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The Cost of Wedding Invitations

Invitation

Beautiful Invitation from Fabulous Affairs

Match Your Invitation To Your Event

Your  wedding budget will dictate your invitation look and expense. If you are inviting guests for a 5-star dinner, you are still on a budget but you will likely also be planning to spend a hefty amount on the invitations.   You  will want to find something muted and in good taste to match the tone of your event.  Why am I emphasizing matching your invitation to your event because your wedding should have a cohesive look.  You want people to say, ” Wow everything was so well put together.  I just loved their…..”

You want this to be more than just another wedding.  IT IS YOUR WEDDING, MAKE IT DISTINCTIVE!

You can get away with spending much less on your stationary, and going for more colorful and unconventional options, if you will be hosting a a less formal ceremony and reception.  There are literally hundreds of online shops you can use.  The one thing I don’t like about online is the lack of a human, if something goes wrong you have an 800 number not a person that you developed a working trusted relationship with.

That is why we send people to Sarah Isbell at CWG invites and Fabulous Affairs-Kacey. It is good to see the options available.  What you see on line might look really nice but when you have it in your hands, feel the paper it may be really cheap.  We are fortunate to have two very nice vendors here in Bloomington/Normal that will take the personal time you need and help you find the right look and price you want.  What about “My Tux place is going to give me free Invitations.”  Really, and I have swamp land in Arizona to sell you, call me.  Be careful of these ‘FREE’ offers, they often will give you a credit for invitations they sell, but when you buy invitations for a wedding there is more than just the invitation.  You must purchase the envelope, inner and outer, the response card, response card envelopes, reception card, you will pay extra for you return address to be put on the outside envelope…….the costs start adding up very quickly.  I’m not saying you cannot get a good deal, I’m just saying add it up before you commit!

BOTTOM LINE – WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST?

  • Wedding invitation costs can range from $1.50 each with do-it-yourself kits from craft stores to $3 or $4 each for mid-range standardized invitations on mid-weight paper to $9 or more each for invitations that use a high-end printing process — such as engraving or letterpress — on quality handmade or silk paper.
  • The per-invitation cost goes up with extra folds — tri-fold costs more than bi-fold — or lining on the invitations or envelopes.
  • The average couple spends $659 on invitations and reply-cards, according to The Bridal Association of America.

To give you an exact quote on invitations is impossible until you pick out them out.  My advice is Call Sarah or Kacey and sit down and talk to them about costs.  They will be glad to help you find ways if you must to cut costs but still get the look you want.  These are normal people like us.  They are more than helpful and you will truly enjoy the time you spend with them.   I will say again there are no stupid questions, only stupid people that do not ask questions.

If you decide to order invitations online, allow enough time to order a sample invitation so you can see it up close and check quality.   This is so important.  Don’t order 100 invitations without seeing one first!  It may cost a few bucks but a few dollars to find out what it is really like is so much better than several hundred  dollars to find out they are not what you want when you open the box.

GET A SAMPLE OF YOUR ACTUAL INVITATION!   CHECK THE SPELLING OF EVERY WORD.  CHECK THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE.

PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD!

Once you order them they are yours.  If you made the mistake too bad, they are belong to YOU.  Give yourself plenty of time to reorder if you have to.  Give yourself time in case something goes wrong with shipping, or they are back ordered, just give yourself enough time for human error!

Do-it-yourself kits are sold at craft or discount stores such as Target and Micheal’s.  These can be quite economical and very nice.  If you have the time by all means have fun at it.

POSTAGE I’ll tell you a funny story.  We had a bride that actually went to a small town post office and had her invitations weighed and bought the stamps.  They did not figure in the size of the envelope so she was short on postage and received many of the invitations back with a big old  INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE stamped across the custom envelopes she spent a ton of money on.  Some of the invitations did make it to the guests but they had to pay 13 cents to get their invitation.  Personally I thought what the heck use it as a humorous point in the day, I told her to go around and give her guests 13 cents as she went to the tables to thank them, or have a bowl of pennies at the sign in table with a sign, “If you had to pay postage take your 13 cents.”  It is funny now, it wasn’t then she was sobbing.  So make sure of the postage!

PROGRAMS

Personalize your program.  Look at the Pawprints.

Personalize your program. Look at the Pawprints. Their dog Mabel was the flowerdog.

Personalize your program. Look at the Pawprints. Their dog Mabel was the flowerdog.

Programs are lovely to have for the ceremony.  Here are my thoughts on programs

1.  Order half of what you think you need.  If you are having 150 guests get 75!  I cannot tell you how many of these things we throw away.  You do not need a program for every person at the wedding.  One per couple is nice, some people don’t even want one.

2.  Programs can be a bit boring. So spice it up do something different.  One couple decided to tell a little story about everyone in the wedding party, why they were friends, why they were in the wedding.  It was touching and it actually gave people something to do while they were sitting there waiting for the ceremony to start.  One couple decided to write about people that were no longer with them and the memories they shared with their families.  I must say I cried when I read that one.. well actually I the planner cry at every wedding..crazy eh.  Another shared humorous stories about each other and why that made them love that person even more…. the ideas are endless.

3.  Make your program personable.  We had one bride that had her Lab in the wedding, Mabel.  She was so cute.  Anyway on her program and her runner actually we did her monogram and incorporated paw prints in it.  It was so her.

So you are a little more informed.  Watch what you spend and have fun.

Remember Keep things in perspective, see ya tomorrow!

2011 Margaret Moore, www.simpleeleganceeventsandweddings.com
Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Margaret Moore with Simple Elegance Events and Wedding Designs publishes this weekly e-zine. Get your FREE  “My Dream Wedding without the Nightmare”  at www.simpleeleganceventsandweddings.com

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