Whoo! You've booked your planner, venue and set your wedding date! Now it's time for my personal favorite part- the wedding invitation!!!
These are going to have a major impact on the tone and vibe of your wedding day. Not only is it your guests' first impression and a peak into what they should expect but it's also your first chance to set the scene with colors, formality and important design motifs that will guide them when they arrive to celebrate you and enjoy the day you've worked so hard to plan with them!
My best advice on these- don't skimp! Quality invitations are easilyyyyy distinguishable from cheap ones when they arrive in the mail.
Really think about the paper quality you're choosing and if you’re on the fence, get a sample of nicer options (letterpress, gold foil, embossing etc) so you can physically see what your money is buying you before you decide which route to go. Your stationer should be able to send you complimentary samples for you to browse through. Start to think about the overall experience of the invitation that guests will feel when they open the mailbox.
Here's a few things to ask yourself before you get started and decide whether you're going to work with a designer for a professional experience or do it yourself on Minted or Canva (and all that entails...)
What Actually Determines Cost?
Amount of sets (households) you need to send out (remember this is a DIFFERENT number then your expected guest count)
Number of pieces you include in the suite (Are you doing just an invite card? Adding a details card? A welcome party card, RSVP card and envelopes?) This will impact the printing costs AND thickness of the envelope when you mail it (which also impacts the stamp cost!)
Embellishments such as wax seals, ribbon, envelope liners, vellum wraps, ties etc are also things that will add to the cost. While these vary in price (ribbon is much cheaper then custom wax seals for example) they’ll also impact the amount of time it takes to assemble each set.
Letterpress vs. Digital Printing vs. Foil Printing (highly recommend getting samples of these so you can see the differences!)
Die-Cut vs. Straight edged cards (are you doing cards in a fun shape like an oval, circle, floral cutout etc. or keeping it simple?)
Other paper enhancements such as torn edges, embossing/debossing, printing on both sides of the paper, gold beveled edges, etc. will effect your print cost.
Stamps! Some invites are thin and small enough to need just a single Forever stamp (currently .73) Others that are thicker, heavier, longer, have wax seals/ribbon etc will need more around $1.46+ per envelope.
What’s the Timeline?
The general timeline for mailing is 8-12 weeks before your wedding date! I usually recommend doing it earlier then that if you:
Are doing a destination wedding
Have a lot of out of town guests
Didn’t send Save the Dates
Are including other weekend events
Went with an earlier RSVP date
Have a popular wedding weekend
Are getting married on a holiday weekend
OR if you just want to be extra on top of it!
Keep in mind sending invites out too early IS a thing so I’d recommend avoiding that dilemma (don’t mail invites for an August wedding in February for example!)
The printing process usually takes 2-3 weeks and the design process adds another 2-3 more (depending on your designer) so I usually recommend inquiring with a stationer at least 2-3 months in advance of when you want your mail date to be!
How do Stamps work?
Wedding invitations (especially those with more then 1 card enclosed in them) often require MORE postage then the standard "Forever" stamp. You often have to add extra postage that accounts for additional ounces and/or "hand-cancelling" (adding the need for even more postage). You can buy all the stamps necessary for this down at the post office.
HOWEVER, it means your stamp options are pretty limited (flags or a random person's portrait). If you want the outside of the envelope to look as cute as your inside does you may want to look into "curated postage".
This means buying stamps from collectors that are still unused but out of print. It expands your options tenfold and allows you to find super cute stamps that not only match your wedding theme but can also tell your story as a couple! This route is usually more expensive since these stamps are considered "vintage" and they're not making more of those designs. You also MUST make sure that they still add up to the required amount of postage YOUR envelopes need to mail! This is often where having an invitation designer comes in handy as they source postage for you and can send you cute combinations that will hit your requirements.
What is Hand-Cancelling and is it Necessary?
Hand-Cancelling is the other factor when it comes to postage cost and adds around .46 per envelope. This ensures that an actual person looks at and processes your envelopes instead of a machine, meaning your invites are much less likely to get lost in the mail and less likely to get beaten up en route. This method can sometimes delay your invites from arriving to guests by a week-ish so keep that in mind when you decide when to mail them out.
What does "full service" mean?
This means your stationer handles assembling AND mailing your invitations for you! A worthwhile investment as it not only saves you time, but ensures your invites get mailed correctly. They also will send you any extras along with a ready-to-style keepsake set for your day-of flatlay!
How many hours do I set aside for DIY if I go that route and what supplies do I need?
If you opt to assemble and mail yourself- be prepared. Some more complicated suites can take up to 8+ hours to assemble- even for a pro stationer. Lining envelopes, adhering stamps (some of the vintage ones DON'T come with sticky backs), cutting and tying ribbon, sealing envelopes etc can get tedious and it can often take a lot of practice if it's your first time handling a crafting project like this. Here's a few supplies you may want to purchase:
A glue gun
A wax seal gun
Envelope sealing glue
Special ribbon cutting scissors
A USPS example mailing slot
Glue dots or glue tape
How do I pick colors and a theme for my invitations?
Contrary to what you might think- you don't HAVE to stick exactly with your wedding palette. Feel free to pull out a color that you love and make that the focal point. Or go neutral and leave guests surprised when they show up to bright color your wedding day! Color has a lot of sway in determining the overall feel of your suite so choose it with purpose.
I'd also recommend leaning heavily into your venue. Consider the mood it’s setting whether it's a modern downtown location or a rustic ranch. Use that as a guide to create your invitation impression. Work motifs like venue sketches, mountains, oceanside elements etc into your suite for a personal touch.
At the end of the day your invitations should feel like YOU. Your style as a couple, your preferences and a beautiful picture of the day you want to paint.
If you're interested in my process of working with clients along with starting pricing, visit my invitations page linked below!
Photo Credits:
@dmitritandsandra
@theenglishden
Comments