10 Tips to Save Money on Wedding Stationery

My guess is your lotto numbers have not come up if you somehow stumbled across this article on how to save money on wedding invitations and other wedding stationery. That’s okay, mine haven’t come up yet either!

I like saving money and I’m sure you do too. Weddings tend to give your credit card and purse/wallet quite the workout. One money saving area that may be overlooked by couples planning their wedding is wedding stationery.

If your wedding budget doesn’t allow, you don’t need elaborate wedding invitation with gold leaf, laser cutting, and hand calligraphy.

(Either that or you secretly desire to put that money towards something much more practical and long lasting. *cough* expensive shoes *cough*)

Besides, the unfortunate reality is that most of your poor wedding invites will end up in a garbage can once the wedding day has past. Sure, you and your close family members may hold onto one and frame it as a decorative piece, but your friends and other relatives have no useful need for the invitation anymore.

All that to say: Let’s save you some money on wedding stationery!!!

10 Tips to Save Money on Wedding Stationery

1. Forgo the Upgrades

Custom ink colors, hand painted details, envelope liners, and more all add up. Don’t be tempted by the checkout deals, and just say no to stationery upgrades to save a bit of money.

2. Take Advantage of Technology

Stick with digital and offset printing, which is much cheaper than other expensive printing techniques like letterpress or engraving.

Read More: Guide to Wedding Stationery Printing Techniques

3. Send a Postcard

From your Save-the-dates to RSVP cards, sending a post card (when you can) will save on extra envelopes and postage.

4. Use a Free Wedding Website

You could forget the RSVP and direction card/map enclosures all together. They are an added expense that can end up costing you an additional $1+ per piece, and will most likely get lost. 

Use your save-the-dates to direct guests to visit your wedding website instead, and encourage them to read all the important information online.

5. Proofread & Order extras

When it comes to ordering your wedding stationery, make sure you triple check the wording, fonts, and colors. Although it makes for a good laugh when you realize that you called your mother-in-law Bert instead of Berta, you probably don’t want to have it happen.

Also, I recommend ordering extra stationery, just in case there is a written error or in case your mom decides at the last minute to add 5 more guests! When in doubt: spend a little now to save later!  If you end up needing to print additional invites last minute, you may pay rush fees.

6. Double Up

If you can add your ceremony and reception information on one card instead of two, without looking too crowded, you can save money. Besides, nobody needs individual place cards.

One of my girlfriends invited over 200 guests to her wedding. Rather than purchase 200 place cards, she displayed a beautifully printed table seating chart to let guests find their own way. Undoubtedly, this saved a bit of moolah and saved a tree or two as well.

7. DIY Printing

Unless you really care about the paper weight, order a printable template off Etsy (or use our FREE downloadable printables) and then buy blank invites. You can save a bundle by printing stationery at home. 

Nobody will judge. Just make sure to keep your dad’s friend who owns the stationery store off the guest list. 😛

8. Start Writing

An extra $3+ for hand calligraphy addressed envelopes not in your wedding stationery budget? I didn’t think so.

Bribe your bridesmaids with some decent red or white wine and enlist them to help address envelopes.

9. Beware of the Square!

Bet you didn’t know that square envelopes cost more to mail than rectangular ones. Yup, the square ones don’t fit through the postal machines and have to be hand-stamped.  Avoid paying more and choose a standard size envelope with no frills.

10. Look for Coupons

Discounts and coupon offers abound online today. Many of the top wedding stationers regulalry offer great discounts of up to 25% off (or more in some cases).

There you have it, simple ways to save some money on your wedding stationery!

Let me know in the comments below if you DO end up saving a least a little bit of extra cash to put towards the honeymoon fund and how you did it. 😉

TIP: Save THIS PIN to your Wedding Planning board on Pinterest and get back to this post later.