Weddings are an expensive affair for everyone. These once in a lifetime event do come at price, in literal terms. During one's wedding, saving at any small thing can mean a lot.
If you're a budget-savvy couple, you're probably looking to save money wherever you can. One area you might not have thought of is your wedding invitations. Don't think you need to buy flimsy paper or discounted blurry printing. You can still have an elegant wedding invitation but save money.
Here are a few ways of saving money on your wedding invitations:
1. Do it yourself
If you are a do-it-yourself person, this is the perfect opportunity to get creative. You are welcome to book a consultation with me, and I will help you to get a stunning concept on the table – something quick, easy and stylish for you and your bridesmaids to create. But please do remember that you will need to allow plenty of time to make your invitations, make it a special enjoyable time, invite some family & friends around to help out. Rule of Thumb!! Give Yourself Enough Time. You may think you are saving time and money by making your own wedding invitations, but these crafts are not always as time saving as you may think.
2. The Little Extras
Intricate invitations with jackets, bows, multiple layers of paper and other embellishments are very popular these days. But those little extra details can really add up. Instead go for the classic look of a simple invitation printed on a high-quality paper.
3. Standard Size Invitations
There might be extra costs, so be aware of the following:
• It is a square letter
• It contains very rigid items such as wood or metal
• It has clasps, string, buttons, or similar closure devices
• It has an address parallel to the shorter dimension of the letter
• It contains items that makes the surface to be uneven
• The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5
4. Proofread
A no-brainer, perhaps, but you'd be surprised how many people find errors on their wedding invitations and have to re-order with extra rush charges. Get a couple of trusted friends or colleagues to look over the invitation for extra insurance. Make sure you've got all the details of names, date, time, location, and RSVP correct!
5. Postcard RSVP
Rather than a folded card and envelope, use a postcard for your RSVP. Not only will you save on weight for your invitation postage, but you'll save postage for each RSVP.
6. Order extra invitations and envelopes
This might seem counterintuitive, but since almost every couple remembers someone that they HAVE to invite at the last minute, you'll want to have a few extra wedding invitations. And since it's likely that you'll make a few goofs while addressing them, order extra envelopes as well. It will cost you a little extra now, but save you lots of reprinting and rush charges later.
7. Go digital
Another way that is becoming increasingly popular is sending the invitations over the emails. These invitations can be just as creative as well as budget and environmentally friendly. Digital invitations will work for those friends and family who have access to this type of media; however, you may still want to purchase some invitations to send through the mail for those who don’t. This will save on both printing and on postage. We have recently created an old vintage book that can be paged by your guests – truly unique and a show stopper!
8. Barter for the best price!
photo: Lizelle Lotter
