If I had to identify the one thing that ends up giving clients more stress than anything during the invitation design process, it is trying to figure out how many invitations to order.
I’ve had clients over order by 100 invitations. One time, a bride came back to me needing 20 more invitations, after her original order was complete. There are also times when clients would ask if I had any extra to give to their mom or even photographer.
Ordering extra invitations after your original order is complete can be very expensive. And there is the additional time that it will take to have the invitations printed and assembled. So, my clients can avoid a potential anxiety inducing situation, I’ve developed a recommended plan to follow when determining how many invitations you need to order for your wedding. Since we are getting into prime wedding season, this is the perfect time to share this information with you.
Order one invitation per address/household.
You do not need one invitation per person. Keep in mind that typically you will have multiple guests living at one address. Also, if a guest is over 18, but living at home, they should get their own invitation – or if multiple families reside at one address, each family should receive an invitation.
Order at least 10% more invitations than the number of guest addresses.
You will need extra invitations. I promise you. You may find out an address is incorrect and need to resend an invitation. Or perhaps an invitation gets lost in the mail. Or, honestly, you might just decide to invite some additional guests to your wedding, if someone else replies that they aren’t attending.
Order 1 to 2 invitations for your photographer to take detail shots
Order 2 to 3 invitations for keepsakes
Order 10% extra envelopes for any addressing errors you make.
If you are having a professional calligrapher address your invitations, find out the number of extra envelopes they require. It may be more than 10%. So, check with them prior to finalizing your invitation order.
Using this formula will help ensure that you order the right number of wedding invitations and avoid any additional stress for your wedding planning process. Be sure to check out my stationery guide for further details on all of your wedding stationery needs!