Wedding Invitation Pricing - How Much Should I Spend, What Can I Expect to Get For My Money?

Weddings can be expensive, partially because it seems everything for a wedding is specialized, from the cake to the dress to the appetizers at your brunch. Making and sticking to a budget is important, and to do that you need to know what to expect when you begin shopping for invitations.

Your first decision will be the type of invitation you want, as well as an idea about the level of quality. In reality, you can get a good invitation on quality paper without spending too much, especially if you stick with press-printed invitations.

Two of the most common sizes offered are 5" x 7" and the longer, skinnier 4" x 9". Both are generally available on thick cardstock, which is very sturdy and gives good weight to your invitation. These invitations range from $1.71 each down to $1.01 each, depending on the quantity you order. They are beautiful and affordable!

Some people like to use an upper-end paper like linen, but you'll pay a premium for it. A 5" x 5" square invitation on linen or watercolor paper can be had for between $2.12 each and $1.42 each. One important note here is that although square invitations are very popular, a bride needs to keep in mind that the Post Office charges more to send square pieces of mail. Other articles have covered this topic, and it would be a good idea to find out just what that can do to your postage before settling on a square invitation.

Moving further up the cost spectrum, you can go all-out with a pocket invitation. These are all-inclusive packages (reception cards, RSVP cards and other wedding stationary are included) with multiple layers and designer themes. They require some assembly on your part, but if you really want to wow your guests (and you have the budget) they make a real impact. These commonly cost $5 or $6 for each invitation, and some retailers have even offered some elaborate designs for as much as $20 each!

On the opposite end of the spectrum, probably the least expensive way to go is to have your invitation exported to a photo format and printed on photo paper. It's thinner, and people know that it's photo paper, but they can still be very attractive and they're perfect if your budget is tight.

One thing that is constant in most invitations is that your best price comes with quantity. You should always expect to pay more per piece if you're not ordering as many invitation. However, most retailers try to keep their prices as low as they can for the type of invitation you buy.