Invitations - where to begin?

*tinkertoy*

Just started looking at invitations and have a few questions-

1. Where did you get yours?
2. What all did you get (invite, STD, RSVP, etc)?
3. Pocket fold? Boarding pass? Regular cards? Inner envelopes?
4. Approx cost per invite packet (if you don't mind sharing)

I saw some cute things on etsy but not sure of the prices. My grandmother owns a paper business and has offered to buy them for us. I think they have these huge books that you can choose invites from...

Any advice would be great!

As always, thanks!

drm6285

I got ours for a steal at Ollie's Bargain Outlet ($4.99 for a full set of 25 including invite, pocket fold, rsvp, envelopes and insert card, PIB).  We then paid to have someone print them for us, $300 for all printing, including printing addresses on the envelopes for us.  I've seen really cute ones at Michael's too, but your gram may be able to get them cheaper for you.

mishy112

We did pocketfold invites for our AHR that we got from cardsandpockets.com. My mom had them printed at the university's printing services. I think total our invites cost $500 or so, but that's because my mom had them print all of them without doing a sample and then we had to redo them.   My mom paid for it, but the waste of it all (money, paper, ink, time) really bothered me. If we hadn't had to redo them, I think it would have been about $350 or so for about 100 invites. We picked a design online and my mom then created the invites with our input. I added rhinestones to them, which were like $5 total, and people have complimented that extra touch.

Hey, look at me trying a PIP!  I should have taken the pic with the flap open (there are 2 more rhinestones & more of the design down in the bottom left). Oh, our RSVP is just a postcard, and we've been getting them back with no apparent problems.


No one was invited to the wedding, so no STD's or wedding invites.

Catalina Island Bound

STD's ~ I went to Target and used their Kodak Picture Maker Kiosk.  It had a picture of the two of us with all of the wedding info on it.

INVITES ~ Did the MIBs (Mesage in a Bottle)

AHR INVITES ~ Boarding Pass Invites for the California one.
 
But for the Minnesota one, I went to Michaels and purchased one of their EEmbellished Ivitation Kits that contained the Invitations, Pocket Fold Jackets, Envelopes, Response Cars & Envelopes, Direction Cards, Tags & Ribbon for 30 Invites.  It was regularly $39.99 but I used their 50% off coupon and paid $20.   Way les work than the Boarding Passes!!

Pictures of all except for the June AHR invites are in my bio.  HTH!!

JSBB2010

I used the MIB for our save the dates which people went crazy over. It was so cheap, like $35 for 20 of them and they were only for the guest going on the trip. We did pocket folds from cards and pockets.com and with printing, invites, rsvps and envelopes it was $500 for 200 count. Let me know if I can help you.

aukelly

I got my invitations from Michael's and outer envelopes at Staples.  I just couldn't bring myself to send the money on something people are going to throw away.  We haven't had anything printed yet bc we are still looking researching places but I have figured I will spend about 1.50 each.  I am going to have the invitations printed but I'm handwriting everything else. 

STD's, I designed my own in photoshop and I will have them printed through VIstaprint, about 1.00 each.  For some reason its cheaper to design your own.  I really wanted magnets so this is my "splurge" item.  Plus my FI is British and most of his family is still around London, so this will be a new idea for them.

carrieoz_76

I couldn't find anything out there that had the aesthetic I wanted, so I DIYed mine.  I ordered the printed invitations, mats, pocketfolds, printed insert cards, belly bands, 2x2" square for monogram, and envelopes all from cardsandpockets.com.  They were FANTASTIC.  I ordered samples galore, including a sample of the printed cards to make sure the color on the text was what I wanted, and it was great.

I downloaded my fonts for free from dafont.com, and created the cards on PowerPoint, then made them the exact size of the cards I was ordering, saved them as .pdf docs and sent them to Cards and Pockets to print.

I added designs to my cards by stamping them.  I bought my stamps from Impress (http://impressrubberstamps.com), a local stamp shop that sells tons of premade and custom stamps.  I also created our monogram with my font in PP, then saved as pdf, emailed to Impress, and they mailed me the custom stamp.  I did the same for our Thank You stamps.

Pics of the final product are in my bio.

ETA: STDs were designed on and ordered from zazzle.com - see bio.

*tinkertoy*

You guys are awesome!

I don't know if I have it in me to DIY them...

tricialb02

Our Save the Dates we custom and sooo expensive but I loved them.. probably was we couldn't afford the matching invites ..tear.

So for the Hawaii Invites I ordered from Davids Bridal- I think I ordered 100 invites with RSVP card for like 85 bucks.. they send out emails with discounts.

Then for at home reception invites I found Jennifer Crawford of Crawford Invites. She does custom work.. she saw our STD's and custom made all our invites with the enclosre for maps and RSVP. I think I paid like 400 for 200 invitations (2 full size enclosure at 5*7 and one RSVP Postcard size plus addressed envelopes). I felt it was worth it because they are one of a kind  and they matched our STD's I loved.

Go to my blog and find Paper.. I think there are two or three pics of paper I have for the wedding.  I would have tried DIY but I am in school and working full time and I didnt want to scrimp too much on paper.. Jennifer was great because I paid in payments.

tricialb02

PS If you want Jennifer's Info.. email me at TriciaLB02@hotmail.com

That is Tricia then "L" "B" zero two @hotmail.com

She will work in your budget.. you tell her how many invitations and your budget and when needed and she will do it all. I really wish I had found her in time for the STD's and Hawaii Invitations.