Wedding stationery advice, inspiration, real weddings and seasonal trends from designer Becky Smithbury.
Every guest deserves to read their own invitation. I share how wedding stationery can be more welcoming, through readable design, large print and inclusive details, plus special guest sections on braille and large print wedding stationery from Tasha at Dot & Type, and British Sign Language wedding ceremonies from Martin at Proud Fox Ceremonies.
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Butter yellow is having a real cultural moment, and it’s making the loveliest transition into weddings. I introduce my new Butter Yellow Collection, all painterly golden florals and flowing calligraphy, then make the case for yellow in every shade from primrose to saffron. You’ll find pairings matching different yellow designs to wedding styles, my favourite colour combinations, and a proper FAQ on using yellow without it overwhelming, what goes with it, and whether it works for winter (it does). Warm, joyful and far more versatile than you’d expect.
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Love the idea of bespoke stationery but not sure where to start, or worried you can’t describe your vision? This post dissolves every hesitation. I explain why couples go bespoke, then walk through exactly how the process works with me, from first enquiry and quote to design proofs, collaboration and delivery. There’s a proper FAQ on finding your aesthetic, choosing colours and what it costs (my fees start at £150), plus all the things bespoke can do that a template can’t: venue illustrations, florals matched to your bouquet, pet portraits and custom maps.
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Pattern is having its wedding era, and it’s about time. This post is all about embracing the more-is-more moment, starting with your invitations. I share how to pull off pattern without tipping into chaos (choose a colour story, let some things breathe, carry a thread), then ways to bring it into a whole suite, including my new design with six patterned backs. There’s a guide to finding your print personality, from florals and stripes to botanicals, geometrics and marble, plus how bespoke can echo a pattern from elsewhere in your day.
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Forget your nan’s carpet and brown-and-orange kitchen tiles. The retro wedding trend coming through now is far more joyful: bold 70s florals, earthy terracottas and mustards, graphic typography and pattern used with confidence. I walk through three collections that capture it, Retro Floral, Colour Block and a new design with six patterned backs, then share ideas for carrying the theme through your whole day, from phone guest books and Polaroids to lawn games and styling. I also dig into what retro means to you, and how bespoke keeps it fresh, never costume-y.
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Dark, dramatic and utterly unforgettable, theatrical gothic stationery is having a serious moment, and this post is your way in. I explain why theatre and decadence are shaping 2026 weddings (think the Secret Cinema effect, applied to stationery), then walk through the designs that deliver: glamorous gothic in Black Brushstrokes and Gothic Boho Blooms, theatrical richness in Dutch Masters and Marsala Wine, and celestial magic in Marble Elegance and Starry Night. Plus when to go bespoke, with hand-illustrated opera houses, custom star maps and jewellery-box envelope liners.
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Your invitation lands on a doorstep next to a gas bill and a takeaway menu, and before guests see what’s inside, the envelope tells them how to feel about what’s coming. This post is all about making that first impression extraordinary. I run through every way to elevate an envelope: coloured envelopes that build a colour story, liners (my not-so-secret obsession), wax seals, custom postmarks and stamps, and the upgrade I’d always choose, guest address printing. Plus a few favourite real envelope moments, from a Lover-album liner to vintage stamps on kraft and joyfully bold orange.
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If your mood board looks less like a glossy magazine and more like the inside of a well-loved bookshop, poetcore might be the trend you didn’t know had a name. I explore it as a whole atmosphere, not just an aesthetic: ideas for your ceremony (including live typewriter poetry from Jen at Jackdaw Editorial), centrepieces, favours, soundtrack and dress code. Then to the heart of it, the stationery, with the Victoriana and Rustic Luxe collections and bespoke touches like poetry-lined envelopes, wax seals and fabric signage. For folkmore couples who want their wedding to feel like a story.
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