How much do wedding invitations cost in 2024?
You’ve set a date for the big day, put down a deposit for your venue, and decided on your vibe and colors. At long last, you’re ready to start designing your wedding invitations! How much your wedding invitations will cost depends on many factors, including the type of invitation and the size of your guest list. All in all, most couples should expect to pay around $530 total for wedding invitations, according to The Knot. The final price tag for wedding invitations and save the dates also fluctuate based on the number of guests invited, the level of customization, materials, sourcing, quality, and extras. Read on to get an idea of how each of these elements may impact the overall cost of sending your own wedding invitations.
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Online vs. printed wedding invitations
Online wedding invitations
Online wedding invitations are the most flexible when it comes to pricing and can work for almost any wedding budget. With a seemingly endless variety of designs, digital wedding invitations are easily customizable and are quick and convenient to send out to your guests.
With Paperless Post, not only is the process of designing and sending invitations easy and efficient, but it also saves you money in the long run. With a variety of beautifully curated and exclusive designs—including rustic wedding invitations and templates from partners like Rifle Paper Co.—you can customize your own personal wedding invitation and send them out to loved ones without breaking the bank. The price of our online wedding invitations will help you stay within your wedding budget while being friendlier to the earth, too.
Another benefit of using online wedding invitations from Paperless Post is free RSVP tracking and guest messaging. Instead of waiting to get RSVPs in the mail, guests can tell you whether they’ll be attending—and what their meal choice is—instantly. You’ll also see if any of your invitations were undeliverable (due to a typo or old email address) as soon as you send them. No more return-to-senders trickling in one week before the wedding.
Printed wedding invitations
Traditional paper invitations and invitation suites are considerably more expensive compared to online invitations. Why is that? Simple, it’s because online invitations are paperless, meaning they cut back on all costs involving paper, printing, shipping, design costs, and so on. When you opt for an online wedding invitation, the process is significantly less expensive with equally beautiful designs to choose from.
However, if you’re interested in having your wedding invitation framed as a keepsake, using printed wedding invitations may be the right choice for you.
Sourcing wedding invitations
When sourcing your wedding invitations, it’s important to consider your supplier. Here are the most common wedding invitation sourcing options from least to most expensive:
DIY wedding invitations + $$ average cost
Are you a creative person on a budget? Consider making your own wedding invitations right at home. To streamline your DIY wedding invitation process, start by creating a template and making sure you include all of the necessary information. Once you have the invitation formatted how you like, you can begin to play around with fonts and the overall design and color scheme.
Keep in mind that while DIY invitations may seem like the cheapest option initially, they can add up when it comes to the number of guests and materials used for the invitation. More importantly, be mindful of the fact that DIY invitations can be quite time-consuming. If you are going to take the DIY wedding invitation route, be sure to carve out enough time for creating the perfect wedding invitation for your big day. Once you have your design ready, you can also choose to upload a digital version of your file to our create your own invitation tool and send them virtually for all the Paperless Post benefits.
Online wedding invitation templates + $$ average cost
Sending wedding invitations virtually via Paperless Post can be a cost-effective way to get the word out about your special celebration. It’s easy to make these templates your own with countless designs, fonts, and layouts to choose from. Add your own photo or crest, or upload your own custom artwork. Adding or removing premium elements to customize your design will increase or decrease the cost of your Paperless Post invitations, including backdrops, custom stamps, envelope liners, and more.
Purchase your Paperless Post invitations using digital credits called Coins. Coins can be bought in packages, with each Coin costing less the more you buy. To determine how many Coins you’ll need, multiply the number of guests by the cost of each invitation.
While you’re creating your invitations using one of Paperless Post’s beautiful templates, you can see how many Coins each wedding invitation will cost you to send, then add or subtract features as you wish.
No matter what your Paperless Post wedding invitations cost, RSVP tracking and guest messaging are always free and make planning for your big day so much easier.
Stationery store + $$ average cost
A stationery store is another option with a wider range of pricing options to choose from. At a stationery store, you have the ability to choose your invitation design among a variety of different designers, conveniently located in one place. Additionally, the materials are laid out for you, with an experienced stationery designer to help guide you along the customization process.
Although cheaper than a design studio, stationery stores can still be quite expensive. With that in mind, expect the baseline cost to be roughly around $7 per wedding invitation at a stationery store. This starting point can also be higher when considering any inserts you may want to add such as reception information and RSVP cards and envelopes. And whenever you send printed invitations by mail, remember that you’ll have to pay for postage stamps—including those on RSVP cards.
Design studio + $$ average cost
Sourcing from a design studio is one way to ensure that your wedding invitation is entirely customized to your choosing—but it does come with a price. Design studios typically charge anywhere between $10-$30 per wedding invitation. Therefore, a package of wedding invitations from a design studio typically starts around $1,000 and goes up from there. If your wedding budget is tight, a design studio might not be the best option for you.
Key factors that impact wedding invitation costs
Aside from where you decide to source your wedding invitations, there are other things that can add up when it comes to wedding invitation pricing. Here are the most common factors that can impact the overall cost of your wedding invitations:
Quantity of wedding invitations
One of the most straightforward and costly factors when it comes to wedding invitations is the number of guests you’re inviting. Given that each guest or couple will receive a wedding invitation, you can expect that the more invitations you need to send out, the higher the cost will be. If you are on a budget, be wary of the number of invitations you will need to send out, as the guest count will impact all aspects of the wedding—not just the cost of sending out invitations.
Printing
Another important and often overlooked cost factor for traditional paper wedding invitations is printing. In this case, the quality of wedding invitation prints can significantly alter the overall price and look of the invitations. When it comes to printing, the four main types of print from the lowest quality and cost to the highest are:
- Digital printing
- Letterpress
- Thermography
- Engraving
Be mindful of which printing option is included with your design, as it can increase costs fairly quickly. If you are looking for ways to cut down on wedding invitation costs, you can simply ask what type of printing process is used for your invitation and opt for a more cost-effective option instead. Similarly, you may be able to request a digital copy from the designers themselves, allowing you to print digitally from a place of your choosing.
Customization
Customizing a wedding invitation with each and every detail is a beautiful way to let your guests know about the wedding day—but it does come with a price. Specially customized elements, such as calligraphy and hand-drawn invitations, will add up significantly as they require much more time, labor, and approval in the creation process.
Decorative elements
There are a variety of ways in which you can make your wedding invitation stand out from the rest, such as decorative elements like foil stamping, wax seals, and rounded corners.
However, it’s important to note that each decorative element can significantly contribute to the overall cost of your wedding invitations. Take note of how many decorative elements you and your partner consider to be “must-haves” for your wedding invitations, and determine what’s worth the extra cost.
Looking to make your wedding invitations unique yet cost-efficient? Check out these wedding invitation ideas.
Shipping
Unless you’re skipping the snail mail altogether with online wedding invitations, shipping and postage are other expenses that often get overlooked in the wedding invitation planning process. While each wedding invitation suite weighs slightly differently, your shipping costs will be dependent upon what the weight of each invitation suite comes out to be. Excess shipping and postage costs can tack on roughly $50-$60 extra for just 100 invitations. While this may not seem like an incredibly unreasonable cost, in the long run, it can add up alongside other cost factors.
“Oratorio Invitation” by Venamour for Paperless Post; “Watercolor Garland Invitation” by Paperless Post.
How to save on wedding invitation costs
When considering the cost of wedding invitations, it really comes down to two things: design and the number of guests invited. Prior to planning your wedding invitations, consider your ideal vision and what your “must-haves” are when it comes to design. As far as guest count goes, you most likely won’t want to miss out on inviting loved ones just to save on invitations—so be sure to choose affordable wedding invitations that are equally economical as they are stunning.
While some wedding invitation costs may be out of your control, online invitations are a great option when it comes to finding a cost-effective design that perfectly captures the wedding day to come. Paperless Post’s wide array of unique and beautifully crafted wedding invitations will make it easy for you during the invitation design process. Not only are our wedding invitation designs customizable, but they also help you cut back on unnecessary costs such as shipping, envelope, and printing expenses.
Once you select a design, be sure to keep proper wedding invitation etiquette in mind. (Brush up on your own wedding guest etiquette while you’re at it.) Then keep your timeline on track with our guide to sending invitations out for every wedding-related event, from the bridal shower to the bachelorette party.
Regardless of the wedding invitation design you choose, the invitation selection process should be an exciting part of wedding planning. Determine your budget and have fun choosing an invitation that your guests will be sure to remember for years to come.
