Swift Printing Guide: Wedding Edition
Getting married? First of all, congratulations! You’ve come to the right place.
Our experience in wedding invitations goes way, way back – all the way to the beginning! Walt Sr. started Swift Printing Company by scouring the papers for wedding announcements, then calling them up to offer his printing services. (Don’t worry – we don’t do this anymore!)
Now, let’s get down to the details – printing details, that is! Here’s our guide to everything you may need to print for your wedding.
SAVE THE DATES
Lots of times, we hear, “I can’t wait until it’s over!” For me, I wanted to keep it fun the whole planning time and that included having fun with the save the date. (If you know me and my husband, this is still an accurate snapshot of us.)
Sent out several months in advance, save the date cards will let your guests know the basic where and when of your wedding. (Pretty simple, right?) You can personalize these cards with photos, designs and information about the wedding date, location and website. If you are working on an invitation suite for your wedding, you may want to pick one cohesive style for everything, including your save the dates!
INVITATIONS
Wedding invitations are a formal invitation to the wedding ceremony and reception. They typically include the names of the couple, date, time, location and any other relevant details. Invitations can be customized with a variety of designs, fonts and colors to match the couple's wedding theme.
There are many customary “rules” when it comes to wedding invitations, things like how you spell out the times (example: “four o’clock in the afternoon on the twenty-first of May”) or that the bride's name comes first. At Swift, we can help you navigate some of that – but we absolutely support you bucking tradition to do things in your own unique ways!
RSVPs
RSVP cards are a way for guests to indicate whether they will attend the wedding – an important thing to find out! These cards can be printed with pre-addressed envelopes for easy mailing, or you can use them to communicate an online RSVP process.
Keep it simple. The question we asked at the end of this RSVP card was fun to read the responses, but it also delayed responses because people agonized over the perfect sentence. If I were to get married in this era, I’d for sure do a QR code with link to respond.
Pro Tip – If you opt for digital RSVPs, collect email addresses along with physical addresses. You’ll be able to format that list to become your holiday card address list and future digital invitation list, too!
Need help formatting lists in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets? We got you. Get our guide here!
PROGRAMS
Ceremony programs are a printed guide to the wedding ceremony, including the order of events, the names of your loved ones in the wedding party and any special readings or performances. Programs are especially helpful for ceremonies with many different elements or large bridal parties.
At Swift, we’ll help you find that just-right paper weight for your ceremony programs!
An example of a simple large format sign to welcome guests into the ceremony.
RECEPTION
This is where the fun begins – we know your wedding isn’t a “party,” but receptions are where everyone gets to let loose! For your reception, you might want to consider personalized touches to elevate the experience like menu signs and custom napkins. We also recommend thinking about how guests will find their table assignments – place cards, table numbers or a printed seating chart are extremely helpful for a smooth start.
Have fun with the table names! Here’s an example, from my wedding, Jake and I used important dates that happened on the same date as our wedding date.
Pro Tip – Pick a theme or look for every item, and stick to it! Sometimes it’s easier to just pick a design to get the save the date out. But, if you take your time and decide early on what you want, it can all flow together nicely. There are a number of free design sets online, or you could go fully custom and use our in-house design team to make sure the look is consistent!
We often get last minute requests for way-finding and instructional signage, so take time in a venue walkthrough to really think about what type of signage could be helpful to your guests. You could ask yourself (or your venue’s manager!) things like:
How will guests know where to park?
How will guests know where to go for the ceremony or reception, if they park at a distance from your ceremony site?
Is there clear wayfinding for restrooms? What about trash and recycling?
By considering these additional things, you’ll be sure to have orchestrated a cohesive and memorable wedding experience for you and your guests.
Need more ideas? We have even more tips in our Gala Guide to Printing!
THANK YOUS
Have fun with a bright colored envelope or make it a fun postcard that includes a photo of the bride and groom. Or seriously level up and have a photo of the couple with each wedding guest.
After the wedding, we hope you have lots of gifts to thank your guests for! Personalized thank you cards can be a great way to commemorate your wedding and thank your guests for attending and for their generous gifts.
As always, these things are only a starting point. We are here to help at every step of the way to make sure your wedding is exactly what you want it to be! Connect with us here to get started with Swift Printing.
