Starting a Wedding Stationery Business

Starting a Handmade Wedding Stationery Business

Posted on 15th January 2013 by Papermilldirect
Filed under Wedding Stationary Business Advice, Projects And Cards By Type, Wedding Stationery

White Felt Embossed Wedding Stationery 1 610 490

Are you thinking of setting up a wedding stationery business? Read all of our tips and advice in this useful series of articles.

Setting up a Wedding Stationery Business

Creating a professional portfolio - you need a great portfolio to share your designs with publishers and potential clients

Wedding industry networking online - a great list of wedding industry influencers on Twitter, get networking!

Wedding Fairs - top tips for making them work for your handmade stationery business!

Pricing wedding stationery packages - perhaps the hardest part of selling your stationery is getting the prices right, some great tips here

Surviving the first year of a wedding stationery business - tips from successful stationer Lisa Forde

Where to begin starting a wedding stationery business - more great tips from Lisa Forde

Should I turn my hobby into a business? - can you really turn a fun hobby into a full time job?

Should I Turn My Hobby Into A Business

Handmade Wedding Stationery

Having your wedding stationery designed especially for you is a real luxury for a bride and groom and it can be a fun challenge for the designer to get the stationery just right From Save the Dates, invitations and through to the place cards, seating plans and thank you notes all need to match or complement the theme of the big day.

Last year we wrote a series of articles about selling handmade cards. The next progression for someone selling cards online may be to move into setting up a wedding stationery business where they can earn more money for each commission because of the volume of work involved in creating a wedding stationery package. This year we would like to look at various aspects of setting up a wedding stationery business, we've listed a few of our blog posts on the subject above. There is a lot to know other than simply how to make an invitation look great!

Papermill Direct 1000

One of our best sellers at papermilldirect.co.uk is our range of white card, especially our embossed linen and hammered textured white card. We supply boxfuls on a regular basis to many talented wedding stationers. Since we've been active on social media, Facebook and Twitter, it's been great to hear from the many wedding stationers out there, get their feedback and of course get a glimpse of their beautiful wedding stationery designs and anniversary cards.

Papermilldirect Wedding Stamps Flat Lay Purple 1

At Papermilldirect we have all the high quality card and paper supplies you need for setting up your handmade wedding stationery business. We also have trade account options where you can save up to 40% on our card and paper.

Are you a Wedding Stationer?

We'd love to speak to you if you are a wedding stationery designer and have some tips you would like to share. Please leave a comment below if you would be happy to answer a few questions to help us build up this useful reference - we will of course link back to your site and be happy to share images of your work by way of a thank you if we use any of the tips! We also hope to build up a directory of handmade wedding stationers that we can share on this blog and help more people find your designs.

Would you like to be a wedding stationery designer?

Also we'd love to hear from you if becoming a wedding stationer part or full time is a dream for you - we're keen to hear about the issues that are holding you back and hopefully be able to answer some of your questions about setting up a successful handmade wedding stationery business.

Everything You Need To Know To Start Your Own Wedding Stationery Business

Tagged: wedding stationery business tips, wedding stationery, wedding stationery ideas

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20 thoughts on “Starting a Handmade Wedding Stationery Business”

Jenny

31st July 2019 at 1:25 p.m.

Hi. I am wanting to start up my own home business creating wedding/party stationery. I don’t know where to begin. Any advice would be welcome. I have the space at home to create and store the stationery but I don’t know what machinery I need. Where to get my card/decorations from in bulk. I know what I want to do I just don’t know where to start

Donna

01st April 2019 at 2:37 p.m.

Hi, I’m looking for a printer that I can make invites etc. Does everyone print at home or use professional printers? And also what is the best computer/software to get. Thanks

Lauryn

19th February 2019 at 10:47 p.m.

Hello :) I’m currently looking for a printer that I can start making invites and save the dates, but I can’t seam to find any. Hoping you’d be able to help? Many thanks, Lauryn

Kariba

10th November 2017 at 3:29 p.m.

Hi,

I'm a graphic designer and mostly design wedding stationery. I currently outsource my printing but I want to start producing my own designs now. I'm confused about where to start with machinery etc. I want to include techniques such as letterpress, foiling, dye cutting and laser cutting in my work. I would appreciate any advice

Caroline

15th June 2017 at 11:20 p.m.

I set up a laser engraving business last year, having left teaching (I was a Graphics teacher for 15 years). I returned to teaching because I missed it but I cannot get another job - too expensive. My original plan had been to set up a wedding stationery business. I'm thinking about buying a letter press and using cotton board. I sold my laser cutter but ironically could have made personalised letter blocks with it ...... just wondering if you have any advice.

Kirsty

10th June 2013 at 10:47 p.m.

Hi, I am hoping to start a wedding stationery business in the near future. I was wondering how everybody goes about printing their designs? Do you print at home or outsource to a professional printers? Thanks, Kirsty.

Anita Howell

03rd June 2013 at 11:58 a.m.

Hi Hilary, Do you know if you need to register with HMRC if you are not yet making a profit?

Rebecca McGee

09th May 2013 at 11:21 a.m.

I started our business last year with my husband, having designed the stationery for our own wedding, as well as my sister's. After receiving such enthusiastic and positive feedback, it seemed like a good idea to make a business out of it, and we haven't looked back! We started with a website http://www.simplyhandmadedesigns.com and then attended a few wedding fayres. I would advise any start-up designers to pick and choose wedding exhibitions carefully; they can be expensive. However, what they do bring is feedback, face to face, for your designs, and that's something we found invaluable. You may not necessarily take orders on the day but you'll be surprised how many people remember you and come back to you a few weeks (and sometimes months!) down the line if you do the work in building relationships with potential customers. Also, have a hunt round for venues who are putting on their own wedding fayres, as opposed to exhibition businesses who make their money by hosting these events, as these tend to be cheaper. Good luck to everyone!

Paula Trimble

24th April 2013 at 8:51 p.m.

I started my wedding stationery business 2 years ago after I couldn't return to my conventional office job after having my second son. It was fab as I started out without a great capital outlay and did really well selling on a well known auction site. I have made over 1600 separate orders since my start and have big ambitions for the future. My other half has since joined me in the business since he was made redundant in 2012, and since we have both decided to commit oursleves to First Impressions we have had a website built www.impressionsweddinginvitations.co.uk and are aiming to earn our main income from the site in the next year or so. Can't say it has been easy all the way, trying to balance a family and working 16 hours a day, but I know it is hard work in the beginning but I'm sure our future will be worth all the hard graft!

Judy Botham (Everlasting Sparkle)

16th April 2013 at 1:37 p.m.

I started my wedding stationery business in November last year and it is beginning to take off really well. I have been making cards for years and have made wedding invites for a few weddings so thought I would try and make a business out of it. I love doing them, sometimes it can be a bit tiresome cutting 100 of the same shapes, but when I see the end product I am so proud that I made that! It also makes me really happy when I get good feedback from brides and to know that I have helped to make their day extra special - that's the most important thing.

Heather Shadrick

16th April 2013 at 12:51 p.m.

I started a couple of months ago, as i can't find a job. I have also had cancer, but am clear at the moment. I did our invites, and those of a friend who kept pestering me to start up. We've done a couple of wedding fayres now, and I have a facebook page(cards 'n' things), to show my different ideas. I like fairly simple designs, but as I stress to people the show cards are only ideas, they can have whatever they want, after all it is their day. I normally like to ask for a small deposit, so I know i'm not going to get messed with, and 99% of my cards and papers come from yourselves. A little bling goes a long way as well! Just need to get the word out now, as the busier I am, the happier I am.

Anne Burn

16th April 2013 at 10:18 a.m.

I have just started setting up my own little business but finding it very hard and expensive to get out there, Im aiming for the people who are on a tight budget, I love making my own cards and have always been called on when friends and family or having some kind of celebration to do there cards, my last call was for 50 Wedding invitations with a budget of £30 we did it just! they looked lovely and I was asked why I didnt start a business doing it as many Wedding stationers are very expensive, So here I am

Ruby Sommer

15th April 2013 at 7:39 p.m.

I've been designing and creating my own wedding stationary for just under a year now, starting with one client and picking up a few others on the way. I also work part time and it can be stressful at times, but as Tilly says earlier in this thread, the joy of the customer makes it all completely worth it!

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:30 a.m.

Hope you are finding our posts useful! So much to think about more than just the designs alone when setting up a wedding stationery business!

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:30 a.m.

Thanks for the lovely feedback - yes we do sell a great deal of the pearlised card to wedding stationers!

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:29 a.m.

Hope it's all going well - great to have a daughter getting married that you can test out your designs with!

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:28 a.m.

Hope all is going well with the bump! The great thing about designing stationery is the ability to work from home :)

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:27 a.m.

When do you think is the busiest time of year for wedding stationers? So much pre-planningis required to make sure you don't overstretch yourself with too many couples to make stationery for.

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:26 a.m.

Fantastic! Getting to wedding fairs is so important - and when your kids are older they'll certainly appreciate the time you spent working on building up a business!

Hilary

15th April 2013 at 11:25 a.m.

Brilliant - hope everything is still going well for you, finding a niche is the hardest part! :)