Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Your invitations are the first introduction that your guests will have to your wedding style. They set a tone for the event as a whole, so you want them to be a reflection of your personal style and your event. That being said, they’re an important consideration once your wedding day draws near (basic etiquette says 6 to 8 weeks before the day, 3 months if it’s a destination wedding).
Nowadays, there are a plethora of ways to get your invitations and any other stationery you might need for your wedding (e.g. save the dates, place cards, table numbers, etc.). Professional design studios are still a booming service, though you can also buy at stationery stores and online invitation stores. Doing it yourself is an option many are opting for, but it’s certainly a risky and time-consuming one. There’s a lot that can go wrong when you try to print or write invitations at home and those mistakes can be costly.
There is a lot that can affect the price of your invitations. The first is whether you spring for hand-written calligraphy by a professional designer or computer calligraphy. Opting for the latter can save quite a bit of money. The pricing is also affected by the paper material you use, whether or not you include foil, and the size of your invitations (this can also alter postage cost!). The excess materials included in the envelope will also adjust the price–RSVP card, reception card, direction card, etc.
How much do wedding invitations cost?
Overall, you should expect to pay $4 to $8+ for your invitations. A design studio’s starting price would be around $12 for an invitation suite, a stationery store closer to $7 for a suite, and an online store approaching $4. Make sure to factor postage costs into your wedding invitation budget.
Questions to Ask: Do you design custom work or sell from invitation lines? Is there a specific style you specialize in? Do you offer calligraphy or addressing services? Will you supply a proof before the invitation is officially printed? What happens if there is an error? How long after I place the order will the invitations come in?