured a date and your venue, one of the first things you should do is start letting your guests know so they can keep that date free.

Where do you buy engagement party invitations?

Photo © Paperleaf Studios | See their Bridebook profile

If you want to keep things formal and send invitations through the post, there are plenty of options available. Couples spend an average of £414 on wedding stationery, which includes invitations that are usually highly personalised. With your upcoming wedding likely to cost a pretty penny, you may want to avoid spending nearly this much – thankfully, there are far more affordable options.

Card and stationery shops sell party invitations in bulk, which you can personalise by writing in each one. If you’d like them to look a little more formal, why not design your own and have them printed by a website like Vistaprint?

If you want to keep everything online (which is a super easy way to monitor RSVPs) then sites like Paperless Post are quick and easy to use. It’s a step up from a text or phone call, but not quite as formal as sending an invitation through the post.

Here at Bridebook we also have a huge range of wedding stationers, who can help you put together your perfect invitations.

Or, like we mentioned earlier, if your party is a lot less formal, there’s nothing wrong with a good ol’ WhatsApp group message to hit everyone at once. Just make sure you ask them to let you know by a certain date and keep track of who is and isn’t coming.

Read our post on ways to save money on wedding invitations, which apply just as well for cutting costs when it comes to your engagement party invitations too.

What do you say in an engagement party invitation?

Photo © Wild Moon Wedding Stationery | See their Bridebook profile

An engagement party invitation doesn’t need to say too much, just the who, what, why, where and when, in that approximate order. Then, your guests can ask you for all the juicy details of your engagement and your upcoming wedding at the party itself. Here’s how this information is broken down:

Who – You and your new fiance (and whoever is hosting the party).
What – You’re hosting a party!
Why – To celebrate an engagement!
Where – Where does your party take place? At home or another venue?
When – What date and time does the party start?

You can also include any other information if it’s important, which might be something to do with the dress code (if there is one) or whether you’d like them to bring anything along, like a bottle of wine or a few beers if it’s a barbecue at home.

You’ll also need to include how and by when your guests should let you know whether or not they’re attending, which could be an email address, postal address or phone number so they can drop you a text. At that point, if you’re putting on food you’ll need them to let you know if anyone attending has any dietary requirements.

How to word engagement party invitations

Photo © Ivy White | See their Bridebook profile

The tone of your engagement party invitations should reflect the style and type of party you’re throwing, which means they can be formal, funny, minimalist or relaxed. For example, ‘Fancy coming to my engagement party, lads?’ is probably a little too casual if you’re laying out an expensive three-course meal, and ‘You’re cordially invited to join us for an evening of games and beverages’ may be a little too formal if you’re having a games night at home.

Use your judgement to decide how you should word your invitations. Then again, if your guests want to be there they wouldn’t mind however you asked them.

Examples of how to word engagement party invitations

You don’t need to spend ages agonising over what to write and how to write it. Just write from the heart, be true to yourself and how you speak and put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard). If you’re not sure, here are a couple of examples to get you started:

Example 1:

She said yes!
Please join us to celebrate
the engagement of Alice White and Richard Baker!
Saturday 7th August at 7pm
Ridgeway Golf Club, Thornhill
Caerphilly, Caerphilly, CF83 1LY
RSVP [email protected] by 7th July
Please let us know of any dietary requirements
We hope to see you there!

Example 2:

Party time!
Peter Gardner and Ryan Eccles
would love you to join them for
food, fun and drinks to celebrate their engagement!
When: Sunday 11th June @ 2pm
Where: 34 Robbins Grove, Tring, Herts, HP22 1PG
Hosts: Julie and Warren Gardner
Please bring a bottle of your favourite tipple!
RSVP by 23rd May by texting 0723410471

Do you need to include postal RSVPs in engagement party invitations?

Photo © Flamboyant Invites Wedding Stationery | See their Bridebook profile

If you’re hosting a particularly formal engagement party, then you may want to include postal RSVPs with your invitations. However, because engagement party invitations aren’t quite as formal as the invitations you’ll send out for the wedding itself, it’s absolutely fine to ask for a text, phone call or email instead. Just be mindful of any older relatives who might not have an email address, and let them know they can give you a ring if they’d prefer instead.

Plan your dream wedding with Bridebook

After you’ve thrown the engagement party to end all engagement parties, it’s time to throw yourself into planning your wedding. Sign up to Bridebook today to use our range of tools and resources to make planning your big day fun and simple.

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Happy Planning!

How Much Do Wedding Favours Cost? The 2024 Average Revealed

Wedding favours offer you the opportunity to provide your guests with a small gift or keepsake that they can take home (or eat!) and remember the time they spent celebrating with you on your big day.

But when you’re already spending thousands on your wedding, how much should you spend on wedding favours that are thoughtful, personal and something that your guests are going to appreciate?

Below, we’re going to take a look at the cost of wedding favours, including the average amount couples spend, how much some of the most popular wedding favours cost, and what factors can influence how much you might spend.

What are wedding favours and do you need them at your wedding?

Photo © Green Manatee | See their Bridebook profile

Wedding favours are small tokens or gifts that you give to the guests who come to share in your celebrations on your wedding day. They’re small, personal gestures that are used to express your gratitude and work as a little souvenir for your family and friends.

Favours don’t need to be expensive – many wedding favours cost around £1 each – but they act as a way for you to show your appreciation. Many couples even choose to put together DIY wedding favours, which can be anything from a packet of sweets to a custom-made Rubix cube (although something like this will set you back a lot more than £1).

Even the most affordable or DIY wedding favour options will add to your ever-increasing list of expenses, which is saying something when you consider that the average cost of a wedding in the UK is £20,775. Does that mean, if budget is a concern, it’s something you could cut to save a bit of money?

Do you have to do favours at your wedding?

Photo © The Rustic Wedding Company | See their Bridebook profile

While favours aren’t something that your guests will expect – and certainly aren’t the reason they’re coming to your wedding – their absence may be noticed by some (but certainly not all). In fact, some of your guests may choose to not take their favour home at all, and if you’re gifting food or sweets, they may even be devoured before the first course is served at the breakfast.

If you’re looking to save budget, or it’s simply not something that interests you or fits with your style or theme of your wedding, then you shouldn’t feel pressured to provide favours simply to appease others or because it’s something you believe your guests expect – because they definitely don’t.

What’s the average cost of wedding favours?

Photo © Fabulous Functions UK | See their Bridebook profile

In the UK, the average amount spent by couples on wedding favours is around £160 in total. This might not be a huge amount when you consider your overall budget (it’s about 2% of what couples pay for the average wedding venue) but if you want custom, handmade favours or you’re inviting 120+ guests, that figure can be much higher.

Similarly, you could keep costs down while still honouring the tradition, by simply leaving a small packet of Love Hearts sweets for every guest. This would cost you much less than the average, with 250 packets costing around £17 (and leaving you with some to keep for yourself).

It’s also important to remember that low-cost wedding favours don’t need to be generic or boring. For more information, check out our blog post on 29 ideas for affordable wedding favours.

What are some popular wedding favour ideas?

Photo © Dream Weddings and Events | See their Bridebook profile

If you’re looking for some wedding favour ideas but you’re not quite sure where to start, the below guide will give you a rough guide for how much some popular wedding favours cost so you can gauge if they fit within your budget.

Edible favours

Retro sweets – You can pick up ready-made packs of retro sweets, or put together your own if you shop around to find cheap sweets in bulk. Costs start from £1 each.
Honeycomb – A real crowd pleaser, honeycomb not only looks great but is delicious too. Costs start from £1.50 each.
Fudge – Fudge is creamy and luxurious and is a fantastic way to satisfy your guests’ sweet tooth. Cost start from £2 each.
Hot chocolate kit – A unique favour that most of your guests won’t resist and can be presented in many creative ways. Costs start from £2.50 each.
Popcorn – A cheap and tasty favour that no one will turn their nose up at. Costs start from £1 each.
Mints – Mints offer a breath of fresh air. Costs start from £1 each.
Jellybeans – Sweet treats that are affordable and come in a variety of flavours. Costs start from £1 each.
Cake pops – Cake pops are a lot of fun and a handy way to give your guests a cakey hit if you don’t have a traditional wedding cake. Costs start from £1.50 each.
Marshmallows – Affordable, sticky and sweet. Costs start from £1 each.

Non-edible favours

Bubbles – Everyone loves bubbles! Plus, they’re super affordable. Costs start from less than £1 each.
Personalised playing cards – Massively personal and always something your guests will want to keep. Costs start from around £5 each.
Second-hand books – A great talking point that is hugely affordable. Costs start from around 50p each, or even less if you check out some local charity shops.
Pens, notepads or pencils – A practical favour for everyone. Costs start from £2 each.
Jewellery charms – A cute memento that can be used in a huge variety of ways. Costs start from £3 each.
Wildflower seeds – Not a personal favour, but is certainly thoughtful. Costs start from £1 each.
Charity donation – A hugely thoughtful and generous gesture. You can donate as much or as little as you like.
Soap/hand sanitiser – A useful and unique favour. Costs start from £2 each.
Scratchcards – An exciting way to get your guests talking. Plus, one of your guests could leave your wedding a lot richer (and hopefully they’ll share some with you!). Costs start from £1 each.
Personalised candles – Who doesn’t love a candle? Costs start from £2.50 each.
Personalised coasters – A really unique gift that will remind your guests of your big day whenever they sit down for a cuppa. Costs start from £3 each.
Personalised keyrings – Everyone has at least a couple of keyrings, and there’s always room for one more. Costs start from £2 each.
Disposable camera – Quite a retro favour these days, but it can be a lot of fun having the photos developed to see what happened while you weren’t around! However, disposable cameras are becoming more expensive, with costs per camera starting from around £15 (and of course the cost to develop after the wedding). It can be hugely worth it if you have the budget, though.

Is it cheaper to do DIY wedding favours?

Photo © One Splendid Day | See their Bridebook profile

If you’re on a budget, it can be much cheaper to do wedding favours yourself. However, if you’re looking for highly personal or customised favours, such as personalised playing cards, you may find the DIY approach more challenging. If you haven’t done anything similar before, there’s also the risk of inconsistent quality.

If you’re looking for something simple, such as a bag of retro sweets, you should be able to put this together with little effort and without much room for error. It should save you some money, too.

What factors can impact the cost of wedding favours?

Photo © Make It Special Events | See their Bridebook profile

When choosing wedding favours, as well as the type of favours you go for, there are several factors to bear in mind which can impact the overall cost.

Quantity – It may seem obvious, but the more guests you have the more you’ll have to spend on favours.
Personalisation – Highly personalised wedding favours will cost more than something you can grab off a shelf or make yourself.
Vendor – A small, independent vendor may have higher prices than a large company with hundreds of employees. However, the level of care and quality is also likely to be better from a smaller vendor.
Quality – The higher the quality of materials or ingredients you use, the more expensive your favours will be. Remember, your favours are only a token gift to your guests and they won’t be expecting something premium.
Presentation – Marshmallows or honeycomb may be fairly inexpensive, but if you choose to package them in a fancy box with ribbon they may not be inexpensive for long.
Season – Depending on what you go for, the time of year may play a part in cost. For example, during peak periods when gift companies are in demand, costs may be much higher.

Effortlessly plan your dream wedding today

Bridebook has thousands of wedding vendors and suppliers to suit all tastes, themes, styles and budgets. From stationery to venues, we can help take the stress out of arranging your big day. Sign up today!

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Joanne and Luke’s Fabulous Lord of the Rings Themed Wedding

Themed weddings are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. From fairytale castles to rustic barns, the possibilities are endless. But how to plan a themed wedding that’s both creative and personal, yet tasteful and classy? Check out Joanne and Luke’s fabulous Lord of the Rings themed wedding – the perfect combination of intricate planning and thoughtful DIY touches.

The Inspiration & Wedding Planning

Luke and I are both self-styled Mega Geeks. We love everything fantasy and our home is filled with memorabilia, figurines and books etc. We met at London Film & Comic Con, where I was dressed in a costume she had made as Daenerys from Game of Thrones. For our wedding we needed to find a theme that suited both the venue and was a passion for both of us in equal measure.

Photo © The Kensington Photographer | See their Bridebook profile

We tried to infuse our themes throughout the wedding without being too over-the-top and were absolutely thrilled with the result, which we felt really reflected us and our passions. Lots of guests commented that the days was very “us”, which was lovely to hear. everyone had a wonderful time!

The Venue

Had we chosen a castle venue, Game of Thrones was the obvious choice of theme, but when we found Bourton Hall we absolutely fell in love and no other venue then would do!

It did, however, require a theme re-think, and so we picked the obvious (to us): Lord of the Rings! A lifelong obsession for both of us – both the books and the wonderful movie trilogy, as well as The Hobbit – it was a theme we could both throw ourselves in to fully! We felt it lent beautifully to the gorgeous wood panelling and natural feel of the venue and lent to decorating with wonderful greenery, white, natural flowers and wooden accessories.

The Decor

Luckily, Luke is an artist (check out his beautiful creations here), which meant we could design so much of our stationery ourselves (and saved a fortune in the process!).

He created our invitation suite entirely from scratch using the fonts and styles of the Lord of the Rings, and even wood-burned our table names himself, all places from the world of Tolkien.

Our top table was Rivendell, complete with a golden dragon to keep an eye on us. We couldn’t find an actual Smaug, so Viserion from Game of Thrones did a wonderful job of filling in for him!

Luke also created an amazing table plan, fitting in with the maps of Middle Earth (Rivendell, Erebor, Hobbiton, Mordor, Lothlorien and so on), which everyone commented on!

We decorated the lounge tables with piles of old books rather than flowers to give the area a cosy, “Hobbity” theme, and hidden around the beautiful floristry were some little hanging Hobbit holes.

We created some guest bags to go in the rooms of our guests that stayed overnight, and made labels for items with relevant quotes from the books to decorate. And finally, we had a photo booth in the evening, for which we collected various Lord of the Rings related props and costumes which leant to some wonderfully funny moments in the evening!

The Accessories

I had ordered a replica of Galadriel’s Nenya ring to wear on the day, which came in a beautiful wooden carved box. I also contacted Weta Workshop (who created all the props, costumes, and pretty much everything for the films), and they very kindly sent a second ring box – which we were completely blown away by – so that both the bride and groom’s rings could be kept in style!

Some little finishing touches were Luke’s cufflinks, handmade little wooden Hobbit holes which were a Father’s Day gift from Charlie, who also had a Leaf of Lorien brooch on his little suit.

The Music

We created playlists including music from all of our favourite films and TV shows.

Whilst waiting for the bride to arrive, there were some Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings musical pieces, and during the wedding breakfast we had created a playlist using acoustic versions of various themes, including Harry Potter, Star Wars and even Pokémon!

Joanne and Luke’s Suppliers

Venue: Bourton Hall
Photography: The Kensington Photographer
Stationery, table names, artwork, paper flowers: Luke Fielding
Bride’s dress and accessories: TDR Bridal Birmingham
Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits: TDR Menswear Birmingham
Floristry: Solihull Wedding Creations
Hair and makeup – Louise A’Ness Makeup Artist
Little boys’ suits: Next
Rings: H Samuel (Joanne’s) & Ernest Jones (Luke’s)
Ring boxes: Weta Workshop

If you’re looking for a wedding that’s personal to you and your partner, why not have a fantasy-themed wedding of your own? With careful thought and plenty of research, you can – like Joanne and Luke – incorporate your favourite elements in a manner that’s both creative yet tasteful.

Happy Planning!

How to Plan a Boho Themed Wedding

When it comes to planning your dream wedding, one of the most important decisions is choosing your theme. The possibilities are endless – from formal black tie and season-themed weddings to all-black weddings and media-based pop culture weddings. One other very popular and currently trending wedding theme is the boho wedding.

If you’re a free-spirited individual who would LOVE a natural and earthy outdoor wedding with rustic themes, lavish floral arrangements, flowing light linen drapery, woven decor elements, and DIY projects aplenty, then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you’ll need to plan the boho wedding of your dreams.

What is a boho wedding?

Photo © Wilderness Wedding Venue | See their Bridebook profile

Before we get to the planning stage, let’s clarify exactly what a boho, or bohemian, wedding is. The bohemian lifestyle means embracing your free spirit and becoming one with nature. The ‘boho chic’ trend began gaining popularity around the 2000s while being heavily inspired by the ’60s and 70s Hippie era.

Now, you don’t have to follow the hippie culture A-to-Z or have a complete boho wedding; instead, you can pick and choose what you like to have in a wedding that follows your vision. The best part about this is that you won’t go wrong with anything you choose. With a boho wedding, blending your natural surroundings with touches that reflect your personality is all you need for perfection.

If you’re a couple that prefers structure and a clear-cut plan, then incorporating macrame and boho-inspired stationery, such as handwritten calligraphy, botanical prints, and watercolour designs would look amazing. But if you’re a more free-spirited couple, an eclectic mix of colours and textures should be the way to go.

How to plan a boho wedding?

Photo © The Wellbeing Farm | See their Bridebook profile

There’s a lot to consider when planning a wedding. A boho wedding is no different: you can opt for a romantic, vintage, or natural boho wedding with different elements thrown in. To help you out, we’ve created a guide that will help you with shortlisting and finalising your options:

1. Say “I do” at the best bohemian venue

Photo © Northside Farm | See their Bridebook profile

Your venue is one of the key elements that will show your passion for the bohemian lifestyle. Boho wedding venues are laid-back, natural, and generally in an outdoor setting, with possible rustic or vintage touches. The best thing about these is that they cost less than traditional weddings, so you can get the real fairytale wedding without breaking the bank.

You can get married in:

A famous local park
Natural reserve
Beach
Farmhouse
Ranch
Orchard
Barn
Cottage
Even in a well-decorated backyard or garden

Some of the lush and green places in the UK that would make a perfect setting for a boho or outdoor wedding are:

The Lake District: With its stunning lakes, mountains, and forests.
Cornwall: With its golden beaches, rugged coastline, and beautiful gardens.
The Cotswolds: Known for their scenic villages, rolling hills, and gorgeous countryside.
The Scottish Highlands: With their wild and beautiful landscapes, dramatic mountains, and ethereal forests, you can’t get a more boho wedding venue than this.

Top tip: don’t forget to consider the local climate and weather when choosing a location.

2. Set the scene with boho wedding decor

Photo © Velvet Rose Flower Studio | See their Bridebook profile

When choosing the decor for your picturesque boho wedding, choose decor that works with your venue. If you have an outdoor wedding in a garden, park, forest, or beach, focus on natural, earthy elements that will make the venue pop. You can never go wrong with Pampas grass and driftwood accents.

For the floral arrangements, you don’t have to follow structure or have manicured bouquets with matching flowers. Mismatched wildflowers with succulents and big boughs of greenery are popular options in the boho wedding scene. You can even match your bouquet and flower crown, if you choose to wear one, with the floral arrangements.

You can save on budget for the rest of the decor by making it a DIY project or thrifting. Here are a few other decor items to consider:

The arch: you can go with a fun and spirited geometric arch or macramé fringes for a whimsical setting. If you want to take a more natural route, raw wood and florals can create an arch that will awe your guests.
Rugs: rugs can be used to line the aisle for a softer and easier walking path and also the dance floor for a coachella-esque approach.
Rustic decor: The options are numerous: feathers, candles, bottles and jars, and glassware.

3. Don a Bohemian wedding dress and accessories

Photo © Francis Bridal | See their Bridebook profile

Boho wedding dresses tend to be more casual, whimsical, and often not white. Some have off-the-shoulder designs with flowing sleeves; others are covered from top to bottom with lace. Since they’re more minimalistic than their traditional counterparts, you can get a boho wedding dress for a lot cheaper. If we’re selling you on the budget-friendly options, trust us, most boho weddings are that cost-effective.

For accessories, you could pair the dress with vintage jewellery, flower or lace headbands, and even cowboy boots and a hat for a fun twist.

Here’s a list of ideas for boho wedding dresses:

Flutter sleeves or lantern sleeves
Non-white wedding dress, such as cream, champagne, light pink, or any soft pastel colour
A goddess-style boho wedding dress with an inner corset, flowing sleeves, and mermaid skirt
Plus size boho wedding dress with sweetheart neckline and bishop or long puff sleeves

Here are some popular boho wedding accessories to consider:

Crystal headbands
Flowers and lace woven into your braid
Flower crowns with flowing hair
Beads and crystal jewellery

4. Send out your boho wedding invitations

Photo © Dove and Lace | See their Bridebook profile

Like with the decor and everything else – boho wedding invitations are best to keep casual, fun, and whimsical. For a spiritual touch, a metallic mandala embossed invitation would give off elegant yet mystic vibes. For a more laid-back option, deckled edge or kraft paper invitations would look amazing. Following an eclectic theme, your invitations can be mismatched with funky colours.

If you want to check out our range of boho wedding invitations, check out our stationery section.

5. Dance the night away with boho wedding music

Photo © Michael Mulholland | See their Bridebook profile

As we all know, the vibe of any place is set by good, relevant music. For a boho wedding, you want to set the mood with music that follows your wedding theme and breathes life into the venue. Your guests could end up disappointed with a generic DJ or band who doesn’t understand how to enthral the crowd with music that fits.

For a classic boho wedding, you could skip the DJ and opt for instrumental pieces or even violin and piano music. Acoustic wedding singers could also make the evening magical with a personalised playlist: Michael Mulholland, Matthew Turner and Ed Peczek are some of Bridebook’s most in-demand acoustic wedding singers.

6. Wow your guest with a boho wedding cake and bohemian menu

Photo © Artisan Weddings | See their Bridebook profile

Food brings everyone together, and what better way to make your wedding memorable than having a unique spread with foods from cultures around the world? You can contact a catering company and work with them to design a custom menu, or if you want to go down a simpler path, having a simple buffet with dishes from different parts of the world is a good option too.

You can get locally-sourced food from farms and ranches around you with rustic selections like a charcuterie board, fruit platters, local wine, vintage elements like a vintage food truck, or DIY food stations.

And for the heart of the wedding, the wedding cake, you can take inspiration from the ground and the sky above. There’s nothing dreamier than a celestial-inspired cake featuring geodes and gemstones. Alternatively, naked cakes adorned with flowers and lush greenery are also a signature bohemian wedding staple.

FAQs

Check out some commonly asking questions about planning a boho wedding ceremony, along with their answers.

How many people use boho weddings?

While there are no clear-cut stats on the percentage of people opting for a boho or outdoor wedding, boho weddings are one of the most popular wedding themes for 2023. With more and more people embracing the minimalistic, free-spirited approach, boho weddings will only be gaining popularity.

How can you make a boho wedding bouquet?

There’s no ‘one’ way to make a boho bridal bouquet. Instead, you can match the wedding bouquet with your dress, accessories, or venue. Pampas grass is an evergreen option; you can pair it with rust-coloured florals. Or, a bouquet of wildflowers tied together with lace is a great option too. If you need some inspiration, check out these boho floral arrangements on Pinterest.

What should grooms wear to a boho wedding?

The essence of a boho wedding is freedom; naturally, it also extends towards the groom. He can match his clothes with the bride’s or opt for something completely different such as no shoes or a cream shirt with suspenders – think Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic.

What is the colour of boho?

There is no single “colour of boho” – it’s a blend of different tones ranging from earthy to stunning jewel tones, encompassed in neutral and warm colours such as white, grey, brown, yellow, orange, blue, red, white, etc.

Now you have the perfect guide to planning the boho wedding of your dreams. For hassle-free and cost-effective A-to-Z wedding planning, get started on Bridebook today!

Happy Planning!

Supplier Showcase: Brilliant Female-Owned Wedding Businesses

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on the achievements of female wedding business owners. Women have long played a prominent role in the wedding industry. From wedding planners and coordinators to wedding designers, photographers, florists, cakemakers, caterers, and more, women make up 80% of the wedding industry! Read the success stories, achievements and advice of some of Bridebook’s top female business owners below.

Mercedes | 4YaParty Weddings and Events

About Mercedes: Mercedes (she/her) is a qualified venue stylist and prides herself on having great customer service and high attention to detail. She owns and manages 4YaParty Weddings & Events, specialising in providing eco-friendly and sustainable wedding and event decor, upcycled wedding decor, prop hire, and sweet treats. She says no to balloons and no to single-use plastic. Plus, for every booking she makes, she’ll have a tree planted in your honour!

Proudest achievement to date: “Becoming an accredited member of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, making weddings eco-friendly by being carbon neutral for 2 years!”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Being a black, queer, disabled, female business owner comes with many challenges! But the biggest challenge I have is believing in myself and knowing my worth! Believing in the value that my service brings to the wedding industry. But I have an epic support network in family, friends, the SWA and wedding suppliers, who have become friends!”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Meeting lovely couples from all walks of life and hearing their love stories, watching their personality as a couple unfold in their wedding decor!”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “My biggest advice for any woman who wants to start their own business is to make sure you’re passionate about whatever you choose! Running your own business is not a get rich quick route at all! It’s a very slow burner lol so if you don’t truly love it, then when it gets hard, it will be too easy to give up!”

Gemma | The Isla Gladstone Conservatory

About Gemma: Gemma is a leading entrepreneur and businesswoman in the hospitality industry with a number of nationally recognised restaurants, hospitality venues, catering companies and social enterprises under her guiding hand. She began her career in her teens, when she famously became the youngest licensee in the country. Over the last two decades she has developed a wide portfolio across the UK, successfully building iconic venues that are rooted in their communities. ****She opened The Isla Gladstone Conservatory in 2014 in the heart of Stanley Garden.

Proudest achievement to date: “They all said it couldn’t be done…A glass house in Liverpool…We have gone from strength to strength each year and have an all-women management team!”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “COVID…To see your hard work and dream stopped with nothing you could do about it. Having to break bride’s and groom’s hearts postponing their date time and time again, when we didn’t know when we could open again. It was truly the hardest time ever.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “It’s a happy place to be. Guests arrive happy, venue looks beautiful, and we get to be one of the happiest memories for brides and grooms.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Believe in what you do…Look for support…Employ the best people to be around you…And enjoy!!!”

Stacey | The Venue Experts

About Stacey: Stacey, a.k.a. the “turbocharged wedding booking superstar”, is founder and CEO of The Venue Experts. She comes with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. From managing wedding venues and developing businesses in the hospitality sector to hosting large-scale events at some of the East Midlands’ best-known events companies, she is ready to take on any challenge. Stacey has extensive knowledge of managing venues in-house, having had business development and sales consultant roles at properties including Belvoir Castle and Hodsock Priory.

Proudest achievement to date: “I was recognised as one of the top 100 Female Entrepreneurs to watch by The Telegraph and NatWest.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Starting a business in the pandemic.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Making a difference in the industry and being considered as one of the leading experts.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Believe in yourself, know your worth, and remember that it is worth the risk.”

Natalie | Velvet Moon Ceremonies

About Natalie: Natalie is an independent celebrant and proud founder of Velvet Moon Ceremonies. She loves crafting bespoke, personal ceremonies that reflect each couple as individuals and their story together so far. This includes matching both the tone (be it fun and laidback, or sentimental and romantic) and theme (traditional or alternative), and learning what’s most important to the couple. She weaves all this together into their script, to create a truly unique ceremony.

Proudest achievement to date: “I’m proud that within my first proper year of weddings I already got to do one of my dream ceremonies – one themed around the video game series Final Fantasy! I love being able to write meaningful, special ceremonies for couples that reflect who they are and what they enjoy whilst they celebrate their love for each other.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Having 2020 as what should have been my first wedding season! Obviously everything got pushed back and it’s been slow going, but I’m proud of what I achieved last year and I couldn’t have asked for better couples to work with.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Being part of someone’s wedding day, surrounded by so many talented women who are amazing at their work! There’s so much build up, and being a 2023 bride myself I know how much work goes into the planning and the trust you have to have for every supplier involved to understand what you want and bring it together on the day.

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Network – there are so many other amazing women in this business who have been through what you have or struggled in similar ways. They can provide support and advice on any issue you’re facing as well as cheer you on and celebrate your wins.”

Jemma | Charlesworth Classics Ltd

About Jemma: Jemma is the proud owner and director of Charlesworth Classics Ltd. She works with couples from start to finish to choose and arrange the perfect transport for their special day. From vintage and classic London taxis to iconic Rolls Royces, there’s something for everyone. She hand-picks all the drivers herself, and prides herself on the service she provides.

Proudest achievement to date: “Breaking through the wedding car industry! I am not aware of another female director in this field local to me currently. This is still a very male dominated role, and there is still a very strong “boys’ club” mentality, which I hope will change in years to come. I have been very fortunate to have the support of my husband (which has made interactions with other wedding car companies a little easier), and to have been included with a select few individuals with whom I work very closely and experience no prejudice.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “I think my biggest challenge/lesson has been to follow my instincts. Prior to starting my company I was a stay-at-home wife. I had no experience what-so-ever. I just knew this was something I wanted. When COVID came, I refused to jump on the panic bandwagon. I made the most of the down-time and grew my business and feel I was in a good position to move forward once normality was restored.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “My couples! I love hearing the stories behind why my couples want to book my cars, whether it’s because we have been recommended by friends or family, or they simply just love our cars. There is always a story there and I love hearing them. Looking back at photos and receiving a review, reading the appreciation of the service my team and I have provided, there really is no better feeling!”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Believe and achieve! Mindset is one of the most important parts of owning your own business. Find other women with your mindset and work together, pick each other up. Owning your own business can be very lonely. You spend a lot of time alone so a good support network is very beneficial – you don’t even need to work in the same field.”

Nyssa | Edinburgh School of Food & Wine

About Nyssa: Nyssa is the owner and manager of the Edinburgh School of Food & Wine. She prides herself on delivering a first-class service, having a dedicated wedding team to ensure each couple’s day runs perfectly from beginning to end. She organises and manages everything from wedding catering, bar services, room set up, lighting options, and prop selection. Couples can also choose from stag and hen do packages at the cook school, ranging from cocktail masterclasses to champagne, whisky or wine tasting, to BBQ cookery and food masterclasses.

Proudest achievement to date: “Finalist for 3 wedding awards as caterer of the year.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Taking over the business mid-COVID and making it a success whilst also being mum to three young kids.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Making specials for our clients, the delight of delicious food and great service!”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Take the leap! It is so fulfilling to run your own business. It is hard work but worth every minute.”

Lily | Lily Kerbey Musician

About Lily: Lily is a passionate professional singer-guitarist who has been performing in and around Yorkshire at wedding and other private milestone celebrations for the last 10 years. A true expert in her field, she has played at all types of weddings, from cliff tops in Portugal to a DIY woodland wedding. She strives to make every couple’s day special, from singing as you walk down the aisle, to entertaining guests during the photos, and can create custom playlists of wedding songs.

Proudest achievement to date: “Singing at my first wedding abroad was very special! Also the fact I managed to get so many bookings that I could leave my full-time teaching job, which made me so stressed I got ill. I’m now happy and thriving and working at 10% of the capacity I was before.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Making the move from part-time to full-time. The instability of self-employed work is so scary, but now I’m in it I could never go back!

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Getting to be involved in the best day of people’s lives. Everyone is happy at a wedding, and that happiness spreads.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Find something that doesn’t feel like work. And enjoy every moment! When you genuinely love your job, everything else in your life fits into place. Take every opportunity you can but also look after yourself and put aside time for yourself!”

Sarah | The Purple Pumpkin Cake Company

About Sarah: Sarah is an award-winning professional cake artist and proud owner of The Purple Pumpkin Cake Company. After a career in retail management, she made the inspiring decision to turn her hobby into her profession. She creates bespoke wedding cakes and fresh designs for every couple, to make your cake individual and unique to you. Having inherited baking from her mum, and now with four children of her own, family is everything to her.

Proudest achievement to date: “I’ve won two business awards alongside cake awards. Being awarded for my business skills was amazing!

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Apart from COVID you mean? Being a mother of four, then taking on the custody of my six-month old grandson, while caring for my dying mum, while running a successful business, off the back of COVID, and still smiling always!”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “I get to meet loads of excited, varied and different couples, and be part of their stories! I also love working alongside other fantastic suppliers.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “People buy from people, so be more you. Don’t look at others and try to copy them. Be yourself, and you’ll be successful. If you’re always comparing yourself to others you’ll never get there!”

Emily | Emily’s Moments Photography

About Emily: Emily is empathetic and quirky Belgian-born photographer with a passion for being who we are unashamedly. Her commitment is pure and simple – to tell each couple’s unique story sensitively and with humanity. Based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, but working across the UK, she produces images and photo albums that you will treasure for decades to come. She has been lovingly described as “approachable, upfront, honest, hopeful, curious, quirky.”

Proudest achievement to date: “Being back at square 1 in a brand new career aged 37 and building a sustainable business from scratch.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Managing my own expectations of what can be achieved. Owning a business is a few full-time jobs in one with a huge variety of skillsets to be acquired over time. I have to accept that I can’t acquire them all at once. I have to be patient.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Being totally independent when making my own decisions to grow my own business. My daily successes are mine and mine alone to celebrate.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Don’t ever believe any unsupportive voices…whether they come from others or from yourself. Us women have a tendency to have in-built doubt in what we are capable of. We have to fight that inner voice. We can achieve whatever we set our mind to in our own way, using our own strengths and our own uniqueness.”

Jade | Hushabye Films

About Jade: Jade is an experienced film maker, videographer and owner of Hushabye Films. She spent over 15 years in broadcast television, working as a shooting producer/director, with experience across channels such as the BBC, ITV, MTV, E4, C4, Sky and various other satellite channels, with credits on high-profile programmes including the BAFTAs, Big Brother, T4, Comic Relief and V Festival. She has also created hours of online, YouTube and corporate content. She takes a cool, calm and personalised approach to shooting wedding films.

Proudest achievement to date: “When I decided to shoot weddings, I knew straight away I was going to do things differently! I took everything I had learnt from my 10+ years working as a TV producer and used it to make wedding films that people actually wanted to watch! When I started there were no “fun” wedding videographers. There was a HUGE gap in the market and I grabbed it with both hands! I’ve now shot over 200 weddings.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “COVID!!! We were NOT prepared for that!!! But somehow I managed to shoot some small weddings and make promotional films to earn some income and spend hours everyday moving dates and making sure I could still film all the weddings the following year whilst also shooting all the new ones!”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Working with the clients you want to work with and being creative everyday. I love the wedding industry and all the talented supplier friends I’ve made.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Don’t worry about what other people are doing with their businesses. Do what’s right for you and recognise that everyone is at a different stage of their own journey. Don’t carbon copy a business because it looks like it’s successful. Take inspiration if you have to but always put your own spin on it so you can be proud of your achievements.”

Harriet | Harriet Alice Fox Designs

About Harriet: Harriet is a Sheffield-based illustrator and graphic designer who specialises in creating hand-drawn bespoke wedding stationery. Working on a friend’s wedding stationery made her fall in love with the creative process. Since then, she has gone on to showcase her work at wedding fairs and attract a whole host of couples wanting something special for their wedding stationery. Harriet is passionate about creating unique designs that celebrate the wedding venue, reflect the couple’s interests, or even feature a beloved furry friend who can’t attend the big day.

Proudest achievement to date: “I’m most proud of my portrait seating plans! I’m so excited whenever couples want to work with me on them. The amount of work put into drawing every guest individual portraits and piecing it together is massive but so rewarding, and such a fabulous keepsake for the couples themselves.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Realising that your product/style might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s a good thing. Because it makes what you do so much more unique and custom.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Delivering all the stationery goodies! There’s so much excitement from the couples, and I’m very grateful to be part of the buildup.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Believe in yourself and your product. If you’re giving it 100% then your passion will shine through.”

H | Lawley Fine Jewellers

About H: As well as looking after the marketing and social media side of Lawley Fine Jewellers, H is a passionate jeweller and specialist in handmade engagement and wedding rings. She loves being at the bench and mastering the technical skills required to make beautiful pieces.

Proudest achievement to date: “Our biggest achievement is definitely the popularity and feedback of our Make Your Own Wedding Rings experiences. This year was our busiest yet!”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Definitely the pandemic, which really hit the industry hard. We consider ourselves fortunate in that we were able to keep going. It was a stressful time both for couples organising their big days and for all the suppliers serving them.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Being involved in a small way in each couple’s plans – especially with their wedding rings, which will be worn and cherished every day – is something amazing and we feel honoured. Also, making such great friends with other local talented wedding suppliers has been a wonderful surprise, as it’s something we didn’t expect. Being able to support each other and recommend trusted suppliers to our couples is fantastic.”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Follow your own path and be authentic. Have each other’s backs and support each other, be it to share and recommend or offer friendly advice.”

Amy | Beewildblooms

About Amy: Amy is the founder and owner Beewildblooms, a family-run floristry business in Scotland. She specialises in unique wedding flowers and decor, as well as floral masterclasses and 1:1 classes. She is proud to have been featured in both Rock N Roll Bride Magazine and Rock My Wedding. Her style is rustic, wild, romantic, and most certainly one-of-a-kind!

Proudest achievement to date: “Starting our family floristry business during lockdown with no clients – selling £16 arrangements to doorsteps and now becoming a finalist for best wedding florist [for the Scottish Confetti Wedding Awards 2023] and being fully booked for 2023.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “Having zero funding or savings after redundancy and building my business whilst also being a full-time mum at home.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Delivering a bespoke and personalised service to our lovely couples – we keep numbers small to deliver big joy!”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Be authentic – YOU are your own super power! Keep trying different things until you find something that makes you happy and fills your cup. You are running your own business for a reason, because you can and you want to – so never forget your why! Don’t compare to others as everyone is at a different stage in business!”

Becky | Lavelle Bridal Couture

About Becky: At Lavelle Bridal Couture, it’s just Becky, all the way. From booking your very first private bridal appointment to the big day, she’s with you every step of the way. Having learnt to sew at the age of 10, she pursued a career in fashion and textiles, working for various design houses and retailers before opening her own bridal boutique right in the heart Warwick. Before opening her shop, she first studied wedding dress design at the London College of Fashion, so knows exactly what’s involved in the construction and how to advise on dress customisations and alterations.

Proudest achievement to date: “My biggest achievement happens every day in my small business… The majority of women feel super nervous when it comes to wedding dress shopping, and I always feel so proud when a bride leaves my boutique with the biggest smile on her face, having had the most amazing wedding dress shopping experience with me. I pride myself on helping brides feel comfortable and confident in their own skin so they feel gorgeous in their dream wedding dress.”

Biggest challenge to overcome: “COVID was a huge challenge for any business, but also supporting brides through such tough times was very challenging at times. The uncertainty of weddings was tough to navigate but I’m very proud to say that I’ve come through it and thrived.”

Best part about owning a wedding business: “Feeling honoured to be chosen by my brides to take a part in their special day and the emotions that brides feel and experience when they find the perfect dress. It’s such a special moment and I love that I can be a part of that!”

Advice to aspiring female business owners: “Collaboration over competition, every day. I always think there is no competition as no-one can be you. Just be yourself and you’ll find the people who love what you do. If you support one another it will always pay you back at some point and then you’ll make great friends across a variety of industries who can support you through your journey.”

The wedding industry owes a great debt to the countless female business owners who have dedicated themselves to making couples’ special days truly unforgettable through their creativity and hard work. We hope that the inspiring stories and insights shared by the female business owners featured here will encourage more women to follow in their footsteps and continue to make a mark on the wedding industry for many years to come.

Happy Planning!

14 Romantic Wedding Ideas Inspired by Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, which makes it a dreamy choice for a wedding. But when it comes to incorporating romantic ideas into your big day, there’s a fine line between classic and cheesy! Less is often more! That’s why we’ve put together 14 unique romantic wedding ideas inspired by Valentine’s Day, featuring real couples and our amazing Bridebook suppliers. Whether you’re planning a special Valentine’s Day wedding, or simply looking for some romantic ideas to share with your partner, we hope you’ll find plenty of inspiration here!

1. Incorporate a romantic theme

Photo © Ashley Hemsley Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Follow a heart theme as an obvious nod to Valentine’s Day in your decor, cake design and stationery. You can carry it out in all the little details, from your napkins to your icing to your invitations. To make more of a statement, consider smoke bombs, or smoke flares. They’ll add so much drama to your couple portraits, and a super fun pop to your day. This romantic shot by Ashley Hemsley Photography is a great example: “A little bit of help from the red arrows created this stunning heart smoke shape”. There are also various alternatives to hearts: love birds, cupid’s arrows, love locks, XOXOs, love knots, love letters, the infinity symbol, and love trees.

2. Create a romantic ambience with lighting

Photo © Jennifer West Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Work with your photographer, or a lighting company, to create romantic shapes with light (whether outside, or as a dramatic ceiling pattern). This shot by Jennifer West Photography is particularly striking and romantic. We love the multi-coloured neon sign and heart-shaped light trails. According to the photographer: “The evening was warm and balmy and as the music filled the air, Luke and Kirsty say it was one of the most special memories of their wedding.”

3. Recreate a scene from a famous romantic movie

Photo © Heather Bailey Photography and Film | See their Bridebook profile

Why not recreate a romantic scene from your favourite romantic movie? We love this photo, captured by Heather Bailey Photography and Film, which recalls Noah and Allie’s iconic boat ride in ‘The Notebook’. What a fun and dreamy romantic wedding idea! Though, according to the photographer herself, it was quite an anxiety-provoking shot to capture: “In reality, I’m not sure who was more anxious – my couple, who worried about capsizing the relatively small boat, or me, the photographer leaning over a high balcony with my camera just begging to fall in the water!”

4. Take inspiration from nature

Photo © John Price Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Taking inspiration from nature and animals for your wedding can be a creative and unique way to add an subtle romantic touch to your big day. Consider a romantic silhouette shot like this one captured by John Price Photography: “The bride and groom requested an evening sunset silhouette shot. I noticed two real swans posing perfectly just slightly apart – and had to edit and bring them in together to form the perfect heart.” There are many other romantic animals that can inspire a magical Valentine’s-inspired atmosphere. For example, doves and wild horses, or butterflies (which symbolise transformation), and dolphins (which embody playfulness).

5. Roll out the roses

Photo © Tide Flowers | See their Bridebook profile

Use rose petals in your bouquet, or consider a unique heart-shaped bouquet. You can also feature roses throughout your tablescape, or have them as wedding favours. For striking and unique floral designs that are inspired by the seasons, check out Tide Flowers. Ethical florist, Cat Allen, will personally guide you through the whole process to create the dreamiest floral displays.

6. Say it with the sweet stuff

Photo © Rhubarb Hospitality Collection | See their Bridebook profile

Sweets and chocolate are among the highlights of Valentine’s Day. After all, it’s not just about the love and romance, but also the fun and indulgence! Set up a sweet buffet or dessert station at your wedding reception, like this one by Rhubarb Hospitality Collection, or go with a funfair and candyfloss theme. For fun sweet station reception ideas, consider a doughnut wall, popcorn bar, S’mores station, cupcake and cookie tower, macaron bar, or mini desert shots.

7. Say it with signage

Photo © Anesta Broad Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Celebrate the theme of love with a large LOVE sign at the entrance to your reception, or in your ballroom as a romantic backdrop to your first dance. We love this dreamy shot, captured by Anesta Broad Photography, of the happy couple dancing: “It’s the happiness of the couple, the delight of the guests in the background and the beautiful setting at Blake Hall that makes this photo feel special. It is a beautiful moment.” For something more subtle, consider dotting some smaller signs around your venue, like near the bar or the sign-in table, featuring romantic love-inspired quotes.

8. Get creative with your catering

Photo © The Full Spoon | See their Bridebook profile

Carry your Valentine’s Day theme into your food by asking your catering team to get creative with colour and shapes and finishing touches. From heart-shaped garnishes to heart-shaped skewers, to a colour palette of pinks and reds, there are so many ways to enjoy a special romantic wedding meal. What’s important is to hire wedding caterers who specialise in creating bespoke, innovative dishes. We particularly love The Full Spoon, who are experts in creating original, personal menus.

9. Create a signature cocktail

Photo © Fabulous Fizz Bar | See their Bridebook profile

Create a signature cocktail for the occasion with ingredients that are symbolic of love, like champagne and strawberries, or with known aphrodisiacs, like chocolate and chilli. Or go one further, and create little puns to accompany your cocktails, for example, “Love Potion” or ‘Cupid’s Cocktails”). This will give your drinks a romantic and whimsical vibe. For expertly hand-mixed, bespoke cocktails, we highly recommend Fabulous Fizz Bar. They’ll create a bespoke menu for you to fit the style and theme of your wedding, whether that’s Valentine’s Day or something more personal. You can even have your signature cocktails renamed to further personalise them.

10. Romanticise your wedding entertainment

Delight your partner and guests with some Valentine’s-inspired entertainment. For example, you can exchange love notes with your partner before the wedding ceremony, or ask the Maid of Honour and Best Man to write an original love poem for the bride and groom to read out during the speeches. Other ideas include splashing out on a themed photo booth with props that are inspired by love and Valentine’s Day. We particularly love Smartpicsuk Photo Booth: in addition to your choice of background for the images, you can also choose the design and text on the prints to compliment the style and theme of your wedding and create something that is truly unique.

11. Hand out Valentines-inspired gifts

Photo © Quintessential Cookies & Cakes | See their Bridebook profile

Surprise your partner with a sentimental gift like a locket or custom-made piece of jewellery before the ceremony, or treat your guests to special heart-shaped favours with a sweet note. Heart-shaped cookies and cake-pops work well, or chocolate-dipped strawberries presented in a cute bag. Quintessential Cookies & Cakes create gorgeous bespoke cookie wedding favours, that can be personalised to you and your special day. Celebration cakes, macarons, cupcakes, cake-pops and mini doughnuts are also available, and will make stylish, memorable and delicious gifts!

12. Use a special romantic wedding hashtag

Photo © Lisa & Neil Wedding Photography | See their Bridebook profile

Over 55% of couples incorporate a wedding hashtag into their big day, so why not create a special Valentine’s-inspired one? Include it on your save-the-dates, invitations or even cocktail napkins, so everyone can get tagging and tweeting those romantic photos and mobile phone footage!

13. Have a romantic meal

Photo © Lettice Events | See their Bridebook profile

Instead of the usual breakfast in bed, why not try something a little more romantic? Set up a table for two with a candlelit breakfast, or have a special breakfast delivered to the bridal suite. Alternatively, end the day with a special dinner at a romantic restaurant like on date night. For a luxury catering experience like no other, look no further than Lettice Events. From delicate canapés to feasting tables to midnight treats, they have the perfect recipe for a romantic wedding day.

14. Have a special exit

Photo © The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company | See their Bridebook profile

For a twist on the classic confetti shower, have a romantic Valentine’s-inspired exit with a shower of real rose petals. The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company specialises in beautiful, natural, biodegradable flower petals, handpicked and mixed to your bespoke requirements – perfect for a romantic themed wedding! You can effortlessly create a mixture to suit your style and theme. There’s a large range of other accessories too, including personalised confetti cones and sachets, pretty paper envelopers, flower girl baskets, and handmade wedding horseshoes.

These 14 romantic wedding ideas are sure to make your wedding day extra special and memorable, whether it’s on Valentine’s Day itself or not! Let us know your favourites in the comments!

Happy Planning!

Wedding Gift List Guide – ft The Wedding Shop

One of the most exciting parts of planning your wedding is creating your wedding gift list. But with so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to start and what to choose. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you create your perfect wedding gift list. From deciding on a gift registry, to choosing the perfect gifts, we’ve got you covered!

Deciding on a registry

The first step in creating your gift list is deciding on a registry. There are several options to choose from, including traditional department stores, online retailers, or even a combination of both. The most important thing is to choose a registry that suits your unique needs and preferences. A traditional department store registry will allow you to add a mix of home and lifestyle items, whereas an online registry will give you the flexibility to add items from multiple retailers.

Our recommended gift registry

For creating a unique and personalised gift list, our top choice is The Wedding Shop. Our founder, Hamish Shephard, used it for his own wedding, and was very impressed! They’ve won a number of awards, and it’s completely free to sign up. Plus, you get your own Gift Guru (a.k.a. personal wedding gift list advisor), to help make your journey enjoyable and unique to you, not to mention stress-free! They’ve got over 30 years of experience and feature over 450 brands, so your list will be in the best possible hands, and you’ll have a great selection of gifts to choose from.

Choosing the perfect gifts

Once you’ve decided on a registry, it’s time to start choosing the perfect gifts. Consider what you currently have and what you still need, and include a mix of items at different price points (to cater to guests with different budgets). For homebodies, consider items like cookware, bedding and home decor. For foodies, think items like a KitchenAid mixer, a set of high-quality knives and a cast iron skillet. For all the art lovers out there, add a beautiful painting or sculpture, or a membership to a local museum. For the adventurous couple, consider adding experiences such as a cooking class at a gourmet restaurant, or a hot air balloon ride at sunrise – the possibilities are endless!

Our recommended must-have items

We’ve picked out our favourite must-haves from The Wedding Shop, which are sure to inspire you!

The White Company: Portobello White Dinnerware – from £10

Le Creuset: Signature Cast Iron (Meringue) – from £145

Blush & Blue: Albion Cushions – £50

Nordlux: Ellen Table Lamp – £49

Bedfolk: Relaxed Cotton Double Duvet Cover (Clay) – £109

The White Company: Classic White Robes – £65

Ivyline x Kew Gardens: Kew Temperate House Hanging Planter With Hook (Copper) – £30

Nkuku: Mohani Lantern (Antique Brass) – £75

Neom Organics London: Wellbeing Pod Essential Oil Diffuser (White) – £95

Fortnum & Mason: The Wedding Day Hamper – £160

Creating your perfect wedding gift list is an exciting opportunity to start building your new life together as a couple. By following these steps, the whole process will be fun and stress-free! Looking for alternatives to physical gifts? The Wedding Shop offers these too! From honeymoon funds and charity donations, to memorable experience gifts, we love the choice and flexibility. Plus, everything is all in one place, which makes the whole process so oh-so-easy from start to finish.

Bridebook is proud to announce their partnership with Papier, one of the leading wedding stationery brands in the UK

Let’s talk wedding stationery – the perfect way to set the tone of your special day, get creative and, most importantly, let your loved ones know that your wedding is soon approaching!

Bridebook is excited to announce we have partnered with Papier, one of the leading wedding stationery brands in the industry, to help our couples design their perfect stationery.

Papier is unique as they collaborate with talented artists and illustrators to bring our couples all the designs they will need for their big (or little) day – from save the dates & invitations to menus, guest books, thank you cards & more.

Sophie Agar, Brand Director at Papier comments, “At Papier, we believe that stationery is a very special part of your wedding story. We’re so excited to be working with Bridebook to share our collections with you all.”

Wedding stationery can be personalised at Papier and is expertly printed on sustainably sourced paper in England. Choose from different paper thicknesses, finishes such as gold or silver foiling, and order samples to see how your designs look and feel. Papier’s friendly experts are on hand to help with any questions.

Browse Papier’s wedding stationery options:

Save the Dates

Set the tone for your wedding with Papier’s save the dates. Illustrated, foiled and photo designs can be paired with matching invitations and are available with or without envelopes. Prefer to send a digital save the date? Papier can help with that too.

Wedding Invitations

Calligraphy, floral, classic, modern – Papier has invitations to suit every couple’s style. All sets come with optional matching info cards, RSVP cards, pre-addressed RSVP envelopes & you can also get all your guests’ addresses printed on the envelopes to save you valuable time!

On the Day Designs

Add the finishing touches with orders of service, table plans, guest books, menus and place names. They’ll tie the details of your day together and give your guests little keepsakes to hold onto after the event.

Happy Planning!

Ready to order your wedding stationery for your big day? Send your request to Papier ‘Wedding stationery‘

If you’d like more advice on wedding stationery, below are some useful articles:

How to Write Wedding Invitations – A Template

How to Write Wedding Invitations

These days, customised wedding invitations are extremely popular. Beautiful designs and low prices make this a great option for many couples as it saves hours of making and writing invitations.

For this reason, much of the art of invitation writing has been forgotten with pre-built invitations being delivered to you needing nothing more than a name and address. This isn’t a bad thing as it’s one less thing for you to think about(let’s face it! You’ve got enough to do!). But, if you do want to write your own, where do you start? What is the correct wording?

Well the truth is….there is no correct wording. Wedding etiquette traditions have been reworked by a new generation as we have seen a rise of informal language gracing our wedding stationery.

Although the etiquette has been remodelled, it’s still important that you give your guests all the information they need. So here is everything you need to include on your wedding invitations. The order and wording is up to you. Just make sure it’s all on there:

Name of person and any +1’s
“You are invited to the marriage of” [a line making clear that they are invited]
Bride’s name &
Groom’s name
Date
Time of day
Location of wedding – Name of venue and full address
Reception information
Gift list information

If one(or both) of your parents are hosting, you can add the following at the beginning:

Names of parents
Request your presence(replaces line 2 above)
At the marriage of their daughter/son

Next up, it’s time to send your invitations

You may also find our hack on writing save-the-dates useful

7 trends wedding suppliers need to know about Millennial couples in 2018

The UK wedding market is jam-packed full of Millennials. Fact.

In fact, out of the 250,000 weddings per year in the UK the vast majority of couples are aged between 25-39 (aka Millennials). Source: The UK Wedding Report 2018 by Bridebook.co.uk.

And those digitally devoted information absorbers are now demanding a different approach from wedding suppliers. They’re looking for an altogether more open wedding market. They want you to overshare examples of weddings you’ve worked on – but don’t hound them or they’ll swipe left.

They might not have tons of time for you but they sure as hell want you to lay all of your cards on their perfectly designed wedding breakfast table.

#itscomplicated

So here’s the rundown of exactly what engaged and soon-to-be-wed couples of today expect from their wedding entourage for the approximate 20 months that they’ll be engaged and working with you…

1.Be online when your couples are

Unsurprisingly, the most popular time of the week for wedding planning is after work, with 63% of couples stating that evenings were the time they were most likely to be online.

Bridebook has discovered that the majority of enquiries are sent between 7pm-9pm so as a wedding supplier, you need to be active at these times. And of course the faster you are able to respond and interact with these enquiries the higher your conversion rate will be.

Where possible, keep an eye on your inbox over the weekend as Saturday (40%) and Sunday (37%) also show higher than average wedding planning activity.

2.Contact couples in the right way

For yet another year running, email is the preferred method of communication for initial enquiries (85%) and ongoing contact (88%) between couples and suppliers.

Interestingly though, half of couples also want in-person contact with the suppliers they’re working with.

However, you choose to answer your initial enquiry, remember to ask your couples how they would like to be contacted from there on and ask when is best for them in case evenings and weekends don’t suit.

3.Never underestimate the importance of reviews and recommendations

For yet another year running, couples have rated reviews and recommendations from friends and family (71%) as the most valuable source of information when booking wedding suppliers.

It is now more important than ever that you showcase your past work and triumphs wherever and whenever possible because 76% of couples read 8 or more reviews before booking a wedding supplier.

More specifically, 59% of couples said that they wanted to read online reviews from couples you’ve worked with in the past before making a decision on whether to contact you.

4.Understand how couples are choosing to spend their wedding budget

Did you know that the national average wedding spend in the UK in 2017 was £17,913 – excluding honeymoon? In London, this figure rises to £31,837.

So what are these big spending Millennial’s actually doing with their wedding budget?

The good news is that the money being spent on suppliers has increased by an average of 12% year on year. Consider this when reviewing your prices and ensure that you’re still pricing competitively and are not underselling your services by pricing too low.

Marquee hire (24%) food and drink (23%) and venue dressing (22%) are areas of spending that grew the most year on year.

5.Couples need interaction

The wedding industry is an unknown for most couples when they first dip their toe in our world and as such, we should be willing to guide them through the process.

This is the most important day of their lives and they are spending a lot of money so you have to prove your worth and show them that your business is worth investing in from the get go.

Be their friend and their partner throughout the wedding planning process. By communicating in the right way and offering the right kind of advice without being pushy you’ll ensure that couples have confidence in you and trust your expertise.

6.Couples depend on your photos

It is so important that you show couples what you do and what you offer with real, visual examples.

Keep your website and Bridebook profile up to date with the latest and greatest photos from weddings you’re most proud of.

Wedding venues – make sure that you’re showcasing great quality external and internal photos. If you aren’t blessed with acres of glorious grounds take photographs of other assets that surround you – whether rolling countryside or big city hotspots.

Makeup artists, wedding stylists, florists – photograph your work yourself and ask photographers and videographers for permission to use a couple of their photos or stills from the day (remembering to credit them).

Try to evoke a “that could be us” feeling with every visual you share.

7.Diversity is important to Millennial couples

Diversity is a problem that we are facing in the industry and we as suppliers should be tackling it head-on.

We live in one of the most diverse countries in the world and to ignore that is to ignore and potentially offend your potential customers.

As a start, be gender inclusive and try not to use phrases such as ‘normally a bride and groom have this or do that’. Consider your use of ‘bride and groom’ in the content you write and speak, using the term ‘partner’ or ‘couple’ instead.

We should be making every couple feel confident, comfortable and unique.

Wedding suppliers; ask yourselves…

…are you working with millennials or against them?

Are you interacting with them at the time and in the ways that they want you to?

Are you showcasing your business at it’s best – including reviews and beautiful images to really sell how great you are?

Bridebook can help you adjust to what Millennial couples want and need. Set up your own Bridebook page now to start promoting your business in a quick, easy and effortless way.

Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.

How to deliver personalised weddings in an impersonal online world

Here are a few easy ways in which wedding suppliers can offer couples a detailed and personalised experience online with very little effort required!

The internet opens minds; that’s undoubtedly true. It provides answers to questions we’d once ponder but perhaps never resolve. It provides inspiration for pretty much everything we do – or could do. And it encourages many of us to share our own stories, dreams and desires with the world.

Indeed, this applies to all people in all industries but we’re struggling to think of a dreamier one than the wedding industry. In a time when heads are firmly in the clouds and couples are on an engagement high, envisioning their big day and all the little details that will make it personal to them, where will they turn in an attempt to make their dream a reality?

They’ll head online, of course.

Wait…where are you?

As wedding suppliers, you need to be where your brides and grooms are and you need to be available ‘in theory’ as their ‘personal consultant’ whenever they need you.

Modern couples are conditioned to expect fast responses and unlimited access to whatever important information they need, as and when they need it.

Now, we’re not suggesting that you have the time (or inclination) to be at the beck and call of all potential clients and their wedding whims but there are a few easy ways in which you can offer couples a detailed and personalised experience online whilst you’re busy doing other things.

1.Ensure online information about your wedding services is current and comprehensive

Make sure that your website and all other online listings (that includes your Bridebook profile and social networks) are up-to-date and clearly communicate all the essential information couples will want to see, such as galleries, reviews, contact details and pricing.

2. Add a little personality to your online portfolio

Don’t be afraid to advertise your wedding business in a tone of voice and style that reflects who you are and what you’re about.

Personality and a unique take on age-old wedding traditions will guarantee that you stand out against other wedding suppliers who play it safe and ‘stick to what they know’. Stay abreast of the latest online wedding trends and add your own, expert flair.

3. Listen to the needs of modern day couples

Weddings in 2017 and beyond are all about personalised experiences which are subject to wedding suppliers *listening *to the needs and preferences of the couples they work with.

Brides and grooms are expressing themselves online throughout their wedding journey; from the planning stage to their actual wedding day and afterwards too.

It all begins with couples announcing their engagement on social media. Digital save the date invitations are probably next – perhaps linked to a personalised wedding website where guests can informally RSVP prior to the official invitations.

Did you know, an estimated 64% of brides are now opting to use paperless invitations for at least some part of their wedding journey?

If you’re a wedding stationery supplier, it’s vital that you listen to these industry changes and adapt your offering. Showcase your products elegantly and stylishly online (because printed wedding stationery will likely never go completely out of fashion) and if possible, develop your offering to include digital invitations, ‘evites’ and save the date cards to avoid isolating the ‘pro paperless’ segment of the Millennial wedding market. For inspiration, Paperless Post specialise in beautiful online invitations.

4. Join the #wedding conversation

We’re seeing more couples than ever before embracing personalised wedding hashtags as an accompaniment to their big day, so that guests can upload their shots to Twitter and Instagram for the entire wedding party to enjoy.

Hashtags are a great way of organising wedding snaps and of documenting real-time footage of a couple’s wedding day.

All wedding suppliers – but particularly wedding venues – should look at creating their own #wedding hashtag and you should encourage couples to use it when they’re sharing content online. This acts as free advertising and brand promotion for your wedding business, and the most impactful form of promotion for any business is that which uses raw emotion to convey a message.

Couples captured enjoying the best day of their lives at your wedding venue, eating your wedding cake or wearing a wedding dress from your collection is one of the best ways possible for you to advertise your product or services online.

Be sure to engage with online comments from your clients so that third party viewers can see that you’re emotionally invested in the couples you work with, and to show that you personally care about making their wedding day completely perfect.

Get personal with your couples and the online wedding world will notice

Couples in 2017 / 2018 are fully embracing the digital age and as wedding suppliers of today and tomorrow, we need to take note.

Listen to industry changes and the couples you work with, and don’t forget that you have a voice too. Talk about your experiences online, share good feedback and join in with the conversation!

Your couples dreams are just dreams before they meet you. Help them make their ideas a reality and challenge yourself to try new things and offer something different.

Because it’s time to get personal.

Want more tips and tricks as to how to grow and market your wedding business? Like the Bridebook Business Facebook Page and receive weekly updates from industry experts and thought leaders across the UK.

Keep your Bridebook profile up to date and relevant by logging in and editing your Business Account HERE. Once updated, you will instantly increase your profile searchability and are able to connect with our community of 40,000 couples. In short, spend a little time adding photos, videos, and information you love about your business now, and benefit later!

What is a wedding guest book?

35 wedding guest book alternatives

Paper-based guest book ideas

1) Thumbprint tree guest book

2) Message in a bottle guest book

3) Recipe card guest book

4) Postcard guest book

5) Advice cards guest book

6) Wishing tree guest book

7) Message bunting or garland

Creative guest books ideas

8) Vinyl record guest book

9) Guest book bench

10) Message board

11) Wishing well guest book

12) Scrapbook station

13) Jenga guest book

14) Wine label guest book

Photo guest book ideas

15) Polaroid guest book

16) Photo booth

17) Doodle or sketch guest book

18) Selfie station guest book

19) Photobook app

20) Mugshot wall

21) Giant polaroid frame

Collectible guest books

22) Wishing stone guest book

23) Customised ornaments

24) Miniature canvas paintings

25) Customised playing cards

26) Customised guitar picks

27) Time capsule

28) Customised ceramic tiles

Interactive guest books ideas

29) Audio guest book

30) Jigsaw puzzle guest book

31) Typewriter guest book

32) Chessboard guest book

33) Personalised board games

34) Wedding bingo

35) Date night jar

The bottom line on wedding guest book ideas

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Happy Planning!

Reasons to choose Papier

Start your wedding story with Papier

10 unique wedding invitations

1. Scratch-off invitations

The idea

What you’ll need

Method

2. Storybook invitations

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What you’ll need

Method

3. Passport invitations/boarding passes

The idea

What you’ll need

Method

4. Vintage postcard invitations

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What you’ll need

Method

5. QR code invitations

The idea

What you’ll need

Method

6. Hand-painted invitations

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7. Origami fortune teller invitations

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What you’ll need

Method

8. Magnetic Invitations

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Method