Wedding Invitations - 10 Things NOT To Do!

Your invitations are the shop window for your wedding day. When that beautifully crafted envelope drops through the letterbox of your guests, it speaks volumes about the sort of wedding you've planned, the style, the mood, and even the venue. So, it’s essential to ensure your wedding invitations are absolutely right.

It’s not just about perfecting the design; timing, wording, and etiquette all matter, too. For those planning a luxury wedding in cities like London or Dubai, for example, attention to detail is key.

So here's our list of 10 things you shouldn't do when it comes to your wedding invitations.

Photo credit: Valery Studio

1) Not sending a Save the date card

Gone are the days of simply sending invitations a couple of months in advance. With people living abroad, travelling frequently, or juggling busy jobs, Save the date cards have become more important. For destination weddings, especially in luxury hotspots like Italy or Dubai, it’s essential to give guests enough notice.

While it's ideal to send a physical card (matching your wedding stationery style), digital options like e-save the dates are fine. But whatever you do, do give people notice of your wedding date well in advance if you want to be sure that they're going to be free to come.

2) Leaving your invitations until the last minute

While off-the-shelf stationery may seem convenient, bespoke luxury wedding invitations are more impressive and personal. Give your stationery supplier as much time as you can to create your custom invitation design. Allow yourself time to address envelopes, track down where the invitees are living and get the whole lot posted so they arrive about 2-3 months before the wedding celebrations. For more tips on timing, check out our blog Wedding Stationery Timings: A Useful Guide.

Photo credit: Martina H.

3) Not including RSVP details

Always ensure you include clear RSVP instructions. Whether it’s via post with a reply paid card, email, or a wedding website, your guests need to know how to respond and who to contact. For destination weddings, it's especially important to provide this information upfront, as guests may need to make travel arrangements and accommodations well in advance.

4) Forgetting to stamp your envelopes

It does happen! Your invitation may get to its destination if you're lucky but your invited guests will have to pay postage which isn't a good start. Same goes for underpaid postage - check how much it's going to cost for your invitation to reach its destination, bearing in mind its weight, size and how quickly you want it to arrive.

Always check with the post office how much your invitations will cost to mail. Having your guests pay for underpaid postage at their end does not set the greatest first impression of your big day!

Photo credit: Martina H.

5) Not putting guests' names on invitations

People need to know who is invited - can they bring their partner or not? Otherwise they might just turn up with a plus one. In addition, it's correct etiquette to send children over 18 their own wedding invitations - don't just put 'and family' - they are adults now and deserve to be treated as such.

6) Not proofing the invitations properly

Check, check and double check your spelling, capital letters and grammar. Typos or missing information can be disastrous for luxury wedding stationery. Ask somebody else to proofread the invitations if this isn't your forte. Oh and make sure you've included the date, time and venue details. Seriously, people have forgotten this crucial information.

7) Ordering one invitation per guest

It's standard practice to send one invitation per household, not per individual (although see note 5 above re young adults). So you don't need as many invitations as there are guests, although we always recommend at Ananya Cards to make sure you have 10% extra invitations on hand in case of last-minute changes or additional guests.

8) Not mentioning a dress code

Whether you’re having a black-tie affair in a 5 star London hotel or a more relaxed celebration at a Dubai beach resort, always specify the dress code. If you're having a multicultural wedding, different traditions may call for specific attire, like morning coats or traditional Indian dress. It's important to clarify the dress code so your guests don’t feel out of place and won't enjoy your wedding as much as you want them to. If you'd like tips on planning for multicultural weddings, check out our blog on the subject.

9) Addressing the children question

Tricky one this. You may not mind having children at your wedding or you may want it to be a child-free zone. For multicultural weddings for example, different traditions may have varying expectations for children attending. You can politely mention this on your invitations and reach out to guests who might have concerns, inviting their children or explaining that it’s an adults-only event. Consistency is key - don’t allow some guests to bring their children while asking others not to.

10) Thinking you can DIY all your wedding invitations

It's a lovely idea but a real time commitment, especially for larger Indian weddings. Maybe if you're having a small wedding of around 30 guests. But do you really want to be handcrafting 300 invitations yourself. Seriously?

For luxury weddings with 100+ guests, DIY invites can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, entrust a professional wedding stationer to handle the design and print, ensuring the process is smooth and stress-free.

If you’d like to explore your wedding stationery options, whether you're in London, Dubai, or beyond, please feel free to contact us. We specialise in bespoke luxury wedding invitations that will set the tone for your special day, right from the moment your guests receive them.

Until next time,

Vaishali x

How to Plan a Multicultural Wedding in Five Steps

Creating a wedding that is seamless, beautiful, and personal can feel daunting for couples starting their wedding planning journey – and even more so for those whom are bringing together families of different nationalities or of different religious and cultural backgrounds. There are some unique challenges involved in planning a multicultural wedding, but there is also great reward and joy to be found in starting your married lives together on such strong foundations of respect and unity.

So how can couples cover the most important elements, keep both sides happy, and still stay true to themselves and their values? Here are some expert tips from Ananya to help it go smoothly, from our years of experience supporting couples in crafting unique, sophisticated, and joyous multicultural weddings all over the world.

Hire a Wedding Planner

As our couple’s stationery partner, we often have the pleasure of working alongside their wedding planners – and we always notice that those clients that have the support of an expert throughout the planning journey are able to navigate the decision-making with much more ease. Having the peace of mind of being able to discuss the logistical, aesthetic, and emotional elements of your wedding with a planner is always important – but even more so when embarking on the task of bringing together different cultures.

Your wedding planner will guide you in seeing the wedding from both perspectives, suggest feasible and creative ways of paying homage to both your cultures, and help you manage any potential confusion or issues on the day itself too. They will be your planning partner as well as your confidant, and a steadfast ally at your side in case of needing backup during interactions with families too. They will also recommend venues and vendors that are not only able to accommodate your needs, but are also excited about, and familiar with, supporting couples with such rich, diverse backgrounds.

Manage Family Expectations

One of the key steps to planning a multicultural wedding is managing expectations of your family members – and may also involve sitting down with them individually to educate them about customs and traditions they may not know or understand. It’s important to be clear and considerate, and also not make assumptions or have expectations about who will be comfortable with what; start with an open mind in order to avoid disappointment or heartache further down the line. Be honest in why the choices you have made are right for you, and how you will be blending traditions in your own way.

If bringing both cultures together in one single event is something that your families aren’t comfortable with, consider extending the celebrations to two separate ceremonies and receptions. You could hold these two gatherings in different countries, and in different styles, and in so doing making sure that both sides feel equally important. As much as this may feel like more effort, try to remember that these events are two halves of a whole, and will strengthen your foundations and your support network as you start this new chapter of your life.

Incorporate Both Cultures

It can be very fun – but also somewhat overwhelming – to find ways of incorporating both cultural backgrounds in your wedding day, and to do so in ways that are both practical and respectful. When merging styles, not every tradition will be logistically feasible – even if your parents are adamant about it!

We work closely with our couples to design stationery with multiple cultures in mind, so that the fonts, colours, wording, motifs, and content, all embody the merging of two different cultures in marriage.

Some other ways that we’ve seen our couples pay homage to the heritage is by weaving in characteristic cuisine, choosing modern interpretations of traditional outfits, adding decorative elements that evoke the culture, or traditional music throughout the night and getting your guests to the dance floor.

Help Guests Feel Involved

Guests may be unfamiliar with the wedding traditions and customs you’ll be incorporating in the day, so it can be helpful to add a section on your website or on your wedding program with details on ceremony etiquette, cultural traditions, or stories about your background. You could also include a brief description or provide links to thorough explanations of each tradition and its importance, as certain guests will enjoy learning about a different culture. The guests will have much more fun if they are able to follow what is going on, and be actively engaged and involved in the event!

If there is a language barrier between some guests, it is considerate to provide a program and website in both languages. You could also consider having a translator present at the ceremony and reception, so all guests can follow and listen along.

Image of our couple S&G: Eye Jogia Photography

Do Your Homework & Stay True to Yourselves

When planning a multicultural wedding, it’s paramount to research and educate yourselves on both cultures’ traditions beforehand. Traditions can vary so widely across different regions and cultures, and sometimes elements that feel simple or common may actually trespass into areas that are frowned upon elsewhere. Being prepared will help you avoid any possible confusion during the ceremony and reception, as well as allowing you to choose with more intention which traditions are right for you. Be sure to talk kindly and honestly with one another, and with one another’s families. Open communication is key to any long-lasting relationship and showing a genuine interest in learning about each other’s histories, backgrounds, and legacies is an excellent place to start.

The most important advice we can give is to determine what ceremony and celebration traditions are important to you and your partner, and stay true to that.

We hope that this blog post has given you some food for thought, some reassurance, and also some ideas on how to navigate planning your beautiful multicultural wedding.

We adore working with couples paying homage to diverse backgrounds, and put a great amount of love and care into designs that reflect our couples’ stories. If you’re looking for any support with your wedding stationery, please do get in touch.

Until next time,

Vaishali

Viva Magenta – Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2023 revealed

As lovers of colour and design, every year our team here at Ananya looks eagerly forward to discovering the Pantone colour of the year – and 2023 promises to be a fabulous one!

WHAT IS THE PANTONE COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2023?

For those of you who may not have heard of this before, there is a really exciting annual process whereby the experts at the Pantone Colour Institute thoroughly research and uncover new colour trends within fashion, travel, art, new technologies, entertainment, film, social media, and much more – and select one that they feel is most representative and influential in the current times. The colour chosen is then announced, which often leads to the tone showing up even more within wedding and design trends, and becoming even more popular!

Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2023 is Viva Magenta 18-1750, a fearlessly joyous colour which combines pink, red, and purple tones. It is a shade of red with its roots in nature, and is an empowering colour that represents exuberance, strength, bravery, and positivity. It has the power to influence, make a statement and be a mode of self expression. This electrifying colour is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest in the world.

At Ananya we love this colour – and in fact, it’s the colour of our own logo!

Viva Magenta wedding invitation for a destination wedding by Ananya

VIVA MAGENTA FOR WEDDING STATIONERY

Here at Ananya we believe in the power of colour – and how impactful it can be when used in a meaningful, intentional way. Magenta is a stunning tone to use as an accent colour with gold or silver, or as a primary colour, and delivers a bold and luxe feel which is perfect for cultural and multicultural weddings. We particularly love it as a hero colour for your reception stationery paired with hues of blue, as the deeper tones set an inviting, rich, captivating mood.

You could incorporate this colour into your stationery as the primary backdrop of the paper itself, as the colour of the patterns or text, or as an accent through finishing touches like magenta calligraphy, wax seals, or ribbons. Agate also comes in a gorgeous magenta tone, which makes it a unique choice for elevating your table settings.

Viva Magenta agate place cards hand scribed in calligraphy by Ananya

Wedding stationery where Viva Magenta is present will lift the spirit and make a statement of the bridal couple’s personality and the strength of their bond - a commitment to go boldly on their new adventure!

VIVA MAGENTA FOR WEDDINGS

Magenta is a stunning accent colour for wedding colour palettes, and works surprisingly well both as a base and as an accent.

You can steer firmly into rich berry and jewel tones for all the elements of the wedding, and combine magenta with other bright red, purple, and pink tones. Alternatively, you could use magenta as a single pop of colour to liven up an otherwise muted palette of blush pinks, dusty blues, or gentle lilacs and grey tones. It also looks stunning when paired with shades of green, which means it will stand out beautifully against any foliage your florist will be using! For example, some flowers which bloom beautifully in this tone are dahlias, hyacinths, calla lilies, orchids, carnations, roses, anthuriums, anemones, camellias, daisies, cosmos, sweet peas, bougainvillea, ranunculi, and peonies – just to name a few! It’s a colour very well suited to tropical, lush, punchy florals that make a statement wherever they are used.

Wedding cake By Yevnig with fresh florals by White Lilac

This colour adapts itself beautifully to fabric as well, which means it is a showstopper option for outfits – whether that be one of the bride’s dresses, the groom’s menswear, or for fabulous guest attire. It can be a gorgeous base for your bridesmaids dresses too!

There are lots of delicious fruits that pair well with this fuchsia-meets-red colour family - like raspberries, pomegranates, figs, and so on – which makes these perfect decorations for a fresh, fruity cake, or scrumptious raspberry macarons.

You can also use magenta as an accent for your tablescape, by adding gorgeous red and pink tones to your linen and/or napkins. We love the use of patterned linens with a pop of pink! Pairing magenta linens with more neutral accents, like rattan chargers or light ceramic for example, can help create a sense of balance. Also beautiful paper flowers can be added to your table settings as a timeless and sustainable keepsake.

Handmade paper roses by Ananya | Kate Nielen Photography

We hope this has inspired you to infuse this hot new colour in town into your wedding, your home decor, and your wardrobe next year – we sure will be!

Until next time,

Vaishali

How to match your wedding stationery to your wedding venue

There is naturally a reason why you have chosen a particular venue to hold your wedding. It could be because it holds special memories for you or is a place you always wanted to go to. Whether it’s a building whose architecture you’ve always admired, or a country where you were brought up, whatever the reason may be, the venue has special significance for you.

Incorporating and reflecting your wedding venue into your wedding stationery is an effective way to create an overall look of harmony to your wedding. Your save the date card will create an immediate impression of the style and venue of the wedding as your guests eagerly anticipate the unfolding of the big day!

Ananya is delighted to offer you some examples of how to reflect and incorporate your wedding venue in your stationery.

If you are planning a destination wedding, you could have a flower symbolic of the country designed on your save the date, for example a lotus for an Indian wedding. This will conjure up in the recipient’s mind the country and its allures.

If it’s a tropical destination, choose lush colours or motifs from the region. If it’s by the ocean, try soft watercolours and pastels to reflect the waves.

Image: Tell Your Story

Think lemon groves for Italy or the lavender fields of Provence. You could even scent your stationery with lemon or lavender to give your guests an aromatic and immersive experience on opening the invitation!

If your wedding venue has a particular feature that you adore, then incorporate that feature into the stationery. It could be different aspects of the feature, such as majestic arches, a stained glass window, period features or fine art, which you could incorporate in the various items of stationery.

If it’s a distinctive country mansion you may want to incorporate the colours or a motif from the wallpaper and interiors.

You can reflect the surroundings of the venue in the stationery. If it’s surrounded by nature, then bring nature in, for example, through seasonal flowers and colours or floral illustrations.

Give it a distinctly urban feel if it’s a city wedding in an industrial building with clean and simple lines – let the venue inspire your stationery design.

Envelope linings can be a great way to emphasise an aspect or feature of the venue, for example, a motif symbolic of the destination.

Envelope seals with a sprig of dried lavender or an olive leaf embedded into the seal would look stunning and complement the overall look of the venue or destination.

Above all, remember that your wedding stationery is a perfect opportunity to represent you, your personality, culture(s) and heritage as a couple. 

I hope we have given you food for thought as you plan your wedding. If you would like more ideas and suggestions for incorporating your wedding venue into your wedding invitations and stationery, please reach out to us. Or if you need help with your invitation wordings, we would be delighted to guide you.

Until next time,

Vaishali

YOU'RE ENGAGED: YOUR ESSENTIAL WEDDING STATIONERY GUIDE

UPDATED FOR 2024 WEDDINGS

Photography: Ami Louisa Photography

Wedding stationery tips

Congratulations on your engagement! This wonderful new chapter has started, and it might feel like there’s something to learn about wedding planning everywhere you look! The most important ‘to do’ on your list as a newly engaged couple is to enjoy it, and to take your time making decisions as and when you’re ready to, for your dream 2022/23 wedding. Here is our Ananya essential wedding stationery guide, for those of you looking to turn your attention to stationery:

• Start researching any stationers whose style you love! Have a look at our Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram platforms for inspiration as well as looking at communities such as #dailydoseofpaper on Instagram. Also walk around craft markets or wedding fairs near you to discover some local indie suppliers and artisans you might never have come across otherwise.

• Consider whether you might like to send out an engagement announcement, perhaps a bespoke card showing one of your favourite photos from the proposal day – or an engagement shoot you’ve done. Here at Ananya we love creating personalised engagement cards and invites to engagement parties, which are definitely becoming more popular.

• We appreciate that in these current unprecedented times, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding dates. Once you do know the date of the wedding, you can start sending out save the date cards – best to give more notice if you're getting married in the summer or at Christmas, or if you’re planning a destination wedding. Remember that at this stage you can give as much or as little information as you like: the key is to share date and location, and of course if you already know it will be a certain type of celebration (for example, multiple-day if a cultural or multicultural wedding) that’s something you can let guests know now.

• When you’re ready, you can send pretty Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards to ask your best friends if they'll share in the celebrations with you. They'll need to put the date in their diaries! These cards can make beautiful keepsakes, and paired with a heartfelt, personalised gift.

• Don’t set anything in stone about the design of the stationery suite until you know more about the decor, the style, and the colour palette of the wedding. Your stationer will be able to echo these features in order to give your guests a first taste of the event, and tie everything together into a unified aesthetic narrative.

• Do start thinking about how you would like the invites to feel – do you resonate more with wax seals and ribbons, or something minimalist and sleek? Both options can be deeply personal and luxurious, and your stationer can help you design everything in between. Consider also whether you’d like the wording to be formal or more colloquial, and whether you’d like your parents’ and grandparents’ names to appear there too, for example.

• Think about the timing of your invitations. Most of our couples send invites out somewhere between 6 and 12 weeks before the wedding date, depending where and when the wedding is, what their guest list is like, and whether they want to have time to send out additional invites after having received back some of the RSVPs.

This is a stationery-centric perspective, and of course you’ll have the joy of bringing together the rest of your wedding supplier team in this time too! You can always ask your suppliers for ideas and recommendations. We are proud to create award-winning wedding stationery here at Ananya and we love giving our couples stationery guidance and advice during their wedding planning journey. We can assist you with your invitation wording, especially if there are cultural traditions such as in a multicultural or Hindu wedding.

For any questions about your exclusive wedding stationery, whether you are having a UK wedding or are looking for destination wedding stationery, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Until next time,
Vaishali

Historic Royal Palaces partners with Ananya

Historic Royal Palaces choose Ananya as sole stationery partner as they launch Multicultural Events and Weddings.

Hindu Wedding | Photography by Sanjay D Gohil Photography | Historic Royal Palaces

Ananya is honoured and delighted to have been handpicked by Historic Royal Palaces to be their sole recommended wedding stationery partner! We are both proud and humbled by this recognition. To welcome more Asian and Jewish weddings and celebrations, Historic Royal Palaces recently announced an expansion of their dedicated partners list to include Ananya.

Hindu Wedding | Photography by Sanjay D Gohil Photography | Historic Royal Palaces

The new approved supplier list includes specialist Asian caterers, Jewish caterers, Asian theming and décor, and entertainment.

Being a trusted stationery partner with Historic Royal Palaces is a perfect match for Ananya. Their luxurious venues steeped in history, the grandeur, majesty and opulence of the Palaces are in perfect synergy with the exquisite stationery we design at Ananya. We love weaving old traditions into our wedding stationery – whether it’s a nod or going all out and giving them a beautiful contemporary and innovative twist. The Palaces are the quintessential venues to create allure and romance, and for Ananya to weave our own special magic into our sumptuous Indian wedding stationery to celebrate our couple’s most memorable day!

Hindu Wedding | Photography by Sanjay D Gohil Photography | Historic Royal Palaces

Cultural and multicultural weddings have always been important to us at Ananya since we launched the business over 15 years ago. Over those 15 years we have built a strong reputation and gained valuable experience designing stationery for multicultural weddings. Our expertise lies in our design process and the way we harmoniously blend meaningful aspects of different cultures to showcase them in the most beautiful way.

Muslim Wedding | Eye Jogia Photography

The six prestigious palaces of Tower of London, Hampton Court, Kensington Palace, Banqueting House Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in Northern Ireland have between them been witness to 1,000 years of history.  

Hindu Wedding | Photography by Sanjay D Gohil Photography | Historic Royal Palaces

We are truly excited that Historic Royal Palaces is embracing and focusing on multicultural weddings and events, from Sikh weddings to Muslim weddings, expanding their event supplier list, and are thrilled to be their sole preferred stationery partner.

Muslim Wedding | Eye Jogia Photography

Partnering with Historic Royal Palaces together with the finest industry suppliers on their recent photoshoots at Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace has been an absolute delight. The images shared here in this blog are from the shoots.

Muslim Wedding | Eye Jogia Photography

Interested in commissioning a bespoke stationery design? Do get in touch – let’s see what magic we can create for you!

Until next time,

Vaishali

How to pick a theme for your wedding

Finding the perfect theme for your wedding is an important aspect of wedding planning and one that all couples want to get right. Choosing a theme that you have a personal connection with is key; it means you’ll be able to fondly look back from the future and be thankful for the choices you made when you planned your big day.

We wanted to share some of our top tips for choosing the right theme for your wedding, so you can achieve your own dream vision.

Ami Louisa Photography

 Look for inspiration

There are lots of websites that you can peruse to find inspiration for your wedding theme – perhaps the most popular online platform for this is Pinterest, where you can find a wide collection of images for general topics like 'wedding themes' or more specific topics like 'multicultural weddings'. Sometimes, a single image can spark your imagination and creativity and guide you towards your own individual wedding theme. Your theme could be minimalistic and subtle, or it could be incorporated into each and every detail of your wedding, right down to your wedding stationery.

Your wedding theme should be a reflection of you

Ami Louisa Photography

One of the most important aspects a wedding theme should capture is the essence of you as a couple. You want it to be unique to your relationship and reflect your personalities and mutual interests. Distinct and individual touches add more sentimentality to your wedding and make it memorable for those who share your special day with you. For those couples who are planning a multicultural or cultural wedding, think of the traditions that are most meaningful to you and find imaginative and creative ways to incorporate those aspects into your wedding theme. This is a wonderful way to honour your heritage while highlighting your own identity within your culture.

Personal over popular

Tell Your Story Photography

You may want to avoid themes that are trending while you're planning your wedding – if you opt for the most popular trend of the year, it could become outdated quite quickly! After all, you don't want to look back on your wedding day and wish that your theme was more timeless. By ensuring a personal touch and connection to your wedding theme, it will always retain its romantic and sentimental quality. So look at your own style and vision and you can't go wrong.

A theme that brings it all together

Hayley Gell Photography

Finding your theme can be a great first step to bringing your wedding vision together, as themes have the power to inspire and complement all of the other aspects of a wedding – for example, the venue, the decorations, and even your wedding and engagement rings can all be connected to your theme if you so wish.

Shelby Ellis Photography

We hope that our advice has helped you in your quest to find the perfect wedding theme. If you have any queries, or wish to view our extensive collection of unique, personal, and high-quality wedding stationery, please contact us at Ananya.

Covid-secure wedding stationery: what couples should consider now

With some light and direction for a road map for the future of weddings post-Covid, couples can start to plan Covid-secure weddings which, with a few adjustments, still match their dream day. 

Bespoke multicultural wedding stationery suite by Ananya | Hayley Gell Photography

WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOUR WEDDING STATIONER

Initially, identifying your wedding stationer is the best place to start as you decide which designs (your favourite flower or animal, for example), themes, print techniques and any personal touches (including lined envelopes, wax seals or calligraphy) you may want to include in the stationery suite. Having these discussions early on allows time to plan for different outcomes depending upon current restrictions when it comes to your wedding day. For example, if the venue or date of the wedding changes, your stationer can create a card based upon the design of previous invites to send either digitally or via post to your guests. 

Elephant Royale bespoke wedding invitations by Ananya | Hayley Gell Photography

Personalised touches FOR YOUR WEDDING STATIONERY 

Currently, digital invitations are becoming more popular in adhering to government guidelines and allowing for information to be sent quickly to all, whether they be close family and friends or international. Having a digital invite does not mean to say that they cannot look beautiful and in fact, over the last six months, we have designed several e-invites that incorporated the same colours, patterns and theme of the weddings just as the paper stationery would have been. With an e-invite, you can also include personal elements. This may be addressing each guest personally, adding music or even a Google map/calendar link to ensure the day cannot be missed.

Seizing each opportunity to express your personality and style as a couple is important as this is a day you will always treasure and so we want to make it as memorable as possible under the circumstances.

PRINTED KEEPSAKE WEDDING STATIONERY

You can also print a few invitations for your close family as a treasured keepsake, cherished for many years to come, whilst having digital invitations for the rest of your guests.

If you opt for digital invitations, you can still have elegant printed on the day stationery from placecards and menus to welcome signs and seating plans. This could include personalised favours, bespoke illustrations, or hand-finished touches.

‘Advice for the newlywed’ cards by Ananya | Fiona Kelly Photography

With no print costs to consider with digital, there is room to be creative and put an individual stamp to your digital invitations. Some ideas have been to produce multiple e-cards, which include quirky ones such as ‘advice for the newlyweds’ or a ‘DJ request card’, allowing guests to request for music to be played ready to dance the night away. 

digital, ELECTRONIC WEDDING INVITATIONS

Going digital with a wedding website is also useful as with regular changes to restrictions, this can be a good place to update guests on any changes to the day. Creating a WhatsApp group for weddings with a smaller guestlist can also be a good way to provide any last-minute changes, as well as get guests connecting before the wedding day. 

Digital cherry blossom invitation for a Sikh wedding by Ananya

MAKE YOUR WEDDING GUESTS FEEL INCLUDED

It would also be advisable to include any Covid-specific information to inform guests of the precautions being taken on the day by yourselves and the venue to ensure their safety. It may also be important to highlight to guests that due to the uncertainty of regulations, last-minute changes are likely and so flexibility would be appreciated.

Even with a Zoom wedding, it is important to make your guests feel included and able to share this special day with you. As you are not restricted to numbers, you can invite more people than you may have originally intended and those who may have been unable to travel, whether that is because they are abroad or too elderly to, can now be there to celebrate this special moment with you. Providing your guests with an invite allows for a keepsake – and may become a talking point in the future, of a time when the world went virtual!

Monogrammed multicultural wedding invitation by Ananya | Hayley Gell Photography

How is your wedding planning coming along? For any advice on your wedding stationery, or you would like to work with us here at Ananya, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Until next time,

Vaishali x

Sustainable Wedding Tips - An Essential Guide

In today's blog post, we are delighted to have eco warrior Maya from Sustainer Container, an eco friendly gifting business, give us her top tips for having a sustainable wedding.

Here at Ananya, the sustainability and ecological impact of our work is very important to us - and, as a company working closely with paper, we do take our responsibility to the planet very seriously.

Maya sells eco friendly gift boxes that make the perfect treat for your loved ones and for the planet, find out more about Sustainer Container here.

The Average UK wedding uses 20kg of single use plastic!

With the statistic above indicating the shocking amount of waste that is produced by weddings in the UK, it is unsurprising that sustainable weddings were a big trend in 2020 and this is likely to grow in the coming years. But, with weddings steeped in traditions, it can be difficult to know how to make your wedding more sustainable without abandoning these traditions all together. This article will round up my tips for having a sustainable wedding, including:

1. Choosing a sustainable wedding venue

2. Eco friendly invites

3. Gifts, flowers and favours

1. Sustainable Wedding Tips - Wedding Venue

Ashridge House. Photo Credit: Ami Louisa Photography

So, you’re newly engaged - the first thing on your wedding planning checklist is probably securing a venue. Not only is the venue one of the biggest decisions you will make when planning your wedding, it can also have the biggest environmental impact. Research the venues in advance and prepare questions to ask about their environmental impact - for example, how much single use plastic will be used by the venue to host your wedding? Does the venue reuse decorations? If not, how will these be disposed of? Does the venue support local businesses or do they buy their decorations and produce from further afield?

Photo Credit: Ami Louisa Photography

Alongside conducting your research to find a venue which prioritises sustainability, it is worth considering the location of potential venues. Look for a venue that is close to the area where most guests will be travelling from if possible, to reduce the miles travelled to your wedding. You could also consider hiring a private coach to take guests to and from the wedding, to further reduce miles and vehicles travelling to your wedding and thus helping to reduce the carbon footprint of your ceremony.

With a beef burger using the same amount of water as 60 showers, the menu options offered by your venue can also have a huge impact on how sustainable your wedding is. My next tip for having a sustainable wedding would be to consider having a plant based wedding meal. Or, why not compromise and have a vegetarian starter but offer a meat option for the main course - even just opting for more vegetarian or vegan options will help reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding.

2. Sustainable Wedding Tips - Eco Friendly Invites

Ananya ‘Hues of Blues’ watercolour floral stationery suite. Photo Credit: Tell Your Story Photography

Ananya floral wedding stationery collection. Photo credit Ami Louisa Photography

So your sustainable venue is booked, next on the wedding planning checklist is inviting people to join your celebration. With deforestation becoming a major issue in the fight against climate change, my second sustainable wedding tip involves investigating the eco credentials of your wedding invitation supplier. For example, the invitations made by Vaishali of Ananya Cards are made using recycled paper or cardstock from sustainably managed forests. Plus, Vaishali also plants trees for every order received!! As part of a drive to be as sustainable as possible, Vaishali’s beautiful creations are designed to be more than just an invitation and are designed to be a keepsake that is treasured long after the wedding.

Ananya ‘Enchanted Garden’ stationery. Photo Credit: Xander Casey Photography

For many people, receiving a wedding invitation means one thing - time to go outfit shopping. Now, I love a new outfit as much as the next person, but many of these fancy frocks will be worn just once, with a new outfit being bought for every wedding and event. This cycle of fast fashion and over consumption is hugely problematic for the planet. My next tip might not be for everyone, but what about using your invitations to encourage your wedding guests to outfit repeat and wear an outfit they have worn before? Chances are - nobody will remember that the outfits have been worn before and this is an easy way of reducing the carbon footprint of your wedding.

3. Sustainable Wedding Tips - Gifts, Flowers and Favours

Having spent time carefully planning your perfect sustainable wedding, the big day arrives and you receive gifts that you won’t use and that are packaged in single use plastic. To avoid this consider asking for vouchers which you can put towards a larger purchase or a trip away. Alternatively, pick out some practical sustainable items for loved ones to purchase as a gift that will help you to continue your sustainability journey. For example, our Everything Eco Gift Boxes are filled with sustainable alternatives to your everyday products - why not ask for a gift box each and continue your sustainability journey into your married life.

My next sustainable wedding tip is around flowers - possibly not the first thing you think of when you are thinking about having a sustainable wedding.

“A sustainably sourced flower is a fresh cut flower that is not treated with pesticides and can be found, grown, and sold locally.” (Green Matters)

Try to find flowers that meet this criteria. Floral foam bricks also contain single use plastic, so try to choose flower arrangements which do not require the bricks.

Wedding flowers by Wilde Thyme. Photo Credit: Kate Nielen Photography

Finally, you may want to consider sustainable wedding favours. Since common wedding favours often include little packets of sweets individually wrapped in single use plastic or trinkets that may never be used, wedding favours are not always the most planet friendly. So the first thing to think about is whether you really need wedding favours and whether anybody will even notice if you decide against giving each guest a small gift? If you are determined to have a wedding favour (and I completely understand wanting to follow tradition), perhaps opt for a more sustainable option. One such idea would be seed paper or seed bombs which can be thrown onto any patch of ground by guests to grow bee friendly wildflowers - a lovely touch for a sustainable wedding.

Ananya handcrafted paper flower favours. Photo credit Kate Nielen Photography

From choosing a sustainable wedding venue and eco friendly invites to gifts, jewellery, flowers and favours, these have been my tips for having a sustainable wedding. If you would like to find out more about everything eco, please don’t hesitate to have a browse of the Sustainer Container website or send me a message on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.

Thank you very much, Maya. So many top tips we can use for a sustainable wedding.

Until the next time, Vaishali

The importance of wedding videography

We are delighted to share this interview with wedding videographers Adam and Rachel Galwas of The Wedding Filmmakers. We have admired their work for a while now; their exceptional coverage of weddings and cultural weddings in particular, and the way they capture the most meaningful moments. Having recently worked with them at Ananya, we thought this Q & A would be of interest to our readers and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

When did you first know you wanted to be a wedding videographer? Did you have a eureka moment or was it a gradual realisation?

Adam - It was definitely more of a gradual realisation as I didn't realise that wedding videography could be a proper career initially. My interest in filmmaking started from the age of 14 where I would film extreme sports with my friends as well as documenting my travels abroad. For many years I only saw it as a hobby and decided to pursue a “sensible” career in law, whilst continuing to produce videos as a sideline. After filming a handful of weddings for friends and work colleagues the business quickly spiralled to the point where I needed to quit my job to cope with the workload. At that point I started to take it more seriously and my passion for wedding videography was ignited.

My wife Rachel started assisting me with weddings whilst studying for her textile design degree. She is a natural creative and had an excellent eye for lighting and composition from the very start. After Rachel graduated we decided to set up a business together that was focused purely on weddings/events. We decided to name our company “The Wedding Filmmakers” because we wanted to create emotive wedding films as opposed to the 2 hour long wedding videos that were common at the time.

You have worked on many cultural and multicultural weddings, like we have at Ananya. How did you get interested in different cultures? Has your understanding of diverse cultures influenced your videography? Does it help you in how you capture memorable moments in multicultural weddings or weddings of other cultures?

Great question! One of the aspects of the wedding industry that we love the most is that it has given us the opportunity to meet people from different cultural backgrounds and experience different types of religious ceremonies and celebrations. In fact one of our first bookings was to film a Hindu wedding. Having never attended an Indian wedding before we had no idea what to expect, but it was a feast for the senses with no shortage of incredible moments to capture.  So in a sense you could say that our videography style has been influenced by multicultural weddings from the very beginning.

We have always enjoyed the variety that comes with filming a diverse range of ceremonies and take a lot of inspiration from the way that couples incorporate elements of their heritage into their wedding day(s). This wide range of experience has definitely challenged us and made us better at our craft.

You are quoted as saying “We take pride in producing truly memorable wedding videos which tell the story of your wedding and the story of you as a couple in an artistic and beautiful way.” Can you give us an example, perhaps taking one wedding, of how you did that?

Rather than creating a generic product for each couple we prefer to focus on the moments and elements of the day that really reflect the couple's personality, style and story. Everything from the shot selection, music choices and editing style is considered carefully with each couple in mind.

To give you an example; at a recent wedding we knew that music was very important to the couple and it had played a big part in bringing them together. Their wedding featured some amazing live performances from their family and friends which we incorporated into the film, alongside sections from the speeches, which helped tell their story in a unique and meaningful way.

With large weddings there is a temptation to just focus on capturing the spectacle of the event and the “wow” moments, but it is often during the quiet in-between times where people reveal their true emotions. By documenting the less obvious moments you are able to really capture the personality of the couple and their family members which in years to come may prove to be more valuable than the cliché shots.

Do you do any research on the couple and their background before the big day, especially if they are from a different culture, to help you know the significant moments to capture?

When we have direct contact with the couple we suggest a consultation to get to know them on a personal level and discuss the timeline and any traditions they will be honouring. Weddings are becoming increasingly personal so regardless of the culture we've found that the best approach is to find out what is important to the couple and their vision for the day.

Increasingly our work is coming via wedding planners which often means that we do not have much, or any, contact with the couple. Our natural documentary style is well suited to busy couples that want their wedding to be captured beautifully but with minimal fuss and intrusion. Most of the creative decisions are made either in the moment, or during the editing stage so as long as we have a detailed timeline from the event planner then we will be able to produce an exceptional film for the couple. Wedding videography is much more about capturing the feeling than simply just documenting what is happening, so with time you develop an intuition about how best to capture what is unfolding in front of you.

We at Ananya love your work. What are the important factors a couple should consider when choosing a wedding videographer, and who would be your dream couple to film?

There are so many different videography styles to choose from we would recommend watching lots of different films to get a feel for what you like. Always ask to see examples of the longer films so you have a clear idea of what you would receive as the finished product to ensure that it matches up with the quality of the short website/social media trailers. Once you have narrowed down your choice then arrange a meeting or phone call to find out about the process and see if you are a good fit personality wise.

Word of mouth recommendations from people that have had personal experience of a service is usually the best way to go. Your wedding video and photos will be one of the few lasting memories from the day so choose wisely and pick someone that you can trust with such an important task.

Our dream couple to film would be anyone who is not afraid to be different and express their true feelings and emotions.

Do you have a favourite film where you were most pleased with the results or that you most loved filming?

It's really difficult to pick a favourite as they are all special for different reasons. We really enjoy the creative process and are constantly developing and improving on our craft so if we had to choose then the answer would have to be whichever film that we are currently working on!

Has wedding videography changed much over the years in terms of techniques, equipment or approach?

The industry has changed significantly in the 5-10 years. You are now able to produce incredible, film quality imagery with very small cameras. Thankfully the days of the huge over the shoulder broadcast cameras are long gone, making it much easier to blend in and capture natural moments in a cinematic way.

The public perception of wedding videos has also improved dramatically with many couples prioritising videography very early in the planning process. We are often contacted before the couple have booked a photographer and sometimes even a venue, which was rarely the case a few years ago. 

Adam and Rachel Galwas

Have you thought about having a video at your wedding? We would love to know in the comments below. Thank you very much Adam and Rachel for sharing your story with us today.

If you are looking for beautiful wedding stationery that reflects your personality and style while honouring your cultural heritage, we would love to show you what we can create for you. Please get in touch by sending an email or filling out our contact form.

Wedding Stationery: Useful Hints and Tips

UPDATED: DECEMBER 2023

Wedding wording tips

If you think back to all the wedding invites you’ve ever received, you may have noticed that they’re all uniquely worded in some way – though generally will follow a pattern of invitation traditions.

The good news is that the etiquette rules are actually much simpler than you might expect and are only there to serve as guidelines. The most important rule of all is that you work with your stationer to create a meaningful and beautiful wedding invitation that represents you and your love story.

If you’re wondering where to start, and how to adapt the rules in a way that feels personal and respectful, here are some tips from the Ananya Team.

The host

Traditionally, wedding invitations included the bride’s parents’ names, implying that the celebrations were being hosted by the mother and father of the bride. These days, many couples graciously opt to include both sets of parents (regardless of who is contributing more to the budget), or neither, if that feels right. A friendly, collaborative option would be, for example “Together with their parents, Sonia and Tom request the pleasure of your company...” – and your stationer can help you brainstorm the best combination, especially if any of the parents are divorced (include them on separate lines, for example) or no longer with you (in which case you may want to say, “daughter of...” rather than implying the wedding is hosted by them).

The invitation to join

There are many ways to ask your guests to join you in the celebrations, with different levels of formality: for example, "would love for you to join them" is a little less traditional than "request the pleasure of your presence". This is where you’d also include the names of the bride and groom, especially if they haven’t appeared in the host section of the invite.  Traditionally, the name of the bride preceded the groom's name, including middle names and titles if applicable, though couples now often choose to list them alphabetically or in whichever order ‘sounds’ better, and to omit surnames and titles.

The time and place

For formal weddings, everything would be written out in full (no numerals), but this can be written in whichever way feels most natural to you. You would then also include the name of the location, city and full street address. You might choose to have ceremony and reception information on separate cards if you wish, particularly if held in separate locations. If the location is the same, you can add “reception immediately following” or “followed by dinner and dancing” to let your guests know. Generally, you wouldn’t need to include the time that the reception starts unless you don’t want guests moving from one place immediately on to the next.

 The dress code

Wedding invitation etiquette typically suggests that a dress code should be included on the lower right-hand corner of the invitation. Many couples now omit this information or choose more creative wording, especially for destination weddings (“it’s all about the hat”, “cocktail chic”, or “summertime soiree”, for example). If you don't include a note on attire, expect your guests to take a cue from the style of your invitation.

The RSVP

Many couples choose to include a separate response card for guests to fill out and return in the post. If it feels right for you, don’t be afraid to have fun with the wording, so for example, a positive response might be “I’ll be there with bells on”, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”, and so on. Some couples also opt to offer the convenience of digital RSVPs, allowing guests to respond electronically through a dedicated wedding website, in which case you can include the website address.

The gift list

Traditionally, it was deemed bad etiquette to include a gift request in wedding invitations, but these days it is widely done by most couples. This saves your guests the time and effort of contacting the wedding party to find out which gifts are needed or suitable, and also removes some of the pressure from them! You can include a message to say how much you appreciate their company, and that you don’t want them to feel obliged to give you a gift - but that if they wish to, there is a gift registry they can use. Asking for financial contributions to a honeymoon or future project is also very common, and widely acceptable now. In Indian weddings often couples will ask for ‘no boxed gifts’ which means that they would prefer money.

Plus ones

Unless your wedding venue and budget can stretch to allowing plus ones to all your guests, try to come up with a rule when sketching your guest list (for example, couples that have been together for a certain amount of time). Then, make it very clear in your invite whether a plus one is included or not by addressing it appropriately – you can even express that your event is private, intimate or small, so guests get the hint!

Children

If the venue or style of wedding is such that children aren’t invited, do make sure this is very clear, as this will affect families that need to make alternative arrangements. Address your invitations to exactly who is invited, or some guests with children might assume their whole family is invited – and you can add a small note on your invite or wedding website explaining tactfully what the situation is. This can be a sensitive issue for many parents, so do invest time on thinking about what you’d like to express. Also, if you’re allowing children of close family but not others, do warn your guests of this with something like “Unfortunately, as much as we’d love to invite all of our friends’ children, we can only accommodate a few close family children. We hope that you will understand this decision and we very much hope you will still be able to join us on our special day”.

In summary, we would recommend giving your guests as much information as you can in an honest and open way, while not being afraid to make it your own.

For any advice on your wedding stationery, or if you would like to work with us here at Ananya, please get in touch to book your complimentary consultation.

Scented paper rose invitations by Ananya

Ananya is delighted to be partnering with world-renowned floral designer Karen Tran, as she visits London this month for three days of luxury foral masterclasses. The visit concludes with an invitation-only gala dinner.

Taking place at The Savoy on Thursday 18th April, the theme of the dinner is ‘Opulence at The Savoy’, masterminded by luxury wedding planner Jane Riddell from Planned to Perfection, in association with cake designer Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, Karen Tran’s UK support florist WildAbout, and supported by The Function Band.

Ananya was commissioned to create a bespoke stationery suite fitting for such an extravaganza. We created digital save the dates to set the tone for what was to come. This was followed by hand crafting 100 delicate paper roses, demonstrating our exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail.

“Roses are timelessly elegant and embody the universal language of love. Using ivory paper introduces a symbolic gesture towards both opulence and virtue,” explains Vaishali Shah, Founder and Creative Director of Ananya. We wanted to use a floral theme to celebrate Karen Tran’s floral creativity.

“We adore the three-dimensional effect the paper rose creates, which we believe will be a key trend for 2019 and 2020 weddings. It was important to us that guests be able to keep their roses after the event, so we added a ribbon loop to help make the rose an everlasting keepsake”.

The paper rose is echoed in the invitations and menus, which showcase hand-drawn illustrations. Always eager to find new and creative ways to add detail to our stationery, every invitation is scented with floral notes of peony, lily and jasmine before being tied to the paper rose, and completed with a handwritten, personalised gold calligraphy tag.

Flashes of gold, which feature throughout the suite, complement the event’s ‘Opulence at The Savoy’ theme and the colour palette of the venue.

Each invitation booklet containing further details of the event was screen printed in gold. “Screen printing is one of our favourite mediums of printing at Ananya – we love it!” comments Vaishali Shah. “Many of our designs, particularly those that use metallics, are created with this technique. Ink is pressed through a mesh screen using a rubber blade to move the ink across. When the blade is reversed back, the screen touches the paper and the print transfers to the paper. It’s done entirely by hand, making it luxuriously artisanal.”

On the day, guests will be able to see more opulent paper goods created by the Ananya team, including place cards, table stationery and an abundance of romantic paper roses.

To discuss how we can create stationery for your event, please get in touch with us now.

WEDDING STATIONERY TIMINGS: A USEFUL GUIDE

The questions we receive most often at Ananya from our couples typically revolve around timing of their wedding stationery, and the stages of the design process. Of course, there’s no right or wrong, and the details will depend upon what makes the most sense for the kind of event you’re hosting – but we thought it might be useful to provide you with an overview of recommended timescales.

As soon as you’re engaged

Photography: by Lumiere

Start researching any stationers whose style you love – it’s never too early to reach out to them to let them know you would like to work with them, so they can start scheduling you in and give you plenty of time to work with you, especially if you would like bespoke wedding stationery. Many couples like to send out an engagement announcement, maybe with a lovely photo of the proposal!

As soon as you know the date and venue

You can place your save the date order at this stage – and you can give as much or as little information as you like. Date and location are key, but of course if you already know it will be a certain type of celebration (for example, multiple days), that’s something you can let guests know now.

6-12 months before the wedding

This is a typical timescale for sending out save the dates, but of course this will depend on your guest list and venue. If you are planning a destination wedding, giving your guests more notice is advisable, so they can make holiday plans as needed.

6 months before the wedding

Photography: by Lumiere

Start discussing your invitation design with your stationer, particularly if you’re looking for something bespoke or that requires more specialist printing techniques and finishing touches, such as wax seals or calligraphy. Having an idea of your style of décor, dress, colour palette, and flowers, is a great help when deciding on your stationery suite, as it can be a lovely way of setting the tone. Do ask for samples and physical mock-ups when you can, as holding the paper in your hand is very different to seeing it on a screen! When placing the final order, it’s always a good idea to order extra (at Ananya, we advise 10%) to account for last-minute invites, personal keepsakes, and any mistakes during addressing and assembly.

2-4 months before the wedding

Photography: by Roberta Facchini Photography

Start discussing your on-the-day reception stationery, like menus, table numbers, orders of service, signage, place cards, and so on. You won’t be able to place the order until you have the final guest list and menu, but this is a good time to brainstorm the design.

2-3 months before the wedding

This is a typical timescale for posting invitations out, but again, this will depend on what is right for you. If your guest list is large, and you’re thinking of doing ‘waves’ (that is, waiting for some RSVPs to come in before inviting another group) then do try to give yourself a little bit more breathing room.

1 month before the wedding

Typically, your RSVPs would be due by this point, which means you should have a final list of who is attending and their dietary requirements (which means menus can be confirmed, too). You should also have a good idea of what your ceremony structure will be at this stage. This information should be passed on to your stationer as soon as you have it, so they can finalise the on-the-day stationery order. Many couples also order their thank you cards at the same time, so they have them ready for when gifts start arriving, or for when they return from honeymoon.

2 weeks before the wedding

Photography by: John Nassari

One of the elements of the on-the-day that is ordered latest is the seating plan, as this can often be amended quite last minute!

1-3 months after the wedding

Couples often like to send their guests a thank you card within a few months of the wedding, thanking them for their attendance and gifts. Including your favourite photo of the day, or any you’ve received from your photographer at this stage, can be a lovely touch.

We hope this guideline has been helpful in making you better informed about wedding stationery timings. If you have any questions or require further clarification, please get in touch; we would be delighted to assist.

Ananya at the Palace

Invitation designed by Ananya

We are delighted to announce that Ananya will be participating at the prestigious The Historic Royal Palaces Wedding Showcase on 21st November at Kensington Palace. The theme for the evening is ‘Our Canvas, Your Creation’.

Over hundreds of years, Historic Royal Palaces have provided the backdrop to glittering banquets, fabulous celebrations and splendid royal occasions. Today, their unique event spaces across six palaces in London, Surrey and Northern Ireland offer the perfect canvas for luxury weddings. Pick your palace, be inspired and begin to create the perfect palace wedding.

Ananya had the great pleasure of designing the save the date and the invitation for the HRP Wedding Showcase, inspired by the rich architecture and regal history of the palaces. The invitations were screen printed which is one of our favourite mediums of printing at Ananya. In screen printing, ink is pressed through a mesh screen using a rubber blade or ‘squeegee’ to move across it and fill the open ‘windows’ with ink. When the blade is reversed back across, the screen touches the paper (or media) that’s being printed on to create the design. This is done individually for each colour, which means that designs with multiple shades and intricate patterns require an exceptional level of technical skill. Though it can look quite "messy" behind the scenes, in fact printers and craftsmen pay very careful attention to accurate positioning without overlap or gaps, and the end effect is luxuriously artisanal. The multiple screen printing process also gives the invitations an engraved look, where the writing is raised to touch. To tie in with the ‘artistic’ feel of the event and ‘Our Canvas, Your Creation’ theme, we used golden brush strokes to elevate the design. The colours that were selected are the brand colours of the various Historic Royal Palaces.

At the event Vaishali, Founder and Creative Director of Ananya, will be showcasing a selection of her most popular and bespoke collections and will be unveiling her brand new Colour Infusion design, a bright and opulent suite perfect for the Spring/Summer 2019 wedding season. There will be examples of hand-finished wax sealing, hand-deckled edges, screen printed and engraved gold, and lots more ideas on how to elevate your wedding stationery with luxurious finishing touches. Her team will be there to answer any questions you may have, and her calligrapher will be embellishing personalised stationery samples for each of the guests to take home.

Ananya offer a number of different print techniques, such as digital printing, offset printing, foiling, screen printing, and letterpress. Designs can cover the entire stationery suite, before, on, and after the wedding day, including save the dates, invitations, envelope linings, wax seals, calligraphy, orders of service, escort cards, seating plans, menus, place cards, table numbers, favour tags, monograms, and more. Vaishali and her team also love working on new creative projects, whether it’s for their couples or collaborations with other wedding professionals.

Ananya translates to ‘without equal’ in the ancient language of Sanskrit, and it is this sentiment that forms the foundation on which the business is built, and with which every single collection is lovingly crafted and curated. We hope that you like these invitations as much as we enjoyed creating them.

5 not-obvious things you NEED to ask your wedding venue before booking: Part one

Finding  that  utterly  perfect  and  spot-on  location  to  host  your  wedding  celebration can  be  a  tough  job.  The  choice  is  limitless  and  if  you’re  not  tied  into  a  specific  geographical  area,  then  the  world  is  quite  literally  your  oyster  and  your  hunting ground! It should  be  a  fun  part  of  the  planning  and  once  you  have  found  and  secured  that  ideal  venue,  many  other  parts  of  planning  your  vision  do  click  into place. It is  the  biggest  part  of  the  planning  and  so  important  to  get  right,  so  Ananya is delighted to be  hearing  from  wedding  venue  consultant  (and  former  luxury  wedding  planner),  Kelly  Chandler of Kelly Chandler Consulting who  shares  her  tips  with  you  in an in-depth, two part blog, on  some  of  the  things  to  check  before  you  secure  your  venue  to  be  absolutely  sure  it’s  for  you;  there  is  no  right  or  wrong  to  some  of  these  suggestions  and  restrictions, and  some  will  be  fine  for  you,  others  not  -  the  aim  with  this  feature  is  purely  to  give  you  the  knowledge  to  ask  the  questions  of  the  things  that  are  hot  on  YOUR  priority  list.

Kelly Chandler

Part One

1. Exclusivity  and  Venue  Use

A  great  many  wedding  venues  now  offer  exclusivity  or  some form  of  exclusive-use  such  that  you  are  the  only  wedding  on  that  day  in  that  venue.  This  can  however  mean  different  things  within  different  venues  so  don’t  be  afraid  to  ask  and  get  specific  on  things.  For  some  locations  exclusivity  can  mean  you  have  exclusive  use  of  a  certain  dedicated  banqueting  area  but  say  not  bedrooms,  for  other locations, it  can  be  full  exclusive  use  of  an  entire  home,  gardens  and  grounds,  for  others  it  can  be exclusive  use  between  certain  hours  and  not  others. Do  find out  when  your  exclusive  use  starts  and  ends  as  every  venue  should  have a  policy  on  this  and  sometimes  it’ll  be  for  the  day  from  early  start  and  sometimes  it’ll  include  an  overnight. Find  out  what  their  policy  is  on  other  events  and  other  clients  and  if  they  run  exclusive  use  events  back  to  back  (or  not);  don't  be  afraid  to  ask  about  supplier  access  too  -  in  some  cases  venues  will  allow  suppliers  to  gain  access  early  to  set  up  the  design,  in  others  it’s  a  strict  access  time  for  anything  to  do  with  your  wedding.

2. Recommended/Preferred and Approved  Supplier  List   

Get  super  clear  on  a  venue’s  policy  with  working  with  suppliers  and  outside  wedding  professionals  and  see  that  it  works  for  you.  There  is  a  difference  between  a  recommended  or  preferred  supplier  list  where  the  venue  is  usually  giving  you  the  benefit  of  their  tried and  trusted  list  that  you  can,  but  are  not  obliged  to,  use  and  an  Approved  Supplier  List  which  is  usually  where  you  MUST  pick  from  that  list.  It’s  quite  customary  for  a  venue  to  have  an  Approved  list  you  must  use  in  the  areas  of  catering,  lighting  and  production  and  entertainment  and  marquee  build,  when  you  consider  these  are  the  areas  which  require  a  lot  of  equipment  and  run  the  greatest  degree  of  risk,  it’s  vital  that  venues  have  control  over  the  quality  and  professionalism  of  who  works  with  them  in  order  to  protect  their places  and  spaces  for  all  clients. Many  venues  will  be  more  than  happy  for  you  to  use  your  own  chosen  suppliers  in  many  areas  - do  ask  if  and  how  they  will  be  able  to  obtain  access  to  view  the  venue  in  advance  of  the  wedding  as  this  can  be  needed  in  the  case  of  for  example a  florist  who needs  to  see  a  new  space  before  coming  up  with  full  designs  for  you.  

3. Rules and Restrictions   

It’s  quite  usual  for  venues  to  have  some  rules  and  restrictions  around  the  following,  so  do  ask  away  to  see  what  your  venue  policy  is  and  if  this  works  for  you. Do  bear  in  mind  that  most  rules  are  there  to  protect  the  fabric  of  the  building  in  the  case  of  heritage  properties, to  ensure  guest safety  and  to  ensure  that  the  venue  can  continue  to  operate  in  the  case  of  noise  restrictions  - venue  operators  can  have  their  license  removed  if  noise  pollution  becomes  an  issue  so  understandably  they  need  to  enforce  some  restrictions  to  protect  against  this: Confetti  throwing - is  it  allowed? Sometimes  biodegradable/real  petal  variety  is  in  some  parts  of  the  venue,  but  often  not  on  gravel  or  on  floors that  may  stain. Naked  flames - many  venues  ban  candles  entirely  or  limit  the  use  of  free  standing  candelabra  and  naked  flames  not  in  safe  containers. Dark  drinks - in  some  heritage  buildings  red  wine  &  berry  based  drinks  are  forbidden  except  at  seated  dinners  because  of  the  spillage  and  staining  risk. Dancing - often  this  will  need  to  take  place  in  certain  parts  of  the  venue only  and  between  certain  hours - do  check  and  also  if  you  need  to  install  and  pay  for  a  dance floor. 

Fireworks - often  these  are  not  allowed  due  to  disruption  to  livestock  and  damage  to  grounds  but  some  venues  have  preferred  suppliers  who  can  work  on  their  property  if  you  have  your  heart  set  on  this  - do  ask. Sound  limiters - noise  pollution  is  one  of  the  biggest  risks  to  a  wedding  venue  not  being  able  to  continue  to  operate  so  owners  and  managers  take  this  seriously. Sometimes  they  are  required  to  install  an  actual  sound  limiter  within  the  property,  other  times  it’s  monitored  more subjectively  but  do  ask  what  sound  limits  exist  within  your  preferred  venue  and  what  entertainment  most  couples  choose. If  you  have  your  heart  set on a 10 piece  big  band  and  your  venue  has  a  fierce  sound  meter, this  is  unlikely  to  be  a  match;  most  venues  with  sound  limiters  tend  to  lean  towards  DJs  rather  than  live  bands, that said live bands can and do perform  within  the  limits of sound, it will be important to work with a professional band who takes  this seriously and prepares in advance in terms of their instruments and kit - it usually makes sense to work with the venue's preferred list in this case as the band/DJ will  have worked there before. 

Thank you Kelly for the insightful and informative first three points on booking a venue. We at Ananya love working with venues and are delighted to be a preferred wedding stationery supplier for some.

Part Two will follow shortly, so stay tuned.

Photo credits: 

Headshot photo of Kelly Chandler: http://www.annelimarinovich.com

Venue: Warmwell House, Dorset: https://www.warmwell-house.com

Photography: Imogen Xiana https://www.imogenxiana.com

Florals: https://www.marthaandthemeadow.com

Cakes: https://www.fanciebuns.co.uk

Bridal Accessories, Hair and Make up: http://www.victoriafergusson.co.uk

Model (bride): http://www.tanyalouisecumberland.com

Bridal gowns: http://www.naomineoh.com

Silk ribbons and silk runner: http://www.pompomblossom.com

Furniture - white chairs for ceremony: http://www.thewhitechaircompany.co.uk

Cross back chairs & wooden bar unit for cake/champagne station: http://dpmarquees.co.uk

Write here…

How to add details to your Stationery

Ananya translates to ‘without equal’ in the ancient language of Sanskrit, and it is this sentiment that forms the foundation on which the business is built, and with which every single collection is lovingly crafted and curated.

Here at Ananya we adore infusing our stationery with intricate and meaningful detail, whether it’s in the design, the textures, or the wording. A save the date or invitation for a wedding, party or milestone birthday is the very first impression that an event makes on its guests, and sets the scene for its style, feeling, and narrative. This can then be the undercurrent for the menu, place cards, seating plan, and so on – which can be done by matching, complementing, or even contrasting the elements within the suite. This might mean a recurring motif, a signature font, a custom monogram, or an overarching colour palette. Detailing like this can unify different room, sections, or goals of your event, as well as speaking a thousand words about your professionalism and aesthetic vision.

Photography by Fiona Kelly Photography

We also love finding ways to hand finish each design, to really wow your guests with that experience of artisanal craftmanship. Some ideas could be hand embellishing cards with crystals and lace, tying hand-dyed silk ribbons, wax sealing and lining envelopes, hand tearing paper to add texture, illustrating with watercolours, colour dipping feathers or even exploring calligraphy on new mediums. In fact, we’ve seen a trend for looking beyond paper, and complementing stationery suites with beautiful objects that can be personalised and treasured as keepsakes even after the event has taken place. Last year alone we worked with paper, vellum, acrylic, feathers, stone, slate, wood, and wax, and we love experimenting with new ideas. We’ve also seen beautiful designs using agate, shells, leaves, tiles, glass, and many more. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box – if you can dream it, a stationer can probably create it!

No detail is too small to be worthy of attention and beautiful design, and all together these details combine to create a brand that tells a cohesive story across all the touch points, guiding your guests as the event unfolds around them. How will you be adding details to your stationery? We would love to know.

Ananya cards exhibits at Bridelux Atelier

We’re really excited to announce that we’ll be exhibiting at Bridelux Atelier this year! The opportunity to exhibit came our way on Monday, and though it’s been a bit last minute, we can’t wait to showcase our stationery alongside some of the most prestigious names of the wedding industry.

Photo by Roberta Facchini Photography

We have the great pleasure of partnering with the lovely Charlotte Munro, who will be styling our stand, Maison de Fleurs, who will be creating a floral display for us, and The Stars Inside, who will be capturing some of the action behind the scenes. Keep an eye on our social media profiles for previews, updates, competitions, and much more!

This year, Bridelux Atelier will be held at the iconic Rosewood London on Friday March 9th between 5pm and 9pm, and Saturday March 10th between 10am and 5pm. With a curated collection of luxury brands – have a look at the full list of exhibitors here - the show promises to be of very high calibre, and a fantastic opportunity for couples and wedding industry suppliers alike.

Photo by Kate Nielen Photography

Photo by Kate Nielen Photography

If you're planning on attending, do come and say hello at our stand in the Ballroom (in front of the champagne bar!) - and if not, then why not use our 25% discount code ANANYA25 to book your tickets here today!

Thanks again to our wonderful team for pulling this together in such a short time, to the lovely Bridelux team for inviting us, and the amazing team at Rosewood London for hosting this one-of-a-kind event!

For any queries on the above, or to get in touch, please email info@ananyacards.com

The Wax Seal: the ultimate guide

Many centuries after their first use, wax seals still remain a stationery adornment favourite for all of us detail-lovers – and for good reason! The magic of opening a letter and seeing the shimmer of a custom seal, graceful and precise, in seamless harmony with the paper, is simply breathtaking. Here at Ananya we absolutely adore embellishing our suites with unique seals, individually crafted for weddings, parties, or corporate events, and we’re so looking forward to creating many more this year.

Today we've teamed up with London wedding stylist and planner Valentina from The Stars Inside to bring you a definitive guide: if you love these little beauties as much as we do, and you would like to know more about how they work, what the options are, and how you can use them to wow your guests, read on!

So, how do wax seals come to life? It all starts with the sealing wax, which itself can come in many varieties. The colour of your wax may be the first thing you want to think about, and these days you will find yourself wonderfully spoilt for choice! Matt, basic colours will generally be the cheapest, while more unique or metallic colours may come at a small premium. Shop around, as sometimes international stockists will be able to provide you additional choices at a reasonable shipping cost. Also, as we'll mention a bit later, you can combine several colours to create unique swirls of complementary or contrasting tones.

You can choose to use wax sticks, wax beads, or wax ‘tubes’, which will in turn determine how the material needs to be melted. Wax sticks are the most traditional form, and require you to expose the stick directly to a naked flame, and let it drip over the area you intend to seal (some have wicks, some don’t); this method doesn’t require any special tools, but can be quite imprecise, messy and time consuming. This is also the wax type that is most brittle and thus breaks most easily, and is most likely to crack if squeezed through a post box (beads and tubes tend to be slightly more plasticky and bendy in structure). Wax beads are essentially pieces of these sticks, pre-cut for you into small shapes because of their size. They can be melted by simply placing a group of them on a wax melting spoon over a flame; kits for this can be bought easily online, and re-used for as long as you keep them in good condition. The use of the spoon means that you can pour homogeneously melted wax more carefully in the chosen area, which makes this significantly easier than dripping wax slowly from the stick. Also, you can create a ‘chain’ whereby the next set of beads is melting as you seal, meaning you can more quickly do a larger number of these. Another reason why this technique is our favourite is that different colour beads can easily be combined in different quantities and ratios, making this very customisable and fun. Wax tubes are designed specifically to be used with glue guns, which limits your options a little bit – but can be melted very precisely and quickly, which is immensely useful when stamping a large number of seals.

The next element to think about is the stamp, which essentially will be the design you will be imprinting on each of the seals. A typical wax stamp has a wooden handle and a round metal surface with indentations that will be filled by the wax, thus leaving an impression of the engraving. As with wax colours, the choices here are endless! Many shops now stock a beautiful selection of pre-designed stamps that you can browse – for weddings, there are many floral, botanical, and romantic designs readily available. Another option is to have a monogram, for example, of you and your partner's initials, or the date of your wedding. Finally, you could choose a completely bespoke design, which includes maybe both letters and an illustration. These latter two options are more personalised than an off-the-shelf design, so you may need to purchase this with a bit more notice, and be prepared to spend a little bit extra. When ordering your stamp, make sure it comes with a handle, and do pay attention to the diameter: the wider it is, the more generous you will need to be with the quantity of wax, in order to ensure full coverage of the design. Similarly, square stamps will also require the wax to be melted more widely in order to fill the shape adequately.

The final element is the medium on which you will be creating the seal. Typically, the wax is used to seal the flap of an envelope containing, for example, your Save The Date or Invitation suite. If posting these by mail, especially internationally, you may want to consider placing the inner envelope with the wax in an outer envelope, for some extra protection. However, this is only one of the many ways wax can be used to decorate stationery; some other favourites we see a lot now are, for example, to use it to seal together all the elements of a suite, via a belly band or ribbon, or to decorate individual place cards or escort cards. In truth, the wax can be placed on any part of your paper, though do keep in mind that there can be some leakage on the back if the paper is too thin; if you have special printed elements like foil or hand-illustrated designs, make sure to test one carefully when you start! And if you want to explore more ways of using seals, you certainly don’t need to stick to paper – wax seals could be used to decorate wine bottles, jars, favours, and even your cake! In fact, you can easily create versatile ‘standalone’ seals by melting lots of seals side by side on wax paper, peeling them off, sticking double-sided adhesive paper to the back, and using them on whatever you wish!

Whichever type, method, and medium you choose, the aim is to end up with a roughly circular ‘blob’ of wax (consider tracing an area with pencil to help you target your first ones). Melt the wax thoroughly, pour it, and before it dries, press down the stamp firmly in a smooth downward motion, without wobbling side to side. Let the wax cool and harden for 5-10 seconds, and start gently lifting the stamp from one side; if the stamp is still sticking, give it time, and tease it out slowly from each side. To prevent the metal of the stamp sticking to the wax as much as possible (which is especially important for designs with intricate detail or fine lines), you can create a barrier of moisture by dabbing your seal on a damp cloth before imprinting it on the wax. Leave it to dry completely before placing any weight on it, or letting it come into contact with anything else, just to be safe.

We hope this guide has been useful! If you would like to discuss your wedding stationery, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Ananya – and if you’d like any help with your wedding planning and styling, Valentina at The Stars Inside would love to hear from you!

Vaishali and Valentina x

Top 10 Questions to ask a Wedding Vendor

OK, so you’re planning the biggest day of your life so far. You just have to be sure that you have the perfect suppliers. Simple! Well, unless you have a wedding planner, you’ve just taken on a huge role! Welcome to the world of project planning. To quote Stanley Tucci in The Devil Wears Prada, ‘alright everyone gird your loins!’. In other words, get ready people, this is important!

But, what if you have 10 simple questions to ask every prospective wedding vendor? LOVE IT we hear you say! At the least it leaves a bit more time for sampling cake. And at best, can save you from potentially making costly mistakes.

It doesn’t matter if you're planning an intimate elopement or something to rival a royal wedding. The team at Ananya HQ are here to help. We've got together with our friends in the wedding world to give you the top 10 questions to ask a wedding vendor.

1. From cake maker to florist, stationer to stellar photographer, you should ask to see genuine examples of their work. Take a look at their portfolio (and social media) to see examples of real weddings. If they are just starting out, then they may have aspirational images from an editorial or styled shoot. So, ask your wedding vendor to show you great real examples of their work. 

Ananya's range of floral invitations

2. So you’ve seen their work and you like it. All good so far. Now you need to ask about their credentials so that you can invite them to your big day. We don’t expect you to become best friends (although that sometimes happens). But, even though you like them it pays to see what other people say. A wedding vendor should be able to show you testimonials and/or references from recent work. And, if they say they are a member of a professional body, check out their membership. For example, Ananya is a partner member of UKAWP, the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners. 

3. Ask about insurance. A reputable wedding vendor will have public liability and professional indemnity insurance in place. Public liability insurance covers the wedding vendor for accidental damage or harm. For example, someone may trip over a piece of equipment provided by the vendor. As a result they might seek compensation from the vendor for injury or harm. Professional Indemnity is about the services etc. that a wedding vendor provides. For example, a client may allege that the vendor has provided inadequate service or a poor design.  The insurance provides cover for legal costs and expenses to defend such a claim.  It also allows for compensation to be potentially paid to you the client, to rectify the mistake. 

4. What’s the back-up plan? Of course the majority of time things go smoothly! But sometimes (see note on insurance!) things can go wrong. So, if the venue burns down, there's a major flood, or the vendor goes out of business, what happens? Is there a plan in place to make sure that your wedding goes ahead as planned? Or, if your wedding vendor falls ill what happens? Is there a plan in place to make sure that you get the service or goods that you paid for? 

5. Now this next one is a thorny one. Most people will ask a wedding vendor about how many weddings have they done. True, that is important. But it isn’t just about quantity. It’s also about the type of weddings they do, and their experience. A luxury supplier may only work with ten wedding clients per year, for example. But, when those events are 3 days in duration and on a large scale, their experience may well eclipse someone who does thirty low budget events.  Ultimately, ask a combination of questions. For example, how many weddings have they done? What type of weddings and if applicable, where have they worked?

6. By now you will have a good idea of how professional your vendor is. But if necessary, ask if they work as a full time professional in their field of expertise.

7. Be sure to ask about payment! So, when do you need to pay the supplier? What are the fees and cancellation charges and schedule? Are there any extras that need to be considered that aren’t included as part of the options available?

8. When will you receive what you order? Timing is everything! You don't want to be fretting over flowers during bridal prep! Or, waiting for your photos a year later!

9. T&C’s and contracts. If a wedding vendor doesn’t provide services with a contract or T&C’s, the decision is simple. Walk away!

10. At the end of your vendor assessment does everything feel ‘right’? If you have any concerns, ask questions now rather than after you sign on the dotted line!

Photo by SanShine Photography from a styled shoot Ananya created stationery for

We hope that you have a wonderful, perfectly planned wedding day. And if you would love to talk to us about stationery design, stop by and say hello at info@ananyacards.com. We’d love to be part of your day.

Trend Alert: The Monogram

The monogram it seems is the personal ‘logo’ of the moment. From handbags to shirt cuffs and shoes, and pretty much anything else, the monogram is ‘on trend’. Want to know more? Read on for our delightful details of how to embrace this discerning trend.

Monogram: The Art of a Personal Marque

Never had a monogram? Not sure what it is or what all the fuss is about? Or maybe like us, when you first think of a monogram you connect it with the ‘old world’? Or, in a contemporary setting as something that’s reserved for upmarket hotel towels. Where once a monogram would have adorned a ‘seal’ or signet ring in a contemporary world, a monogram is your personal marque. It’s your way of defining who you are and a way of standing out from the ‘digital crowd’.

Be big and bold or delicate and discreet, monograms are definitely having their moment. Not convinced? Well, take your cue from fashion trends.  How cool is Rae Feather’s monogrammed frayed Panama hat? Or maybe the stylish Monogram Stripe Fray Denim Slide is more your thing? It’s a personalised look from head to toe (but we would recommend that you don’t overdo it!).

When you choose to have a monogram, you’re making a bold personal statement. And, many of our clients at Ananya choose a monogram to mark a life event. Our monogrammed wedding stationery is a beautiful example of that. And, as with everything in this mad, wonderful world, we do get unusual requests from time to time. Intrigued? Well, just between you and us, it's a secret! After all, we do value our client’s confidentiality. 

Whatever the reason for a monogram, there's a plethora of design options to choose from. So, although initials or a family crest are popular, you can always choose a less formal design. It might be a favourite flower or discreet monogram of a favourite pet. How gorgeous would a tiny dog or a blousy rose look, embroidered onto a shirt cuff? Whatever design you choose, it can represent your entire lifestyle.

Here at Ananya HQ we’ve come up with a list of our favourite ways to apply a monogram:

Social stationery: every smart home should have a social stationery ‘wardrobe’. Naturally, it includes monogrammed writing paper and note cards. For social occasions, the fashion forward amongst us might swap their business card for a monogrammed calling card.  

Bath linen and robes: head for the beach with a stripy monogrammed beach towel. Come home to relax in a monogrammed bath robe. How indulgent!

Monogrammed luggage: this is the ultimate luxury, redolent of a golden age. We can almost imagine ourselves boarding the Queen Mary, bound for New York. Heading for the First Class lounge at Heathrow will just have to do.

Win a Custom-Designed Monogram from Ananya

We’re nothing if not generous here at Ananya, and we’d love for you to have your own monogram. So, we’re delighted to offer you the opportunity to win a custom-designed monogram. Created by our talented design team, it's worth £200. And, your monogram comes complete with digital artwork! Fabulous, don’t you think?

All you have to do to enter is like this blog and share it across your own social media space, using the social share icons. We will choose a winner at random on 31 August. We will announce the winner on Facebook and Instagram.

Our founder Vaishali Shah says: “In a world where everything seems defined by passwords, having a monogram is something that’s reassuringly personal and unique to you". 

We hope that you enjoyed this little foray into the world of monograms. Good luck with entering the competition!