Putting together a checklist for your on the day wedding stationery is one of the best ways to keep your sanity intact whilst preparing for your wedding. After working with thousands of couples on their wedding stationery, the Paperlust team knows exactly what makes the difference between a smooth ceremony day and a last-minute scramble. This guide covers every printed element you might need for your big day.
On the Day Stationery Quick Checklist
- Reception: Menu cards, place cards, table numbers, seating chart
- Ceremony: Wedding programs (order of service), reserved seating signs
- Signage: Welcome sign, directional signs, bar/cocktail sign
- Finishing touches: Gift tags, favor stickers, wishing well cards
Menu Cards
After you and your partner, the food and drinks are the second most important part of any wedding. Menu cards are required whenever guests are sitting down to a served meal – particularly when alternate dishes are on offer and guests need to choose. Having a printed menu also helps guests with dietary requirements identify what is safe for them to eat without having to flag down a staff member.
A menu card is not required for a buffet-style or non-seated wedding, though some couples choose to use them anyway to provide a polished overview of what is available. Whether you opt for individual menus, shared menus between two guests, or a single menu per table is entirely up to you. Browse our wedding menu designs to find one that matches your stationery suite.
Place Cards
You have spent hours organizing your seating plan – place cards make sure guests actually follow it. Place cards at sit-down reception dinners guide guests to their assigned seats, reduce anxiety about where to sit, and help venue staff deliver the correct meals based on dietary requirements. Most venues will ask for them for this reason alone.
Browse our place card designs to find one that coordinates with your invitation suite.
Table Numbers
If you are using assigned seating, table numbers are just as essential as place cards. They help guests navigate from the seating chart to their seat without confusion. Table numbers also double as decor – a matching set that ties together with your invitation suite and place cards creates a polished, cohesive reception table.
Make sure your table numbers are displayed in a sturdy holder. Outdoor weddings especially benefit from weighted holders that will not topple in a breeze.
Wedding Signs
A welcome sign is the first thing guests see when they arrive at your venue. It confirms they are in the right place and gives them an immediate sense of your wedding aesthetic. A welcome sign typically includes the couple’s names and the wedding date. Some couples add a short welcome message or a meaningful quote.
Beyond the welcome sign, you may also need directional signs (especially for outdoor or multi-building venues), a bar or cocktail menu sign, reserved seating markers for family, and an unplugged ceremony notice. For ideas on how to display and decorate your signs, read our guide to decorating your wedding signs, or browse our wedding sign designs.
Seating Chart
A seating chart ensures guests find their table quickly without roaming around the reception venue. Position it near the entrance alongside (or just after) your welcome sign so guests can check their table before they walk in. A good seating chart works in tandem with your place cards – guests find their table on the chart, then find their exact seat via the place card.
Seating chart formats and materials
The most popular formats are a single large printed sign on a board or easel, a series of individual escort cards arranged alphabetically or by table number, and a printed card displayed in a frame. Paperlust produces seating charts on Printed PVC Board and Fabric – both materials photograph beautifully, hold up well in venue conditions, and coordinate with the rest of your printed stationery suite.
Fabric seating charts in particular are becoming a favourite for modern couples – they are lightweight, easy to transport, and produce a soft, textured look that suits botanical, boho, and minimal aesthetics equally well. Browse our seating chart collection to see full design options. For help planning your guest layout, our wedding seating chart planning guide covers how to organize tables, group guests, and handle tricky family seating.
Wedding Programs
A wedding program (also called an order of service) is a small printed guide to your ceremony – what happens, when it happens, who is involved, and what music is playing. For church ceremonies, you can include hymn lyrics so guests can sing along. For ceremonies with cultural elements guests may not be familiar with, a brief explanation helps everyone feel included.
Not every wedding needs a program. For a short 20-minute civil ceremony with no readings, you can skip it. For a Catholic mass, a Jewish ceremony, or any ceremony longer than 40 minutes with multiple readings and a full bridal party, a printed program is genuinely appreciated. Browse our wedding program designs, or read our guides to wedding program examples and wedding program wording for copy-ready templates and inspiration.
Gift Tags
A gift tag is a small finishing touch that completes your guest experience. Usually a simple thank you with your names and the wedding date, it can be attached to wedding favors or bomboniere to make them feel personal and intentional. Alternatively, personalized stickers on your favor packaging achieve the same effect with a modern feel.
Not every wedding needs gift tags – if you have custom stickers on your favors, that covers the personal touch. The key is consistency: whatever small details you include should tie back to your overall stationery theme so everything looks like it belongs together.
Complete your wedding day print. Custom venue signage and favor stickers at Paperlust Print Shop.
Really nice and to the point, wedding stationery list! I loved the gift tag. Great job!