Weddings are such an exciting time in your life! Celebrating a union with your family and friends is really special and it’s a party like no other! But the cost of weddings continues to go up each year. It’s now estimated weddings cost upwards of $25,000 each!
That’s a lot of money for an event. When dreaming up your wedding, you need to ask yourself how to get the most out of every dollar, including money spent on invitations. The average cost of invitations alone can run you $600! Yikes!
That seems like a lot just to share information on your big day. The good news is, there are ways to save money on wedding invitations without breaking out the crayons and construction paper just yet! You can get lovely, high quality invitations for a reasonable price.
Read on to see 21 Ways to Save Money on Wedding Invitations!
1. DIY from a Craft Store
Here’s a confession: when I got married, I printed my own wedding invitations. This was much to the chagrin of my baby boomer parents, but boy, did I save hundreds of dollars. And, I actually got compliments from my parents after they saw them.
Do-it-yourself invitations have come a long way, and just with a computer, you can use pre-boxed invitations to populate your information on a template. Once you like it, you simply run it through your printer and it comes out looking quite nice.
Craft stores like Michael’s sell invitations just for that purpose, and it comes with darn near everything you need, including envelopes. This saves you time and money, both of which are valuable when planning a wedding. And, you can do it your way, instead of relying on a paper company.
Give your craft store a look and save money on wedding invitations by doing it yourself!
2. Reduce embellishments
Sometimes you want to give your wedding invitation a nice pop of pizzazz, such as a fabric rose, or belly bands, however, it’s going to cost you. Take a step back on the extra decorations and ask yourself if they’re really necessary for making your invites look nice.
Instead of using embellishments, ask yourself if a font change could add the extra touch you’re looking for. Save money on wedding invitations by not using decorative embellishments.
3. Use Standard Rectangular Invites
Depending on how formal your wedding will be, a square invitation is a nice touch, but it can actually cost you more money. Stamps from the U.S. Postal Service for square envelopes cost significantly more than stamps for rectangular, standard letter sized envelopes – as in 35% more.
Yeah, but stamps are cheap, right? What’s $0.75? Well, multiply that by your guest list and you’ll quickly see that number fly into the hundreds of dollars, just for mailing alone. Use standard sized envelopes to save money!
4. Combine Reception and Ceremony Information
It is not uncommon to send a wedding invite busting at the seams with other notes and envelopes included. Quite often you will find a separate note with details to the reception, but that’s definitely not a way to save money.
Not only does that cost in paper, but can cost more with mailing due to extra weight. Place your reception information at the bottom of the invitation to save money. It can be simple, such as “Reception to Follow in Fellowship Hall” or wherever the location may be.
5. Use Lighter Paper
Believe it or not, invitations aren’t just printed on computer paper or cardstock. You have options ranging from cotton to linen and everything in between. Don’t get me wrong, they’re quite nice, however, if you want to save money on wedding invitations, go with a lighter option.
You can use cardstock, which is significantly lighter, but still make it look nice with a delicate font or quality ink. Remember, your guests just need the information, and most will not be keeping the invite after your wedding, anyway.
6. Reduce the Amount of Paper on Your Invite
In order to add color and formality, many couples choose to stack paper on their invitations. This means you have the invite on a colored background or two to emphasize the ink or make it pop. While it may be a nice way to tie in your wedding colors, it can add more weight and cost.
Keep your wedding invitation simple with a single piece of paper as the invite, and save the stacking for a framed keepsake instead.
7. Limit to One Invite per Household
While you may use your guest list to tally how many invites you need, don’t get confused in the commotion of planning a wedding and count for too many. Remember, you only need one invite per household and not an invite for each person.
When making a spreadsheet of guests, organize it so you can easily see how many people there are and how many addresses there are for mailing. As exciting as it is, don’t get too hasty and accidentally order too many!
8. Understand all Invitation Costs Upfront
When it comes time to ordering your invitations, make sure you understand the costs upfront! Nothing is more stressful than thinking you have the budget managed, only to find a sneaky cost you didn’t account for.
This can be shipping of your printed invites to the store (or your home), any taxes, or handling fees. And, the professional you’re working with for invites will not include the cost for you to mail to you guests, either.
Make sure you understand how much each invitation is going to cost in each leg of it’s journey. Save more money on wedding invitations by examining the cost from every direction!
9. Don’t Order Invitations Too Soon
Before you decide to go ahead with printing your wedding invitations, make sure your venues are booked and paid before placing that information in ink! Even if you just have a deposit, it may not be enough for the venue to keep from backing out.
While you can’t control everything, printing invitations too soon can cost you more money if information needs to be changed later in the planning process. Maybe you have a change of heart on the venue or they’ve (God forbid) closed months before your wedding.
Ordering your invitations four months in advance should allow enough time for them to be addressed, sent out and returned in a timely manner. Save money on wedding invitations by printing at the right time.
10. Look for Previous Years’ Designs on Sale
Keep in mind, there will be new wedding trends each year or so, and part of that trend is a shift in colors, materials or designs of invitations. But, do you really need the newest designs for your wedding invitation? Probably not.
When shopping for invitations, ask the retailer if there are sale or clearance invitations. There may be some left over from a few years ago that they are willing to sell at a discount, and it may be good enough for what you’re considering.
11. Set a Budget and Stick to it
If you do not have a budget laid out for your wedding, you need to stop everything right now to create one. Going into planning a wedding without a budget is akin to wearing your credit card on your sleeve.
“For just a few dollars more…” will be the words that echo from every vendor you encounter. Set an overall wedding budget and then narrow down your cost for invitations after larger expenses have been considered.
The last thing you want to do is blow your budget on something that will not actually be present on your big day. Stay focused on what you can get for your amount and don’t be shy about saying “no”. Set a budget for wedding invitations and stick to it!
12. Address Invitations Yourself
There has been a trend in wedding invitations to make them look as fancy as possible. This means breaking out calligraphy, and even hiring people to address wedding invitations for you! You can spend upwards of $5-$7 per invitation this way!
Buy a nice pen, practice your penmanship, or see if you can barter with a friend to help you out. Addressing invitations yourself is a big way to save money!
13. Reduce Weight of Internal Envelopes
By now you have gathered that the weight of wedding invitations matters. Reduce some of that weight by cutting out an envelope or two. Instead of having the RSVP card with an envelope (and extra stamp from you), use a postcard instead.
Including a postcard or other means of reservation notification is much cheaper than a standard letter and envelope. Save money on wedding invitations by changing how you allow RSVPs.
14. Use a Wedding Website for Additional Info
Another way to save money on wedding invites is to use a wedding website to include additional information your guests need to be aware of before they attend. This can include everything from your gift registry, to the food menu, to directions on how to get there.
You can create a wedding website for free, and it can supplement your wedding invitations nicely. Include a small slip of computer paper with the URL inside the invite and you’re done! Save money on wedding invitations by using a website!
15. Consider using E-Invites
There are a lot of opinions out there about sending electronic invitations (E-invites) but there are a few things you can’t argue about. Sending an emailed invitation means it won’t get lost in the mail, and it can save you hundreds of dollars.
There are plenty of e-invite companies that also offer free solutions, with pre-designed templates that just require you to type and send. You can even share links through messaging apps if you don’t have everyone’s email. This is by far the best way to save money on wedding invitations.
16. Use Pre-Existing Designs
Whether you use paper or electronic invites, doing something custom will rack up more cost. Not only do you have to pay for the time spent designing, but you may end up paying more for shipping, and it may not look the way you thought it would.
Save time and money by using invitation designs that are already out there. Yes, it may mean other people have used your same invitation, but chances are your guests haven’t seen them before!
17. Do a Trial Run
If you print yourself or have one made with a company, make sure you see the invite as it will look before you order enough to send to your guests. Also, make sure you proofread your invitations.
Companies should be willing to send you a sample, even if it doesn’t have your exact information on the invite. This is especially true if you have longer names. You want to make sure that the characters fit nicely in the allotted space.
You should also make sure to get the weight in full, so you can account for mailing costs, as well.
18. Trim the Invitation List
When you think about who you’re sending invitations to, I’m willing to bet some of those people can be invited without an invitation. If you’re looking to save money on your invitations, have your bridal party and immediate family members utilize a website, group chat or email for the details.
Invitations are more of a formality and really intended for guests that may not know all of the details right away. Close family and friends will hear you speak about it often, so you may be able to save on reducing the amount of wedding invitations being sent.
Remember, you can also trim your guest list.
19. Find a Coupon
Nowadays, if you make a purchase without a coupon, you have no one to blame but yourself, my friend! You can’t throw a bouquet without hitting a deal. There are coupons everywhere for just about anything including wedding invitations.
If you choose to do-it-yourself, you can find craft store discounts by checking out coupon sites. You can also find discounts with online companies competing for e-invite business. Look for coupons and discounts before purchasing your wedding invitations to save even more!
20. Don’t Wait until the Last Minute
While you don’t want to order your wedding invitations too early, you also don’t want to order them too late, either. Waiting until the last minute may mean expedited shipping costs or rush orders, and that’s a lot of extra stress!
Save money on wedding invitations by ordering ahead of time.
21. Order Extra Invitations
This may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out on this. If it hasn’t happened to you, I’m sure it’s happened to someone you know. They got halfway through their list and remembered a family they forgot to invite, or they heard that some went missing in the mail.
Ordering a few extra invitations can save you money by not having to place a unique order again if you have issues, as some places require a minimum amount.
FAQs on How To Save Money on Wedding Invitations
Is it cheaper to print your own wedding invitations?
You may find that you can save money by printing your own invitations and addressing them yourself. It’s important to give yourself enough time if you are doing them yourself, so you’re not rushed.
What costs are involved with wedding invitations?
It’s important to not forget about mailing costs such as weight and stamps. Depending on how many parts you have in your invitation, such as an RSVP card and envelope or registry card, the cost can add up.
How can I save money on wedding invitations?
You can save money by checking out DIY options and using coupons at craft stores like Michael’s to make your own beautifully crafted invitations.
Where can I buy cheap wedding invitations?
You can check out stores like Walmart, but also consider online options for cheap wedding invitations. Sending online invitations is becoming a popular trend due to the significantly decreased cost.
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to save money on wedding invitations. Even if you choose to not DIY, you can find classy invitations worthy of any wedding. Look for coupons or discounted invitations and try to keep them as lightweight as possible.
