We hate when we hear people say, “ I don’t want to waste a lot of money on invitations.” As a business that specializes in wedding stationery, this saying ties our stomach in knots. Ivory House is a firm believer that money is never wasted on an invitation. However, there are ways to make having an amazing invitation more cost effective.
Invitations are one of the most essential parts of planning a wedding. The invitation is what sets the tone for your wedding. Before guests even step foot in your venue, they can get a taste of your wedding just by opening up that envelope. Your goal should be to make a lasting impression on your guests without busting your budget.
Below are some cost effective tips to make your invitation shine while keeping your budget in mind.
1. SIZE
Printing can be one of the most costly parts of invitation design. If you stick to the standard sizes your cost can be greatly reduced. When you use multiple insert cards or large odd shaped sizes the more the cost goes up. Standard sizing also allows for less postage. Unfortunately, you have to pay extra for those oversized and square envelopes!
Standard sizes include: A7, A6, A2, RSVP
TIP:
If you are printing your own invitations, you might consider putting more than one invitation per sheet. Most local printers will print up to 11x17 and you can print up to 4-5x7 invites on an 11x17 sheet of paper. Therefore, you will be getting 4 invitations printed for basically the price of one.
2. FOLDERS & MATS
While we always encourage brides to go with the works, sometimes some of the items just aren’t essential and definitely are not budget friendly. Instead of trying to get fancy with folders, mats and backers you could just try stacking all of your invites and holding them together with a bakers twine, ribbon or a belly band. These wrappers give your invitation a special touch without breaking the bank.
TIP:
If you are really insisting on those folders, mats and backers and are willing to put in a little work, just buy some really nice cardstock and cut your own mats and folders. This is very time consuming and sometimes better left to the pros. But where there is a will there is a way.
3. RSVP OPTIONS
The more traditional RSVP’s can add to your costs. Not only do you have to print the RSVP, and purchase the extra envelopes, but you have to pay a higher mailing costs.
One solution to ease your mind is to do an RSVP postcard. This enables you to use postcard stamps rather than regular stamps, saving you around 15 cents per RSVP. Not only are the stamps cheaper but you can ditch that RSVP envelope as well. Just be sure that your RSVP is within the USPS mailing guidelines.
Another alternate solution to a physical RSVP card is to create a wedding website where people can RSVP to you via email. A website or blog not only helps with your RSVPs but it can help your guests navigate their way through your registry, get directions and more! Having a website can get rid of those sometimes costly information, RSVP and directions cards.
4. STAMPING
Stamping is another way to save some dough on invitations. If you are going for that rustic, hand-done look, but don’t want to pay the price for letterpress. Stamping your invitations could be a great alternative. You can get custom Art Mount Stamps from Simon Stamps in just about any size. For a 5x7 stamp it is about $67. So for the cost of ink and paper you can make as many invitations as you wish. If you need a hand with the design, we would be happy to assist.
TIP:
This is more effective with dark ink on lighter papers. Brighter inks on darker papers are hard for the eye to read and just don’t go on as easy as the dark inks. Leave the light ink to the pros.
5. PRINT YOUR OWN
There is always a DIY option. Here at Ivory House we offer an "artwork only" option that provides you a custom design including the invitation, one insert card and RSVP card for $65. Then you are free to print and assemble however you please! These are usually the most cost effective for brides.
TIP:
A heavy card stock is usually recommended for DIY printing. These can be found at a local craft shop, usually on sale or you can purchase with a coupon! If you want to avoid cutting hundreds of invites then take your printed artwork to a local print shop (Staples or Kinko's) and have them trim them. Typically it costs less than $1.00 per cut.
We hope these money saving tips come in handy. Feel free to contact Ivory House today for invitations to fit any budget.