how much do wedding invitations cost? five sample wedding invitation budgets and how to spend them

How much do wedding invitations cost? How much of your budget should you set aside for wedding invitations?

The answer is, of course, it depends. It depends hugely on the type and style of invitations you choose, the printing method, and your location, as well as the number of guests you are inviting. Advice flying around on the internet will say anything from 2% to 6% of your overall wedding budget or from £100 to £8,000.

But, what does that actually look like? What does spending £500 on wedding invitations look like, compared to spending £1000?

Based on my designs from the collection and my bespoke design service, this article sets out what you could get for your budget, so you can decide which elements are most important for you, and which elements you are happy to save on.

You can also get an instant price quote based on the number of guests by downloading the step-by-step wedding stationery planner here. The planning tools include a budget estimator and a timeline planning tool, as well as a wording templates and a whole heap of honest advice.


for £250 to £300

from left to right | WILD in burgundy | BREEZE in blush pink | WANDER in hunter green

invitation | Keep it simple with a main invitation card and have your details on the reverse of the card. Set up a free email address for your wedding (for example, smithwedding@gmail.com) and ask your guests to RSVP directly to the email, so you can keep track of your replies all in one place).

envelopes | You can save money by ordering blank envelopes for any design in my collection, and addressing them yourselves. I recommend using a white pen for the darker envelope colours, and you can purchase a simple envelope addressing tool which helps you draw a guide to get your addresses neat and tidy.


for £500 to £600

as above, but upgrade to printed addresses and add some finishing touches…

invitation | Keep it simple with a main invitation card and separate details card. Set up a free email address for your wedding (for example, smithwedding@gmail.com) and ask your guests to RSVP directly to the email, so you can keep track of your replies all in one place).

envelopes | Opt for a colourful envelope to make the design stand out, and include printed addresses for a smart and sophisticated look.

finishing touches | Add a matching band or plain vellum wrap and finish with a colourful wax seal to make the whole suite come together.


for £750 to £850

as above, but upgrade to calligraphy addresses and postal RSVP cards…

invitation | Go for the complete package with a main invitation card, details card, and postal RSVP cards.

envelopes | Upgrade to calligraphy addressing for your main outer envelope, and printed addresses for the RSVP envelopes.

finishing touches | Combine a vellum wrap with a wax seal in the colour of your choice to bring the suite together and make your guests feel like they are unwrapping a precious package, shown here on the WANDER suite.

for £1000

as above, but upgrade to calligraphy addresses on your RSVP cards, and add an envelope liner…

invitation | Go for the complete package with a main invitation card, details card, and postal RSVP cards.

envelopes | Upgrade to calligraphy addressing for your main outer envelope and your RSVP envelopes.

finishing touches | I love the combination of a tag, thread, and liner, shown here on the PALM suite.


for £1250+

add a custom illustrated venue map and go all out on your finishing touches

invitation | Go for the complete package with a main invitation card, details card, and postal RSVP cards.

envelopes | Upgrade to calligraphy addressing for both your main outer envelope and your RSVP envelopes.

finishing touches | Go all out with my pick and mix finishing touches to create a luxurious package of paper goodies to delight your guests. One of my favourite ways to do this is to add a custom illustrated venue map, shown here on the TIDE suite, which also includes a combination of a wrap, thread and wax seal.


ready to start designing your dream invitation suite?

Fill out the quote request form here to get a quote for your invitations, or contact me here and let me know what your budget is, and how many invitations you need, and I can come back to you with recommendations.


more articles from the studio…

Previous
Previous

colour spotlight series: champagne wedding inspiration

Next
Next

notes on the language of colour: choosing colours for your wedding and beyond