Continuing on the theme from yesterday of making your own wedding stationery, here are some additional pointers:

“Save The Date” cards: This is one thing that has made its way over the pond from our American cousins and they are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. While the older generation might say that Save The Date cards are largely unnecessary, they can be useful if you are inviting people who will need to travel long distances or if you want to get a better idea of who cannot make it well in advance of your big day. A simple, elegant postcard announcing the who, the what, the when and the where will give your friends ample time to plan ahead and – if need be – book time off work and make travel arrangements long before the official invitation will arrive. If you’d like to save money down the line, it is a good idea to enclose all the nitty-gritty logistical information e.g. hotels, maps, and fun local activities at this stage. Though it may require more work earlier in the process, it’s cheaper to mail this information along with your “Save The Date” card than with your invitation, because invitations tend to be heavier and, therefore, postage is generally more expensive.

Wedding Invitations: Obviously, there can be no wedding if there are no guests. And there will be no guests if people are not invited. Invitations are an unavoidable - and worthwhile - expense. They are also one place that you may choose to push the boat out, as the colour scheme you use on your invitations begins to set the aesthetic tone for your wedding. Like photographs, they will remain a cherished memento long after the honeymoon is over. (And, no, e-vites are not an option here. Tangible paper really does have a place in people’s hearts!)

RSVP cards: These are an absolutely necessary component for your invitation. If you’re completely strapped for cash, you can direct people to e-mail you their RSVP, although then you’ll miss out on the warm and witty things people jot down in response to their invitation. My favorite? My grandmother’s response: “If I have to crawl on all fours, I’ll be there.”

Of course, you can make the RSVP card a postcard instead of a letter – this will save you money on the return postage. In fact, you may even decide not to include postage, which will save youe even more money – about £35 per 100 cards. It may seem like loose change, but as you embark on the consumer circus act that is the Modern UK Wedding, you’ll soon realize that every £ counts.

Order of Service: Sure, having your wedding programmes printed in letterpress might be stunning, but –if you had to make a trade-off - can’t you think of other places you’d rather spend that money? A seven-page program can cost just as much as an invitation. If you really want to provide individual programs, try doing them yourself. Here you can use Microsoft Word to mock it up and then take it to your local printers and get them to print it on card stock.

Menu Cards: One expense you need not swallow. People won’t even notice the absence. Again, if you really want them, why not do them yourself on your printer?

Logistical Information: If you choose not to enclose maps and hotels with a Save The Date, simply print up an A4 sheet on Word with all the relevant information. Or have a wedding website created for you and direct guests there on the bottom of your invitation. As long as the website costs less than printing and postage costs for additional sheets, it can be worth it.

Place Names: Instead of paying through the nose to have everyone’s name printed or calligraphed onto cards, try using clear labels and printing them out at home (or work!) on a laser printer or ink jet. Then you can affix the labels onto cards. If there are last-minute cancellations and you have to switch tables, you won’t encounter a last-minute panic and you’ll save on printing costs too.