Wedding Wednesday: Invitations (part 1)

Free Wedding Invitation Suite from WeddingChicks.com

I must say that my wedding planning process has gone pretty well so far and for that, I'm thankful!  But what's the deal with the expense of wedding invitations - yikes!!!

I did some quick calculations for $200 wedding invitations and here's what the dollar about could be if I go through a wedding invitation site.

200 invitations x $3.80 average cost/invitation (invite, envelope, response card) = $760 

200 x $.46 invitations postage = $92 standard postage

200 x $.33/response card postage = $66 postcard postage

$760 + $92 + $66 = $918  Whaaaaaattttttt???!!!!!

The $918 does not include reception invitations so you  may be looking at well over $1,000 in invitations!

Clearly I had to come up with some alternative options since I am planning on a budget and believe it or not, I can get the whole shebang for less than $700!

I am a true believer that I can have exactly what I want without a big price tag.  It may take a little more work, but the savings are worth it!

Here are the options I considered:

1// Purchase from a Wedding Stationary Company. 

Minted and Wedding Paper Divas have gorgeous invitations so definitely look and if you find something you love and it fits in your budget you definitely need to order them!

2// Purchase an invitation suite from etsy. 

Etsy has so many great shop owners that create beautiful invitations and offer full printing services.  They are a little less expensive too!  Click here to got to Etsy's invitations page.

3// Purchase a pre-made printable wedding invitation from etsy and get them printed at a local printer or print them on my own.  

If you don't want to buy a whole invitation suite that is printed for you, some etsy shop owners offer pre-made/pre-designed printable wedding invitations.  You pay for the printable and print out however many invitations you want.  These usual cost about $15-$20. Click here to go to Etsy's invitation page.

4// Find a FREE invitation suite and get them printed by a local printer or print them on my own.

One of my first Wedding Wednesday posts I mentioned some free invitations options from Wedding Chicks.  They are classy, and somewhat customizable to your colors.

5// Hire a graphic designer to design a custom invitation and get them printed  by a local printer or print them on my own.

Finally, if you just haven't found what you are looking for, or maybe you have but it's too expensive, a graphic designer might be an option.  They generally work on an hourly rate or on a per project rate.  If you don't know a graphic designer, leave a comment with your email or email me and I can send you a few names. :)

As for printing... Often times, if you get your invitations printed at a local print shop it is less expensive.  Also check with an office supply store.  If you have their rewards card and ask if they have any print services specials you can get a really great deal!  Or, if you work for a rather large corporation like I do they may have a printing department that does some custom work.  

I went with option number 5!  I know a lot of creative people and found so many things I loved but not the exact thing I wanted so I asked my friend, Kelli Jo, if she would help me to design my wedding invitations!  I also inquired with my employer about printing my wedding invitations and sourcing envelopes and believe it or not, they can print 200 color invitations and source self-sealing envelopes for approximately $150!  (That price doesn't include postage.)

If you do the quick math, by choosing option 5 (which fit best for me)  my total cost including printing, design, and postage will be around $400-$450.  That equals a $468.00 savings!!!  Wahoo!! :)

Wow, that was a lot of information, but I really do hope it was helpful!

Next week I'll give you a glimpse of some of my favorite invitations and I'll share some ideas for what the invitation should say!