7 secret ways of saving money on wedding invitations

On May 10, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Here are my 7 secret ways of saving money on wedding invitations:

(For those of you who want to look great but are a bit on the frugal side)

Extras Add Up
Complicated invitations with bows, multiple layers of paper, jackets and other extras are like the fancy options on a new car – they look great and you’ll want them. My advice: extra details add up fast! In addition to the extra cost, you’ll often have to pay assembly fees or worse, you’ll get stuck assembling your own invitations. Select fancy paper and go for a really classic look printed on the paper. It will have the same impact and you’ll save a bunch.

Get Your Paper Direct From Your Printer
Stationery stores are a great place to get ideas on what your invitations will look like but they have huge mark ups on the paper and printing. Getting invitation ideas and paper directly from your printer cuts out the middle man and can save you hundreds on the cost. Digital print shops like ours can easily print samples on different paper so you can see what your actual invitation will look like – don’t skip this step!

Use One Envelope
Traditionally, wedding invitations were sent in two envelopes so that they would remain pristine in spite of their journey. Mail isn’t delivered on horses these days and using two envelopes does nothing but double the cost. Save by dropping the 2nd envelope.

Use Standard Size Invitations
Most invitations weigh more than an ounce and unless you use a standard size invitation that classifies for a first-class stamp, you’ll pay increased postage costs. According to the US Post Office website, you’ll incur an additional surcharge on one oz. or less envelopes if any one of the following apply:

It is a square letter
It contains very rigid items such as wood or metal
It has clasps, string, buttons, or similar closure devices
It has an address parallel to the shorter dimension of the letter
It contains items such as pens that cause the surface to be uneven
The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5

This length-to-height ratio is what causes problems with most wedding invitations. Fortunately, the Post Office has a handy calculator on their website. A few cents may not sound like much, but it adds up.

No Reception Card
If your reception is at the same location as your wedding ceremony, skip the reception card to cut costs. Simply have your printer or designer print ‘reception to follow’ on the invitation. If the reception is at a different location, include a simple photocopied map to the location in the same envelope as the invitation.

Postcard RSVP
Rather than a folded card and envelope, use a 4×6 postcard for your RSVP. Not only will you save on weight for your invitation postage, but you’ll save $0.15 in postage for each RSVP. Your digital printer (AKA, Me) can print postcards to insert in your invitation envelope.

Order extra invitations and envelopes
Almost every couple remembers someone that they HAVE to invite at the last minute and they’ll want to have a few extra wedding invitations and envelopes. It’s always nice to have some extras for scrap-booking, too. 30 extras is a good number to order.

And if money doesn’t matter and you want to go for a specific look, I can help you too. We sell a lot of wedding invitations of all price ranges!

Angie Ryan

615-509-3192