stationery FAQs

  • Congratulations on your engagement and cheers to the beginning of planning this wonderful celebration together. First off ,we need to know where you shall be celebrating your love for one another with your family and friends before we can send out your invitations so once that has been booked and finalised we can begin your invitation journey. Our advise is to book in as soon as you can so that your date is secured as once design time slots are filled , for those wanting custom, they are officially off the market. Semi-custom designs can be found on the shop and can be purchased at any time however please keep in mind your wedding date and order have lead times before placing an order.

  • We recommend that you order one invitation suite per household along with 5-10 extras for those last minute invites and beautiful flat lay shots for your photographer - it is all in the details.

  • By rule of thumb you should send your invitations out 6 - 9 months prior to your wedding day if you have sent out Save the Dates. If you choose not to send Save the Dates then we recommend sending your invitations out 9 - 12 months prior to your wedding day. Leaving it later than these recommended deadlines can result in your guests not rsvp’ing until later in the wedding planning timeline which can cause a lot of extra stress and admin for you as a couple.

  • We have a minimum order quantity of 30 semi-custom invitations suites or £400.00 for whichever minimum threshold is met first. And a minimum order of 50 custom invitation suites.

  • Lead times are how quickly orders take from purchase to delivery. All semi-custom orders aim to be dispatched within 6 weeks of purchase, considering that all design approvals are met within the 5 day requirement by the client. If the client fails to meet these deadlines then this may prolong the lead time. Custom design stationery orders have a lead time of 8 weeks and also require the client to meet design approval deadlines in order for dispatch to stay within this timeframe.

  • Yes, we do! Maria Elizabeth Stationer, Stylist and Storyteller is based in Scotland, UK however our products are shipped worldwide. Please note that your order may come under tax and customs charges once being shipped. It is advised that the client makes themselves aware of these charges and the potential amounts so that they know what to expect. These charges are an additional cost, above postage, that comes under the remit of the client and not Maria Elizabeth.

  • Please ensure that you have all of the vital information required before booking semi-custom stationery (such as: venues, date, times, detailed information etc) as you will only be granted 3 changes to the wording only and after this you shall be charged at the rate of £30.00 per change (please read out T&C’s for more information). If you choose to change the calligraphy style then a further £50.00 shall be applied to your order. Changes out with design that can also be made are paper type and printing method.

  • When thinking about overall sizing it is best to use a sheet of A4 printer paper as your guide. A5 is half the size of printer paper, 5x7 is a little smaller than A5 and the traditional size of invitations and then A6 is a quarter of A4. Below is a general guide on what sizes are best for each desgin:
    Save the Dates, RSVP, Details Card & Maps (A6)
    Main Invite (5x7 or A5)

  • Our in house go to is high gsm luxury hand made paper in a variety of colours however we are very open to the many paper types available within the stationery market such as seeded, textured, vellum, acrylic and more. If you would like to discuss paper types on offer then please do get in touch and we shall be happy to help.

 Styling FAQs

  • Each styling package advertised on the styling services page is the minimum spend of that allocated package. If you require more information pertaining any of these packages then we advise for you to book a consultation with Maria Elizabeth.

  • Here at Maria Elizabeth we are dedicated to created beautiful and sentimental gathering all over the UK and Europe. If you live elsewhere in the world then we can of course accommodate your needs via our DIY styling service.

  • Every design proposal is uniquely bespoke to each client making them perfectly curated to your needs, desires and conditions. We work with all clients from the beginning of your wedding planning, which can be years before your wedding day, up until the day after your special day and so forming a very special tether to one another throughout this special time is essential for a great design process. With our knowledge, experience and logistical know how on design aesthetics, allow us to turn what matters most to you into your very own visual wonder.

  • Depending on the location of your wedding we shall arrive and begin set up the night before or early on the day of the wedding. Mileage and potential accommodation is calculated, discussed and displayed when quoted. Take down shall then be discussed with you and your venue to ensure that it takes place at a time that suits everyone however generally speaking it begins the morning after the wedding.

 Workshop FAQs

  • Maria Elizabeth calligraphy classes are suited to people at all levels (beginners, intermediates and advanced). During our 2.5 hour classes we aim to walk you through from the history of calligraphy right through to confidently perfecting your technique and beyond.

  • Yes, here at Maria Elizabeth we teach two different technical styles of calligraphy. One pointed pen and the other is brush. Pointed pen is where we learn how to use a pen holder that requires nibs and ink to create lettering. Brush is where we learn how to create lettering through the use of paint brushes and brush pens.

  • Yes! There are a multitude of different calligraphy styles from all over the world. The top three that we teach at Maria Elizabeth are modern, copperplate and my own fine art style (which is a style that brings the old and the new together).
    Other styles that you may be interested in are: Blackletter, Spencerian, Diwani, Italic, Chinese and Japenses to name a few.

  • This is completely up to you! We all have to start somewhere and so my best advice is to lean into whatever you are most interested in learning. I began by purchasing a small amount of supplies for brush lettering and built on my knowledge through practice from there.

  • You can find my recommended list of supplies on my education page. All supplies can be purchased directly from Amazon.

  • At present online classes is not something we offer however if you wish to have a lesson in this form by yourself or with others then please do het in touch and we shall be happy to discuss an online class.

  • Of course you can. We provide guide sheets for you to practice at home and so if bringing your own supplies to the class would help your confidence for when you go home then we are here to help.

  • We encourage people of all ages to attend our classes however we do recommend that the starting age should be around 8. If the child you would like to book in is extremely eager and below the age of 8 then please contact us directly and we will be happy to assist you.