When Andrew and I got engaged, we knew that we had little time (our engagement was only 4 months and 8 days!), and a budget. We didn't want to sacrifice style and elegance, but we wanted an invitation that we could get out speedily and that would also not break the bank.
The Whole Process: From Collecting to Addresses, Mailing Save the Dates and Invitations
1. Make a List of Invitees! This is the most important first step. We used a Google Sheet that was shared between my mother and myself, plus texted other important family members with our list "Who are we forgetting?" We ended up with 268 guests on our invite list!
2. Collected Addresses and Information. We created our website on The Knot and send out the automatic text that collected people's information. If our friends and family didn't respond after a few days, Andrew and I personally texted them and asked for their information. We wanted to collect this information so that we could have everyone's physical addresses as well as email addresses.
3. Send Out Save the Dates. After tossing around a few different ideas, we chose to send our Save the Dates as electronic invites via Email. These were made on Canva. My biggest concern with a virtual Save the Date was that someone would not receive it, but we didn't have anyone tell us they didn't receive it. Maybe they did and we just didn't know about it... (Don't feel like making yours? Let me make it!)
4. Send Out Invitations. On January 1, 2024, exactly 2 months and 1 day to the wedding, we mailed out our invitations. We were so excited!
Creating Our Invitations: The Design Process and Cost
Ultimately, we created our invitations on Canva and had them printed by Canva. It cost $129 for 150 two-sided 5x7 invitations. We had them printed on Deluxe paper with a matte finish. Envelopes were included in the price, and shipping was free. It took a little less than a week between ordering and receiving them.
Important note: Your total amount of guests is not the same as the amount of households you have to send invitations to! Save some money and don't make the mistake of ordering too many invites. For example, we had 268 guests invited but only 111 households.
We wrapped our Canva invitations in "pre folded" vellum that I purchased here on Amazon for $20. This vellum had an alert that said "frequently returned," but we didn't have any problem folding it. The creases are indented/ perforated but not already folded. Andrew and I sat on the couch and folded one evening and got them all done.
We also tied them with a bit of Chiffon ribbon that I bought here on Amazon. They're currently $8.29 for 7 yards. I think we ended up buying about 18 rolls to make 120 invitations, but we also had to trim tails off a lot of them that we could've cut better to conserve ribbon.
We bought these handmade wax seal stickers off Etsy and stuck them over the chiffon ribbon knot. They were so cute and added a nice little personable touch. We got 300 of them for $53. (Fun Fact: we did NOT need 300! I bought them before I thought about this. See my pro tip above.)
Lastly, each envelope was stamped with our names on the back fold using this personalized envelope embosser that we bought on Etsy for $45. I highly recommend buying this and using it for your cocktail napkins, too!
We used these Avery address labels and these Avery return address labels. This was so much easier than hand addressing envelopes or having them printed by someone else.
Here's what the front side of our invitation looked like.
Mailing Our Invites
The invitations ended up taking 2 "Forever" stamps, which we were hoping would only cost us one. The sweet lady at the post office told us that the ribbon and wax seal is what made it heavier. I'm all about saving money, but they were cute so I don't regret the extra cost for the chiffon and wax seal.
Some Things We Chose to Add To Our Invitations
We chose to add the traditional details to the back of the invitation rather than on a separate enclosure: reception, accomodations.
Something unique (or maybe not unique, but a new trend) is adding a dress code and color scheme to our invitation.
We chose the dress code as "boots and best," as our venue was an upscale, old barn, and boots and best just really describes us. This, however, kind of ended up being funny. The amount of texts Andrew and I received that said, "Do I have to wear boots?" was hilarious. "Ummm, no, Ashley isn't even wearing boots."
Also, we chose to include our color scheme: sage, blush and maroon. I'm so glad we did this! The pictures with our guests look so good because of our color scheme!
Here's what the back side of our invitations looked like.
Conclusion
Designing your own wedding invitations can be hard work and time consuming, but can be so rewarding if you want to be hands on involved in the process. I designed the invitations on Canva, had them printed, Andrew folded the vellum, my mom and I stuffed and addressed envelopes over a few days. It turned into a family affair and I am super proud of the result.
If I can help you make your invitations, shoot me an email. I love to do this sort of stuff! dreamteamteepeecompany@gmail.com If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to reach out!
Wishing you the best,
Dream Team - Your Wedding Planning BFF
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