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Although not one of the first services to organise, wedding stationery, like your choice of wedding dress, says a lot about you. It is, therefore, very important that you choose the right colours and designs.

So, when should you start to think about your wedding stationery? Your wedding day may still seem a long way off, but five to six months is not an unreasonable length of time to start looking and see what is available.

However, do allow enough time if this is around Christmas time. If you like the traditional design, then shops like W H Smith, Debenhams plc, Marks and Spencer and so on have a good range of these as well as more modern designs.

But then you have gone to all the trouble of having the design you want with your wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses; you will make sure that your future husband and his best man, together with any page boys and ushers, all match with your theme, so why not have stationery that is as individual as you are. Well, with Valerie Tall Wedding Stationery you can.

Mr & Mrs J Riley (17th August 2002) - Photography courtesy of Eddie Nolan Photography at the King's Gallery)

Remember, the invitation either you or your Mum and Dad send out could be the first time your partner's relations have heard of you. So, an invitation dropping through their letter box will be the first impression they have of your side of the family and you don't get a second chance to make a first impression!

"We would just like to say thank you both for all your help, advice and support during the planning of our wedding. We had a fantastic day and everything went perfectly." - Becky & Stuart Allen 15th July 2004

With our stationery, we print your guests' names on your invitations and their names and addresses on the envelopes, so all you have to do is put stamps on the envelopes and pop them in the post. You also only pay for the number of invitations you need, unlike other companies where you have to buy in blocks of 25 or even 50. And we give you an additional 10% free.

How good are your friends and relations at replying? For a little extra, why not enclose an RSVP card already addressed back to you - with a stamp on it if you think it really necessary. This will ensure that you get your final numbers early enough to tell the hotel or the catering company. And don't forget to put a date by which time you need their reply!

You don't generally have to be so accurate with your evening numbers, so an RSVP card is perhaps not so important. However, still put a reply date to make sure that most of them let you know.

Well, that's invitations out of the way. The remaining stationery all relates to your big day. If you are having a church service, then an Order of Service adds a touch of finesse. We include the hymns so that people are not fumbling through hymn books trying to find the next hymn. It also allows your guests to follow the service more easily because you will only have had printed what is actually happening.

If it is a Civil Ceremony at a venue other than a Register Office, then you could have an Order of the Day. This is much shorter than an Order of Service, but does give you room to tell your guests what is happening for the rest of the day and the evening, if appropriate, at the venue.

And now for the Wedding Breakfast itself. How many times have you been to a wedding and wandered round the tables knowing (or hoping) that your name is there somewhere. Why not let us make your table plan for you. It will have your guests' names in alphabetical order with their table number against each name. However, when compiling your list of who sits where, do put a certain amount of thought into where you are going to seat your guests so that they are comfortable with each other. Place cards, already typed, add a nice touch and save your guests from having to decipher your writing.

Favours, if your budget will allow, are a nice way of saying 'thank you' to your guests for making the effort to come to your celebration. A number may have travelled long distances to join you and have put themselves out to look smart for the occasion. Traditional sugared almonds used to be the norm for the ladies, but why not have something different like lovely Belgian chocolates in a box or a beautifully scented candle. And for the men, who often get left out, miniatures of whisky, brandy or port add a thoughtful touch. Children, too, can have a little something like jelly babies.

Hopefully, that's the day taken care of, so what next? Well, you should have, by the end of your big day, a table with a large number of presents on it. 'Thank you' notes are a little more personal than just a 'thank you' letter. We will continue your original design and colour theme right through to your 'Thank you' notes and your new name and address will be printed on them. This is particularly useful if you are starting up a new home or moving house. You won't have to buy 'Change of address' cards also!

In addition to the designs you see here, we also have a Celtic range. With a plethora of different knots from which to choose, there is bound to be one that is just right for you.

Although not strictly wedding stationery, if you are having younger children to your reception, why not have some colouring and dot-to-dot books to keep them amused. Usually the hotel will let you have a small table for this purpose.

Some little tips. With day invitations, you only generally need one per family unless someone in that family is playing a special part in your wedding, like a bridesmaid. It is nice to send that person an individual one. You don't need to send evening invitations to your day guests - they will normally know that they are invited to the evening reception also. If you want to make it clear you can always add suitable wording to the day invitations like 'followed by an evening reception….' Again, with Orders of Service, one per family is usually enough. But don't forget yourselves and the vicar may like one also. On your table plan, unless you want to be really formal, do away with Mr, Mrs or Miss and just have the first and last names. It's easier for your guests to find their names and looks nicer on the plan. It also stops upsetting people who may like to be called 'Ms.' and you have called them 'Miss'.

Hopefully this has given you an insight into the wedding stationery side of your special day. If you have any questions, we will be delighted to answer them for you. Call us on 01652 657744 or 0845 6441734 (local call rate) or come and see us at 10 School Court, Brigg. Alternatively, please complete the enquiry form on the 'Contact Us' page and we will deal with your request by return.