Because I’m a newlywed, aka former bride-to-be, a LOT of the wedding planning process is still fresh in my brain. There was excitement, then anxiousness, then excitement, then anxiousness… you get the idea. Decisions needed to be made, and they needed to be made quickly—at least that was my experience.
I was a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) bride, so I didn’t experience the luxury of a planner handling all the details. It was me, my mom, and my trusty Maid of Honor (MOH). It’s not easy juggling a budget while still getting the wedding of your dreams, but it CAN be done! You can have the gorgeous wedding day you dreamed of, without going into debt for 12 hours of festivities. The key is to prioritize. Some things you will just have to sacrifice, and that’s OK. Everyone has different priorities, so I can’t lay out exactly what yours should be. That’s a decision you have to make yourself. Two items I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on were A) Save the Dates, and B) Invitations.
Skip the Save the Dates
Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of Save the Dates. In my mind it was like sending two invitations—the invitation before the invitation. Why waste my money, and a good tree, on a piece of paper with the same details they’ll get in a few months anyway? Therefore, we didn’t send any. We told the few family members who had to book flights, or travel over an hour to our wedding, that they were invited so they could plan accordingly.
How to execute this well:
• Send your invitations out early—After all, Save the Dates are just another way to say “advanced invites”.
• ONLY mail ‘Save the Dates’ to out of town guests—If advanced word of mouth communication just won’t do, send a limited number of save the dates. (Betty Sue down the street doesn’t need notification six months in advanced like a loved one across the country, or around world.)
Prioritize Your Invitation Wants vs. Needs
It pains me to write this, but not many guests will care about your invitations more than you do—except, maybe your mom. Don’t stress about having the most luxurious paper, embossed text, or calligraphy addressed envelopes. Most likely, you’ll be the only one saving your invitation—except, once again, maybe your mom. Everyone else will eventually take them off the fridge, or calendar, and gently toss them in the trash. <<Sorry, I had to type that, because it’s true. Don’t get caught up in the details that are quickly discarded, save your time and money for aspects of the wedding that people remember more—i.e.: the party, I mean reception. 😉
How to execute this well:
• Do you really need luxurious, “double thick” paper?—Order a sample kit from your printer of choice. This will include all their paper options, and help you decide if it’s really worth the $$ to get extra thick/textured paper. (Bonus Tip: You can always print a small set of invites, with all the extra add-ons, as a keepsake for you and a few loved ones.)
• Postcard RSVPs—This saves money on return postage and envelopes. We did that and it worked out great. A little bit of savings here and there adds up quickly! (2018 rate: 35¢ postcard vs 50¢ envelope)
Do It Yourself (DIY)
How to execute this well:
• Create your own invites—This is what I did! If you’re design-savvy, fire up Illustrator, InDesign, or whatever your favorite design software is, and start creating. If you’re not design-savvy, ask a loved one who is and perhaps that could be their wedding present to you. Neither of those options work for you? Check out your local office supply store for pre-made templates that you fill-in with your wedding details, or do an online search for digital invitations that you can download and print yourself! (You can also check out my Etsy shop for digital designs to purchase. 😉 )
• DIY Calligraphy Addressed Envelopes—Purchase clear address labels and download a typeface. There are a ton of free, beautifully designed typefaces (fonts) out there. Plus, Avery has free address label templates to help you organize multiple address on one label sheet. Simply download the template that matches your labels, put all your addresses in, change the font ’til your heart’s content, print and stick. (It’s also cheaper than paying a printer to print them on the envelopes for you.)
• DIY Belly Bands—For my invitations, my mom and I picked out decorative ribbon from Michael’s, gathered some glue dots and scissors, and tightly wrapped the ribbon around my invite and insert bundles. It was a simple yet elegant touch that held everything together without the expense of folders or store-bought belly bands.
• DIY Gold Foil or Glitter text—This is a more advanced DIY project. If you have a designer friend (like me!) or are design-savvy yourself, you can easily create gold foil or glitter text on your invite. (Click the link for a tutorial.) Option B: Break out the glitter, glue and a thin paint brush to manually add a dusting of sparkle to important info, like your names or a fancy border.
Once again, remember that this wedding is for you and your spouse, no one else. It’s hard to keep that in mind when Pinterest and it’s never-ending ideas are staring you right in the face. (I actually had to stop logging into my account. I got so caught up in all the new, trendy ideas that I began questioning my own tastes. It started to stress me out.) So stick with your gut, and go for it. Good luck!
Current and former bride-to-be’s, what are some things you did—or will be doing—to save money on your wedding invites? Comment below!
Designs With Sass 