I realized earlier today that I've never blogged about our wedding invitations, which does seem a little crazy considering you are ALL invited to our wedding via instagram (#hollicon).
Our wedding invitations were one of our big money savers. Also, they are one of my favorite details, generally. I love that slab serif font, our colors and definitely the style of it all.
I think it does a great job of showing our guests what kind of event they'll be attending.
They were designed by my fiance, Joseph Melancon, which obviously helped us save some cash. An even bigger bonus is that he works at a print shop, so we were able to get the invitations at cost.
We used red envelopes, which I ordered from Wiregrass Weddings, one of our #hollicon partners.
While everyone might not have the luxury of an in-house graphic designer or the close-connection to a print shop, I do think there are some key things we did that could help everyone save money on invitation costs.
1. Keep it simple
One page, front and back. We investigated doing some awesome foldout invitations with lots and lots of fun cards and information. They are definitely awesome. But not only will the design and printing cost more for a big package, but the shipping will, too. The heavier the envelope, the more likely just one stamp won't be enough.
2. Electronic RSVPs
We debated over doing things the old-fashioned way and including a stamped response card and then we decided not to do that. Why? Many of my married friends tell me they never get them back in the mail anyway. So, while it's nice to support the post office and all, we opted with the e-mail, phone call RSVP option. Yes, I did have to track down some people in the end, but so have all my friends who included response cards. If I were doing it over again, I would have done things exactly the same way.
3. Price scout
Definitely consider the different services you need and shop around. Go with quality and find somewhere that matches that price-wise. (I, of course endorse Wiregrass Weddings). But I also endorse doing a little research and penny pinching. It may take a little more time to save money on your wedding, but this tip should translate to ALL your wedding details if you want to keep that bottom line low.
4. Avoid fancy
Don't confuse this with me saying "avoid classy." There's a lot that can make even formal invitations look sharp. But, when you want to pinch pennies, stay away from hand-drawn calligraphy (or hand-drawn anything) and letterpress. There are ways to get similar looks by using graphics and in some printing techniques.
There are plenty more ways to save, but I'm not going to pretend to be a print expert either. These were just the elements we used in keeping our costs down and would have especially used if we didn't have the print shop connection.
Do you have any other wedding invitation questions? Tweet to #hollicon or comment below and we'll get you an answer!
—Holli Anne
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