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Budgeting For Wedding Stationery


Chances are you haven’t had to order wedding stationery before and are unsure of exact costs. This post aims to shed some light on these details, while sharing some tips to help make those wedding stationery budget decisions.

It can be hard to wrap your head around all of the many details that go into quality stationery, and then again to put an exact price on it. Things such as printing method, paper types, custom or semi-custom designs and embellishments all affect the price of your invitations.

The largest factor by far is the size of your guest list because of course the more people you invite the more stationery you will require, think place cards, menus etc.

As a rule of thumb I often recommend budgeting $10 (including postage) for every household you invite and another $5-$8 for every guest that accepts your RSVP.

FOR EXAMPLE

Let’s say you plan to invite 160 people to your wedding, thats roughly 70 households.

70 x 10 = $700

This includes the invitation, details card, envelope and standard postage within New Zealand ($1.20). This investment would purchase you a 120mm x 180mm high quality semi-custom design, on a 300gsm textured card stock using digital printing.

After receiving your responses, let’s say 130 people accepted here’s the breakdown for budgeting for the on the day stationery. On the day stationery includes things such as menu’s, place cards and thank you cards.

130 x 6 = $780.00

Please Note : With all of these costs, understand that this is an estimate only, based on industry standards. Printing methods such as debossing, letterpress, foiling or custom designs will all impact the cost and can vary client to client.

SO HOW CAN YOU SAVE?

Please don’t let these numbers scare you, it’s much better to be informed, than have a detail you have your heart set on, go up in flames because the quote comes in far too hot. If you’re on a tight budget, we totally get it, that doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful stationery, here are a few ways to save.

  1. Choose a semi-custom suite. These designs are ready to go with the addition of your special details, they require less time to design and are great for receiving high quality designer stationery in short turnarounds. We have a large range of semi-custom suites you can check out here.

  2. Only order what you need. If you only need an invitation then leave the rest behind, focus on the necessities.

  3. Skip the RSVP card. Instead include your RSVP details with your details card (if you choose to include one of those). Ask your guests to respond via email or phone to save you on rsvp envelopes. You should also get much quicker responses.

  4. Double side your invitation. If you don’t have many details, print your details on the reverse of your invitation, it keeps everything compact and easy to find for your guests.

  5. Mix it up. If you love handmade paper then push the boat out for your invitations, but save by pairing with a lovely complimentary card stock for your details or rsvp cards.

  6. Stick with standard sizes and paper. You can still achieve a beautiful invitation on a standard 300gsm card stock, let the design speak for itself. Stick with invitations 120 x 180mm or smaller to ensure standard postage.

  7. Don’t wait until the last minute. Plan ahead, most designers will charge rush fees if you put them under the pump. Book 2-3 months before your postage date, the earlier the better. Check out our timeline to find out when to order yours.

    Good luck with your budgeting and as always don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for advice or recommendations for all things stationery. Visit more of our Love Letter posts for helpful hints and tips.

    Kim x
    Founder and Creative Director
    Smitten With Love