6 ways to incorporate wax seals into your wedding
Wax seals have been a fan favourite for weddings for a few years now and it doesn’t look like the trend will be going anywhere soon. You can now find already-made designs or have your custom stamps created especially for you. With so many colours to choose from, different shapes and sizes and different grades of "stickiness”, wax seals are a perfect fun and personal way to add small details throughout your day.
Below are my 6 favourite ways to incorporate wax seals into your wedding or event!
No. 1 - The Invitation
Your invitation is what sets the tone for your entire wedding. It gives your guests an idea of the formality of the event, the theme/ colours of the event and is a perfect way to throw in some ‘sneak peeks’ of what they can expect on the big day. Invitations are what excite your guests for your event, so you may as well have some fun with them!
Wax seals make the perfect ‘sneak peek’ - you can include them in your wedding invitation and have them make re-appearances on your wedding day with the ideas outlined below! Not only are they pretty, but they can actually serve a functional purpose in the packaging of your invitations!
As shown in the photographs above, wax seals make the perfect seal for closing your vellum jackets or bellybands. You can buy them pre-made or you make them yourself with wax beads or sticks, melt them and stamp them by hand.
If you’re hoping that your guests will be able to shut and re-open the wax seals, I recommend purchasing pre-made re-sealable wax seals. These have a sticker backing to stick onto your surface and won’t damage your surface if they are taken on and off.
If you’re going to use the wax seal on string or over ribbon, I recommend kicking it old school and getting a custom stamp made and melting your own ink. This way, the stamp will conform to the shape of the materials underneath, giving it a more natural or organic look. Wax seal sticks are now widely available and can be used with a low-temperature glue gun, so the process of melting your own wax and creating your own seals is easier than ever.
Photo of @revellettersinlove, courtesy of @artisaire
Another way to incorporate your wax seal in your invitation is to use the wax seal to seal your envelopes shut. This adds some really beautiful decor to the outside of your envelopes. Just be careful - when mailing invitations, they are passed through multiple machines by the postal services so you wouldn’t want the wax seals to get damaged. For this reason, I recommend melting wax and using the wax seal stamp so that the wax is properly fastened to the envelope. You can also purchase pre-made permanent adhesive seals but I’ve found more success with making the wax seals myself directly on the envelope.
If you’re including wax seals on your invitations, be sure to weigh and measure the size of your invitations to make sure that you have enough postage (and budget accordingly for postage)!
No. 2 - The Seating chart/ Escort Cards
The opportunities are endless when it comes to advising your guests of their seating arrangements. From printed seating charts to mirror seating charts to escort cards, it’s easy to find an option that works well for your event.
Whether you’re placing table lists on a mirror or wood fastened with a wax seal or displaying escort cards on a wall or surface, wax seals are the perfect way to add a small design detail without getting too busy or too fussy.
If you’re opting for the escort card option, remember that your guests will need to take their cards with them to their tables, so you’ll want to make it easy for them to take their cards. A resealable pre-made wax seal is a great option for this if you are planning on hanging the cards using the wax seal as a sticker. Or you can simply use the wax seal as a decorative detail and have the escort cards fastened from the back.
If you’re going with the seating chart option, where pieces won’t be moved around, you’ll have to consider trying to keep all of the pieces nicely fastened on the surface - especially if you’re having an outdoor event. Permanent wax seals are a great option but you’ll also have to consider that surfaces can be damaged during tear-down of the seating chart.
no. 3 - place cards
Place cards with wax seals are a simple and easy way to add a pop of colour to your table settings. Even the most simple printed or calligraphy place cards can be made more special, simply with the addition of a wax seal. With so many beautiful colours available now, it’s easy to find a perfect match for your table.
I also find that guests are more likely to appreciate and take home place cards when they have a fun detail like a wax seal, ribbon or tassel - instead of leaving them behind to eventually be thrown out!
no. 4 - menus
Just like place cards, wax seals can be added to menus to also give them an extra pop of colour to compliment your table scape. Whether you’re using individual or personal menus, its a nice little detail to add to your tables.
Looking to add some variation in colours? Different colours can be used to indicate different meal preferences so that table staff can help provide the correct meal to the correct people and to highlight any food allergies. Remember, pretty can also be functional! (You can also do this with your place cards if you’re not doing individual menus for each guest!)
Another fun option is to combine your place cards with your menus and fasten them together by sticking the place card onto the menu with a wax seal.
no. 5 - bombonieres/ party favours
I’ve never encountered someone who didn’t like wax seals - making them a perfect addition to the part favours you send your guests home with! They’re definitely a pretty way to embellish your favour boxes - whether small like macarons, or cookies or chocolates - or bigger favours. If you had a custom designed wax seal made just for you, it’s a nice way to brand your favours in a simple and way that nods to your wedding or event without being too flashy or taking away from the pretty packaging of your favours.
no. 6 - chocolate stamps?!
I haven’t yet done them myself, but I’ve seen wax seals used in some fun and creative ways - including as edible chocolate stamps for cookies/cupcakes/cake decor. Made using only chocolate, this little design accent is edible and such a cute detail for any desserts you’ll have around at your event.
Definitely consider your design if you’re going this route. You may need to make adjustments to the design file if you’re using them for chocolate stamps as melted chocolate is more dense than melted wax, so lines may have to be thickened and details removed from your design for them to show up properly on the stamp.
Wax seals are such a simple and fun way to add an extra design detail to your stationery, gifts - and even desserts. They’re minimal and simple but fun and always a fan-favourite.
These are only 6 ways to incorporate wax seals into your event, but really, the opportunities are endless; You can stick a wax seal on just about anything!