Wedding day details checklist… but make it unique
Wedding stationery doesn't have to be purely practical. Done well, it can become a key part of your styling, adding colour, personality and plenty of interesting details for guests to discover throughout the day.
And while your guests might not remember every detail of your wedding décor, they will notice the highly personalised, bespoke touches that make the day feel unique. A beautiful escort card they can take home, a sign featuring the family dog or an illustrated map that helps them find their way around the grounds can all become part of the experience.
If you want to go beyond the traditional table plan and place cards, here are my top 10 wedding day details that your guests will actually notice…
1. Create a custom escort card display
Want to do something a little different from the traditional table plan? An escort card display is a great way to combine seating information with something your guests will actually want to keep.
Rather than simply listing names and table numbers, you can turn the display into a piece of artwork in its own right, with an illustrated backboard designed around your wedding.
For Lauren and Laurie's wedding in Lake Como, travel was a big part of their story. They had travelled all over the world together, visiting some pretty special places along the way, so we brought those memories into their wedding stationery.
I created shell-shaped escort cards finished with pink tassels, which were displayed on an illustrated backboard. Around the border were little hand-painted references to places they had travelled together - from kangaroos and koalas representing Australia to beach huts and deck chairs inspired by Norfolk.
The travel theme continued onto the table names, with each table named after a beach they had visited together.
It's these kinds of details that make stationery feel personal and part of your story as a couple.
2. Wedding welcome signs with dogs
A hand-painted pet portrait is a lovely way to include your dog (or cat) in the wedding, particularly if your venue doesn't allow dogs.
I usually incorporate the colours and flowers from your wedding styling so the welcome sign with your dog feels like part of the overall design rather than an add-on. There are lots of design options - from a simple pet portrait with flowers to a more intricate wedding crest with your pet incorporated.
3. Illustrated Order of Events Signs
Lots of wedding day stationery is practical and functional, with an important job to do - but that doesn't mean it has to be dull and boring. I like to pump the same creativity into ‘day stationery’ as I do the invitations.
An illustrated order of events sign lets guests know what's happening throughout the day, from the ceremony and drinks reception to the wedding breakfast and evening celebrations, while adding another visual element to your décor.
And there's plenty of scope to make the illustrations personal. If you're serving a particular dish, signature cocktail or type of entertainment, these can all be incorporated into the design. I can even illustrate musical instruments, garden games, a signature cocktail etc.
4. Give your place cards an unexpected shape
Place cards are often rectangular with the guest name printed in the middle, but they don’t have to be. Introducing an interesting shape is a simple way to make your table settings feel more considered. Think wavy edges, ovals, scallops or completely custom shapes inspired by your wedding.
A flower-shaped place card could complement your floral styling, a cocktail-shaped card could tie into your drinks menu, or you could incorporate a miniature version of your venue illustration It's a small detail, but when your guests sit down and see their name presented in a shape created specifically for your wedding, it instantly feels more personal.
5. Add a wax seal to your place cards
If your style is a little more pared-back, a wax seal can add just the right amount of detail without making the table setting feel too fussy. Choose a wax colour that complements your wedding palette and pair it with a botanical, floral or themed stamp. Or, I can have a custom stamp made featuring your initials or a motif that's meaningful to you.
Wax seal place cards also make lovely little keepsakes. They're small enough for guests to pop into a handbag or pocket at the end of the evening, giving them something tangible to take home.
6. Illustrated wedding menus
Your menu is another opportunity to bring your hand-painted artwork into the wedding day.
Rather than simply listing the dishes, the design can feature an illustrated border inspired by your wedding menu. I can paint ingredients or dishes, wine, cocktails or other details that are unique to your celebration - all tied in with colours and florals to match your other stationery.
Each menu can be printed with the guest name and personalised with their menu choices, acting as a handy reminder of the menu choices they ordered.
7. Give your guests a little surprise with custom door hangers
For Shana and Josh's wedding in Scotland, I created a bespoke door hanger featuring their labradoodle, with decorative florals inspired by their wedding flowers. Each wedding door hanger was printed with the couple’s name.
It was a fun detail for guests staying on-site and a great example of how an illustration can be used somewhere completely unexpected.
You could feature your dog, wedding crest, a special motif or a simple floral design. It's the kind of detail guests might not expect to find hanging on the door of their hotel room, which is exactly why they'll remember it.
8.Get creative with shaped signage
Wedding signs are increasingly becoming part of the décor rather than something that's simply there to provide information.
Choosing an interesting shape can make a sign feel much more intentional. Arches, ovals and wavy edges can all add visual interest.
For Billie and Gil's destination wedding in Greece, I designed a series of arched wedding signs to complement their invitations. They featured the couple's wedding crest, a floral border with bougainvillea and an illustrated timeline of their wedding weekend.
Because the signage shared the same artwork and design details as their invitations, everything felt connected, from the first glimpse of the invitations to the signs at the wedding.
9. Combine an itinerary with a custom wedding map
If you're getting married somewhere with extensive grounds, hosting several events in different locations or planning an entire wedding weekend, a custom wedding map can be both beautiful and genuinely useful.
Your map could show the local area, the venue grounds or several locations across a destination. You can highlight ceremony and reception spaces, accommodation, restaurants, beaches, gardens or any other places your guests need to find.
Take a look below as I compare a custom wedding map for a destination and UK wedding, to show how they can be used.
For Rebecca and Harrison’s destination wedding, a custom map of Hamilton Island was printed as a folded card, with the itinerary running down either side. The artwork showcased different areas of the island while giving guests all the information they needed for the celebrations.
For a wedding at Wilderness Reserve at Sibton Park Estate in the UK, the map was designed specifically to help guests navigate the grounds, highlighting the ceremony and reception spaces alongside the walled garden, boating lake and farmhouse.
10. Signature Cocktail Signs with Dogs
It’s popular to name signature cocktails after dogs. To get the most out of the illustration work, I can use the same dog illustration on your welcome sign and cocktail menu. All you need to do is send me some photos of your pooch and I will paint your pet to feature alongside cocktails and garnishes.
A small detail, but it's exactly the kind of thing guests notice, photograph and talk about - The most memorable wedding stationery isn't necessarily the most elaborate. It's the stationery that gives guests a glimpse into you.
These details can be woven throughout your wedding stationery in ways that feel natural and personal, creating a celebration that looks beautifully cohesive without feeling like everything has come straight from a catalogue.
And that's where bespoke illustration really comes into its own. Rather than simply choosing a colour palette or changing the wording on a template, you can create artwork that's completely unique to your wedding and then carry it from your invitations through to the details your guests discover on the day.