You’ve picked out your dress, the flowers and the food…but no wedding can be complete without the guests. (Unless, of course, you’re eloping, but that’s a different story entirely). As someone who studied advertising strategies (how do you think I’m able to find great deals advertised both in print and online?), I can tell you that the best way to ‘advertise’ your event is to find a way to use a minimal advertising budget to get the highest return on investment. In this case, you should use cheap wedding invitations to get as many guests as possible to your wedding. You’re probably thinking that cheap wedding invitations won’t inspire people to attend your event, but if so, you’d be wrong. There are plenty of ways to create inexpensive or even FREE wedding invitations that will make a great impression on your friends and family. Here are some ways to help you get started:
- Explore unconventional options. Did you know that Costco sells wedding invitations? If you didn’t, you probably haven’t done your homework. Don’t be afraid to ask around for local stationery options which may provide affordable alternatives to traditional printers.
- Buy cheap wedding invitations online. Yes, it is possible to create gorgeous (and cheap) invitations all by yourself. One of my favorite places to make wedding invitations (and other stationery) is Vistaprint whose do it yourself wedding invitations start under $1 a piece. Many online services print the invitations for you so you needn’t worry about feeding your paper piece by piece into a printer.
- Print your own invites. With kits from office supply stores like Staples and OfficeMax you can enjoy embossed paper (which normally costs a fortune) at a surprisingly reasonable price. Just a warning though – if you’re going to use do it yourself invitations you may want to practice on regular paper of the same size so that any errors won’t be on your fancy paper.
- Use postcards instead of letters. Reading this suggestion in print may make you gasp, but if you’ve ever received a postcard wedding invitation you’d know that this is actually a fun and funky option, especially for those having a unique wedding ceremony. Postcard wedding invitations will save you money on postage and envelopes, so they’re a double-winner in my book.
- Use postcard RSVP cards. Even if you choose not to use postcards for the actual invitation, you can opt for postcard invitations which will create a cheap wedding invitation package without compromising the style of the actual invitation.
- Use one envelope. Believe me, nobody will accuse you of choosing cheap wedding invitations if you only use one envelope. Not only will you be protecting your budget, you’ll be protecting the environment.
- Skip embellishments. You may be drawn to over-embellished wedding invitations, but these extras will add to the price of the invitations and to the shipping costs. If you’re looking to make wedding invitations within a reasonable budget, skip the extras. Oh, and did I mention that even the fanciest get tossed in the garbage? Why waste money on this additional expense?
- Choose a standard shape. Yup, it’s true…envelopes with unique shapes cost more to ship. The often cost more to print as well. I’m sure you can find beautiful wedding invitations that are a standard shape and size.
If you’re truly looking to scale back (or are even more ecological than I am), you may want to consider an Evite. Still, while Evites are popular for reunions, holiday dinner and birthdays, they aren’t entirely acceptable for wedding invitations. It would, however, be cool if you could contribute to the trend and see if it catches on. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this cheap wedding invitation suggestion as the ultimate way to save money. If you do use an electronic wedding invitation, please share – I’m sure my friends will be as inspired as I will be!
Take the road less travelled. There is no reason that you must purchase your wedding cake from a wedding cake bakery. Take time to ask your local bakery or restaurant if they can create a cake for you. You may also be able to ask the bakery section of your local grocery. Both of these options are likely to provide a truly delicious cake at a fraction of the price of a boutique wedding cake bakery.
One of the most obvious ways to save money when you buy wedding flowers is to purchase less. And, while you can technically reduce the number of flowers in each arrangement, you can also eliminate the need for larger arrangements by planning your wedding in a venue that has natural greenery or other built-in decorations. Of course, even if you manage to save money in this way, you can save even more by purchasing inexpensive wedding flowers.
If you’re one of the 1 million couples that got engaged this holiday season, congratulations! Now that it’s official, you’re probably excited to start planning the wedding (if you haven’t already). I’d like to help you save money while planning the wedding of your dreams. Every Thursday for the next few weeks, I’m going to add a new post with fresh ideas about how to save money on everything from wedding flowers to your wedding rings. But of course, the thing that’s probably foremost on your mind is finding the perfect wedding gown. Although I’ve never actually worn one myself, I’ve helped many brides find an affordable wedding gown that looked absolutely fantastic. Here are some surprising places that you can find a cheap wedding gown that will make you look like a million bucks.