When I got married many moons ago, one of my least favorite things to handle was sending out the wedding invitations. And I know that I am not the only woman out there with such a disdain for this, as years later when I was mother of the bride my daughters expressed similar angst. In addition to the time and effort involved in sending the invitations, the relatively high cost was definitely something that made me cringe. As such, for today’s Wedding Blog post I thought I would offer some tips to help any bride-to-be save money on the invitations.
Obviously the most important thing you should do – when buying wedding invitations or anything else for that matter – is to shop around. Do not limit your search to the traditional wedding stationary stores, as these shops tend to be expensive. Instead, check office supply stores like Office Max, big box stores like WalMart, and of course the Internet. Also look for package deals to save even more money.
Also keep in mind that you do not need the best of the best when it comes to the “bells and whistles” on your invitations. For example, embellishments like bows, ribbons and layers are costly and unnecessary. Similarly you could save a few dollars by forgoing the traditional lined envelopes, which makes a lot of sense because no one will notice anyway. Additionally, in terms of the wedding invitation wording, engraved lettering looks elegant but it’s also very pricey. So consider printing alternatives like spot UV, embossing or thermography. Even simple laser printing will fit the bill because no one will be comparing your invitations to somebody else’s, and you’ll save a boatload of cash in the process.
Another tip is to buy invitations that are standardized in a way that avoids excess mailing costs. For example, make sure the invitations aren’t extremely large, as any extra weight or size dimension can increase your mailing cost. Also make sure your invitations are square, and that they do not have any bulky or protruding items such as clasps, buttons, or other rigid items.
I hope you enjoyed these wedding ideas for invitations. In the final analysis, wedding etiquette does not require you to break the bank to have fabulous wedding invitations. By shopping around, minimizing incremental bells and whistles, aiming for standardized options, and of course exhibiting some common sense, you can still have beautiful invitations without spending hundreds of dollars. Good luck!
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