What Is The Cheapest Way To Do Wedding Invitations
Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, but if you want to celebrate in style, youre going to have to be smart about planning your budget. The average wedding cost in Australia is a whopping $53,168, but the average income is only $82,436 per year. Thats a large chunk of your annual earnings!
When you need to consider the big-ticket things like the reception and the honeymoon, the cost of a traditional wedding starts to skyrocket. However, many smaller items go unnoticed, and the total cost of all the little things can add up! If you want to save money on your wedding, you might need to get a little bit crafty with some of the smaller wedding expenses like wedding invitations.
Its only natural that you want to have an amazing invitation for your wedding. Its a special day, and the invitation will let your guests know just how special it is. Invitations can get quite expensive though, with the average Australian couple shelling out around $800 just for invitations.
The pressure to have a fancy wedding and the cost of holding one can put a lot of stress on couples, especially when you still have to deal with daily expenses like rent and groceries. A budget wedding can still be an unforgettable event its just about knowing where to save.
If you can save on your invitations, it can make a large difference to your overall budget. Here, we offer some ideas for lovely invitations that wont break the bank.
Is It Okay To Send Wedding Invitations Early
It should be okay to send wedding invitations early than too close to the wedding date. However, the best time to send them is three months before the wedding, and the earliest you can do it is four months before the wedding.
This way, everyone will have enough time to answer the invitation, and you can finalize your guest list comfortably. Its important not to give the invitations very early because chances are they can get lost in the mail, and the guest will ultimately forget to confirm.
You can send save the dates as the early cards to alert your guests that theyre invited. You can send them 6 to 12 months before the wedding.
Please read how to save money on wedding invitations to help you stick to a reasonable budget when sending them.
Plan Your Big Day With Free Spreadsheets Tools & Apps
Do a spreadsheet to keep tabs on estimated costs versus actual costs.
Google templates help you organise the seating plan, guest list, menu and music playlist . You can also share documents, so two people can edit it at the same time. All you need to do is create an account and log in when you want to edit info.Hitched offers similar tools, but also includes ideas on decoration, dresses and more. Nifty little app Wedding Happy lets you be your own wedding planner, tracking deadlines and ticking off tasks. You can also track your spending against an overall budget.
is another great website for ideas. Use it for inspiration for everything from invites to lighting, then do it yourself for a fraction of the cost.
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Looking To Print Wedding Invitations Cheap
Shop our printed wedding collection exclusively at Paper Source. We also have a design services team who is here with expert advice to help every step of the way should you need a second, third, or fourth opinion to help bring your wedding invitation vision to life. From color matching to custom illustrations, weve got you. Once youre happy with the look and feel of your one-of-a-kind invitation, be sure to add all of the most important details to keep your guests in-the-know.
We cant wait to see your vision come to life in the form of a cheap wedding invitation that is also perfectly ceremonial. We make it easy to create an experience for your guests that perfectly captures your vision of true love. Theres something for every wedding and every budget, so we encourage you to dive in and say I do to the one thats right for you. Youll find that the possibilities for elevating your guests experience and leaving a lasting impression are affordable and endless.
The Wide World Of Diy Wedding Invitations
When it comes to DIY wedding invitations, there are two basic levels of DIY.
The first is purchasing a template that you fill in, print and embellish yourself.
The other is doing everything from scratch: You create the design, then print, cut and package the invitations yourself.
When Katie Nathey couldnt find invitations she liked within her budget, she decided to go this route and handcraft her own rustic wedding invitations.
Although she spent $150 on supplies for her 50 invitations, she used the leftover materials to create drink tags, wedding wands and smore kits.
This amount was around $100-$150 less than purchasing pre-made invitations, and those didnt include any embellishments, she says. Designing our invitations was one of the best decisions I could have made.
Before deciding how DIY you want to go with your invites, do your research and think about your preferences .
Do you enjoy crafting? Or are you just trying to save a little money? How much time can you devote to the project? Would you rather spend time on your invites, or, say, custom centerpieces?
Ready to take the plunge? Here are your options for DIY wedding invitations.
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Don’t Be Embarrassed To Ask For Cash
Most people are happy to give cash as a wedding gift if asked many even prefer it to the hassle of picking a gift. Of the 21,000 who voted in our poll, 55% would prefer to give hard cash, while a further 34% would give it if requested .
Wedding gifts aren’t just a pleasant way of wishing a new couple a great life together. Historically, they’re there as a form of social banking.
So before you decide what to ask for on the big day, here’s what Martin has to say:
It’s worth understanding the function this ceremonial gift exchange performs.
Far too many think of wedding gifts as an added extra, yet financially it needs to play a core part in your plans. You’re likely to be shelling out a serious sum of cash for your wedding, but lots of people are willing to effectively pay you back in return for going to the ceremony.
Of course, etiquette rightly suggests no one should ‘ask for gifts’. So what we’re really talking about here is whether you can express a preference for cash over presents for those who want to give.
Gift giving is a form of social banking
Older generations would give gifts or money to younger ones to help them start off in life before they’d had time to build their own finances.
Then once that couple grew older they effectively gave back to the same community when they attended weddings of younger couples by giving them gifts. Thus the money moves in a circular way and is targeted at those who need it most.
Work Out Your Budget For Affordable Wedding Invitations
First things first, you need to determine your budget, both for your wedding as a whole and for invitations in particular. Be realistic about how much you can afford and how far that money needs to stretch. You may not want to just Google free printable invitations and hope for the best when it comes to your big day, but that doesnt mean you automatically have to go to the other extreme and order ten different cards printed in letterpress on double thickness card.
When youre budgeting for your invitations, make sure you factor in all the necessary expenses, including shipping, envelopes, stamps and the cost of all the cards you want to include in your invitation suite. This usually isnt just the invitations: think about rsvp cards, save the dates and thank you cards as well.
Once youve got a budget in mind, its time to start shopping around. Finding great-looking affordable wedding invitations online isnt just a myth, we promise.
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Choices Like Print Style & Paper Type Can Help Make Wedding Invitations Cheap
If youve found a great company to buy from, youll be able to get your wedding invitations cheap by making careful choices. One of the best things about choosing a reputable company is that even their basic cheap options are guaranteed to be of a very high quality. The paper will be thick and heavy and the ink heavily pigmented, even at the cheapest level, so you dont need to worry about selecting the middle or upper range options.
Design Your Own Invitation
When I was planning my wedding, I found an invitation design I really liked online. The price was pretty steep, and I knew it was way over my budget. So I took the concept of the design and created my own wedding invitation design. I took my idea to a stationary store , and they were able to turn it into a wedding invitation unique to me. I saved money by creating a similar design to a much more expensive one.
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Where To Find Cheap Wedding Invitations
Minted
Cost: Starting at $100 for 50 invitations
Minted might be one of the more expensive options on this list, but when it comes to beautiful, handcrafted wedding invitations from independent designers, you end up paying a fraction of the price you would from a boutique store in the end. Styles range from classic to modern, with an array of added embellishments, luxe paper , and letterpress printing. The best part is that you can submit design requests to an associate, who can also help you with wedding invitation wording, invitation etiquette, and any other questions you may have.
While their classic invitations start at $154 for 50, If youre looking to save even more, Minted recently introduced all-in-one invites, which are super cool. Basically, its an envelope, invite, and RSVP postcard all in one. With pricing starting at $103 for 50, this is a unique, affordable option. Theyre also offering free custom envelopes with a white, all-script font that literally looks like a professional calligrapher designed them.
Etsy.com
Cost: Starting at $10 for unlimited digital invitations
Etsy is a bride-to-bes dream site when it comes to cheap wedding invitations, programs, thank you cards, and everything in between. The site is a marketplace for local artists, designers, and creators of all kinds, with a huge selection of handmade invitation options. You can choose from inexpensive digital downloads or order custom invites printed and shipped to your door.
Walmart.com
A Bike With A Floral Arrangement In The Basket
Ask around to see if any friends have old bikes lying around the garage, or check out thrift stores too. The bike may already have a pleasantly rusted, vintage vibe. If not, you can paint the bike white, off-white, or to match your wedding colors. Then arrange an overflowing bouquet inside the bikes basket, or a wicker basket you attach to the front yourself.
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Free Diy Invites & Cheap Stationery
Designing and making your own invites is easy, especially if you use free DIY printing sites such as Wedding Chicks.
Of course, you’ll have to pay for paper and ink when you print them out yourself . Alternatively, why not ask your workplace if they’ll let you use its company discount on stationery?
If you’re willing to pay just a little, then Etsy a site which is a bit like an eBay for arts and crafts is full of sellers who will design bespoke invitations for as little as £5 and email you a PDF to print off yourself. Just search for ‘printable wedding invitation’.
Try Vistaprint* for super-cheap self-designed cards, scour eBay* for cheap sellers or get off-the-shelf invites from high street shops such as Paperchase*. If you do pay for invites, always check if the cost includes envelopes and factor in the cost of postage.
Instead of posting save the date cards, let people know by text or email. Alternatively, create an event on Facebook .
Start Looking Early To Score A Deal
On a wedding planning timeline, you are supposed to pick out your wedding invitations about four months before the big day. I say to start looking for deals on invitations as soon as you have your wedding details nailed down. You can order them early even if you do not send them out until two months before your wedding. Make sure to sign up for group buying and daily deals sites, such as Groupon, and check them daily.
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Dont Forget The Envelopes
One final way to make your invitations stand out? Killer envelopes.
Envelope liners are a popular option. If purchased from a site like Minted, theyd run you a whopping 76 cents per liner but you can make them yourself with fabric, pretty paper, an engagement photo or even a pencil eraser .
As for the addresses, you can hire a calligrapher, but thatll cost you a whopping $2-$5 per envelope. Its much more affordable to enlist your friends to help you, or just print pretty labels like these.
Dont forget to include your return address, using a label or stamp.
Recognize Envelopes Of Odd Sizes Require Additional Postage
If you are concerned about wedding postage, be aware that envelopes of unusual shapes and sizes require additional postage.
The United States Postal Service has specific shape and size parameters that envelopes must fall within to be considered normal or acceptable for standard postage. Any envelopes that fall outside of these parameters can not be run through automated sorting machinery, and are therefore charged a non-machinable surcharge 21 cents a piece*
To avoid the surcharge, stick to the normal rectangles. Postage for an A7 envelope, for example, is standard .
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Diy Wedding Invitation Templates
As mentioned above, one of the easiest options is to use print-yourself DIY wedding invitation templates.
Theyre plentiful online and many are even free. You simply add your details, download the template and then print the invitations at home or a copy shop.
Here are some places to start your search:
- : Variety of designs downloads start at $79
- : Access to 130+ templates for $49
- e.m.papers: Unique printables for $27 each
- Wedding Chicks, Greetings Island, and Paper Source: Dozens of free templates
Nathey, whom you met earlier, found that her rustic DIY wedding invitations were so popular, she created a free template for readers to download.
The good news is you dont have to design your own invitations to save money,she says. There are more printable options available online, making it easier to customize your invitations on even the tiniest of budgets.
Besides templates, another option is to order a customized wedding stamp with all the pertinent details on it. Rather than printing out the invitation, you simply stamp the info onto a piece of paper.
Want to see what they look like? Heres an Etsy store that sells partially hand-lettered wedding invitation stamps for $80 and up.
