How Much Do Wedding Invitations Cost?
As a Wedding Stationer for couples for the past 4 years, I’ve been asked countless times “so how much do wedding invitations really cost?”. At Fioribelle we are all about making your wedding truly special and unique to you. So we aim to adapt to your specific budget and style.
Simply put, there is really no clear cut answer to this question. For some who choose to go with a DIY route, the cost would be very minimal or inexpensive, but you do have to factor in the time it will take you to create, print and assemble your own wedding invitations on top of everything else you are planning. It could also be literally tens of thousands of dollars, depending on what kind of invitations you would like and who you hire to design them for you.
On today’s blog post we will break down everything that affects the cost of your wedding invitations and give you a little insider peek into the world of wedding stationery!
Ready-made versus fully custom wedding invitations
Here at Fioribelle we offer semi-custom vs. fully custom suites. In a semi-custom suite, you will only change the text and details that pertain to your wedding specifically. The price per invitation set generally starts at $5.75. In a fully custom suite, you and I will create one-of-a-kind wedding invitations for your big day together. You’ll select embellishments, paper type, and the works if you desire! These suites start at $10 per set.
Insert cards and additional information for your wedding guests
When designing your wedding invitations, you will need to think about what information your guests need. A basic package for a wedding invitation suite would include 4 pieces: your wedding invitation card, RSVP card, RSVP envelope and main envelope. However, if you want to add a custom map, details card, or registry information, each piece will add money to your overall cost per set. To learn more about the pieces that make up your wedding suite and the information they include, visit my Wedding Invitation Wording blog post
Luxury paper options
If you’ve watched a popular show about an office that sells paper, you may know there are tons of variety of paper types! I normally recommend using double-thick, luxurious paper in all of my designs as a way to add a layer of luxury to your invitations. However, there are less expensive options that are just as pretty and high quality. If you want to use specialty papers like handmade paper, vellum paper, or seeded paper to name a few, that will add a bit more to your total cost. It can also impact the design fees because that specialty paper often requires more assembly time or special printing methods.
Different printing methods: digital, foil and letterpress
The printing world has a few options to choose from for your invitations. You can select digital, foil stamping or letterpress printing. Digital printing is the least expensive option and is quite versatile. This is your standard printing with a digital printer that is clean and crisp. Foil stamping is a luxurious way of printing with a metallic element. This style adds an extra layer of luxury and flair to your invitations. Lastly, letterpress printing is overall the most expensive method because it requires custom plates to be created for each design of every card you create. This usually takes up to 3 weeks longer in production but creates a raised print effect that gives an extra oomph to your invites. The feel of letterpress is one-of-a-kind and really sets your invitations apart from the rest.
Embellishments and add-ons
Our classic invitations are stunning on their own, but to really bring your invites to the next level and make them uniquely yours, we have a variety of embellishments available. These add-ons include wrapping your suite in silk ribbon, adding a wax seal with the ribbon or on the envelope, calligraphy, envelope liners, pockets, vellum jackets, etc. These extra details spice up your invites to create a truly unique experience as guests open their mail!
Wedding invitation postage costs
Did you know that most times a regular first class (forever) stamp won’t cover the cost to mail your wedding invitations? Your invitations are special, designed on heavy weight paper, may include wax seals, and elements that make the envelope thicker and heavier. Since it is not the normal weight of traditional mailing envelope, you will need to budget between $0.78 to $1.00 worth of postage for each invitation set.
Those are some of the main things to keep in mind when creating a budget for wedding invitations. For stunning invitations that won't break the bank, browse our semi-custom wedding invitations collection or if you’d be interested in working together to create a one-of-a-kind invite for your wedding day, inquire about my Custom Wedding Invitations here.