Help! Wedding Stationary Budget

MsBryant2555

hello ladies I need help I'm trying to set a budget for my wedding stationary( save the dates, invites, thank you's, programs you get it), I've all ready started looking for invitations on different websites and my planner had a huge book  but nothing stuck out to me and everything seems so expensive . Can you guys point me in a direction of reasonable prices or tell me about how much I should budget for about 180 invites? also I'm not really finding anything I like on the web I've tried zazzle. weddingpaper divas vista print and they are all rather high and not what I'm looking for. I was thinking of going the Etsy route and buy printable ones and have them printed either through staples or an online place like vista print. I don't really want to spend an arm and leg on something that will more than likely end up in the trash can anyway. But I don't want cheap looking ones either. I'm just all over the dang place. thanks in advance for the help.

 

Tiffany

OpenHeart0117

Check out

Invitations by Dawn

&

catprint

tirathemrs

also check out signatures by sarah (online or fb) shes really good at creating invitations

[Deleted User]

Michael's has some really pretty stuff in all their collections (personally I could look at Anna Griffin's stuff all day) that if you're even like 1/18th handy, you can put together yourself.  Also don't drive yourself nuts being all matchy poo poo - nothing says you have to have 180 of the same invitation, especially because the kits come in funky numbers like 40 in a pack or 32 in a pack.   Whatever you pick that looks pretty to you is fine, it's not as though guests compare invitations.   Watch for 40% off coupons Michaels and/or A.C. Moore have pretty regularly (they'll take each other's coupons).

http://wedding.michaels.com/?gclid=CIfXhLjA17kCFa1xOgodW3AAOg


this is a site with free invitations, but guh I'll readily admit that I'm not sure what *free* will cost you don't know if they pick the design or shipping a bajillion dollars.  Miya (MissusD) knows I think but I can't remember what she said was the catch:

http://freeinvitations.partypop.com/

my last piece of minding your beeswax will be this:  since we're super duper stoked from the moment of proposal to the moment the reception's over it's really easy to start (and keep) spending on everything.  You said it yourself, be mindful that ultimately, as sad and personal as it is for a bride, this piece of artwork is going in the garbage.  Didn't know if you meant 180 invitations or 180 guests (90-100 invitations) but girl eitha wh'ay, stationery, stamps, printing, accessories, if you came out at 2 bux per (and this is on the cheap side) you're already at almost $400.   If Michaels is the example you use in your head financially 5 packs of 40 invitation a pack kits = $200 at regular price.  With coupon $120, on invitations only.  Haven't gotten to {ticks off fingers} save the dates, menu cards, programs, this piece of paper that piece of paper.   The knot's budget board/threads have some pretty helpful ideas.   One last thing to consider is how much of your paper suite is actually necessary.  Unless your guests are choosing between entrees, there's no reason to have (individual) menus.  Unless your bridal party is like 20 people big, there's also no reason to have a program, we assume the guy whose arm you're on is your dad/brother/cousin and the guy or gal marrying you is your cleric, your family and his family we can see in the first two rows of each side.  The rest? sounds harsh but I'm being honest, is not essential information.  If I were holding a program in my hand I still couldn't tell you the flower girl's name but pretty easy to pick her out, she's the baby with the basket and the flower petals lol.    Paper you must have - invitation (and, debatably imo) save the date.  The rest will cost you a ton of money for no good reason.  you wanna hand out something in church?  think about useful and inexpensive stuff:  mini packets of kleenex or 8oz water bottle minis.  Apologies in advance for sounding lecturey of it seems like I'm shitting on your rainbow.  Not trying to kill your joy, I just hate to see brides, literally, as you pointed out, throw money in the garbage.

come back and show us what you decided!!

LeciaB

sultryzulu said:

Michael's has some really pretty stuff in all their collections (personally I could look at Anna Griffin's stuff all day) that if you're even like 1/18th handy, you can put together yourself.  Also don't drive yourself nuts being all matchy poo poo - nothing says you have to have 180 of the same invitation, especially because the kits come in funky numbers like 40 in a pack or 32 in a pack.   Whatever you pick that looks pretty to you is fine, it's not as though guests compare invitations.   Watch for 40% off coupons Michaels and/or A.C. Moore have pretty regularly (they'll take each other's coupons).

http://wedding.michaels.com/?gclid=CIfXhLjA17kCFa1xOgodW3AAOg


this is a site with free invitations, but guh I'll readily admit that I'm not sure what *free* will cost you don't know if they pick the design or shipping a bajillion dollars.  Miya (MissusD) knows I think but I can't remember what she said was the catch:

http://freeinvitations.partypop.com/

my last piece of minding your beeswax will be this:  since we're super duper stoked from the moment of proposal to the moment the reception's over it's really easy to start (and keep) spending on everything.  You said it yourself, be mindful that ultimately, as sad and personal as it is for a bride, this piece of artwork is going in the garbage.  Didn't know if you meant 180 invitations or 180 guests (90-100 invitations) but girl eitha wh'ay, stationery, stamps, printing, accessories, if you came out at 2 bux per (and this is on the cheap side) you're already at almost $400.   If Michaels is the example you use in your head financially 5 packs of 40 invitation a pack kits = $200 at regular price.  With coupon $120, on invitations only.  Haven't gotten to {ticks off fingers} save the dates, menu cards, programs, this piece of paper that piece of paper.   The knot's budget board/threads have some pretty helpful ideas.   One last thing to consider is how much of your paper suite is actually necessary.  Unless your guests are choosing between entrees, there's no reason to have (individual) menus.  Unless your bridal party is like 20 people big, there's also no reason to have a program, we assume the guy whose arm you're on is your dad/brother/cousin and the guy or gal marrying you is your cleric, your family and his family we can see in the first two rows of each side.  The rest? sounds harsh but I'm being honest, is not essential information.  If I were holding a program in my hand I still couldn't tell you the flower girl's name but pretty easy to pick her out, she's the baby with the basket and the flower petals lol.    Paper you must have - invitation (and, debatably imo) save the date.  The rest will cost you a ton of money for no good reason.  you wanna hand out something in church?  think about useful and inexpensive stuff:  mini packets of kleenex or 8oz water bottle minis.  Apologies in advance for sounding lecturey of it seems like I'm shitting on your rainbow.  Not trying to kill your joy, I just hate to see brides, literally, as you pointed out, throw money in the garbage.

come back and show us what you decided!!

I agree with this.. I know I am no help.. but I got my invites from Davids bridal.. and they are really pretty and I had a coupon..

I got the save the dates, rsvp cars, hotel info from vista print and i used a groupon ($17 for 70 worth of product and $25 for $100 worth of product) on all of those orders except the hotel cards.. for those I ordered the "free" 250 business cards and put my inofrmation on there and these really werent matchy matchy..like the wise @sultyzulu said.. all those paper products add up....bc I paid 44 cents for stamps to send out the save the dates.. then had to pay 86 center per invitation over 85.. (I stopped counting because it made me sad..)

MsBryant2555

Thanks so much ladies for good advice. I will let you guys know what I come up with.

@ misstira is signatures by Sarah reasonable?

@ sultryzulu you are so right no one pays attention to the programs and I don't need menu cards its buffet.

tirathemrs

MsBryant2555 I think she is i mean she can customize what you really want (imo) i like that idea of not having invites or any of that other paper necessities that everyone else has or even an invite from 1980 LOL... email her though she replies really quickly and all you do is print it our (kinkos, vista print.. those kind of places)

MissusD1116

I second signaturesbysarah.  She did mine!  When you go to order, you have to put ALL info you want on there in the order form.  So its a good idea to write down what you want your goods to say.  She takes you thru the process one at a time.  She started with my invites suite first with 3 inserts.  Then to table numbers and so on....

I picked a stock monogram, meaning not customized (only my colors were used).  Go to her site and look around!  You pay for her design services only.  She sends you the files and you have to have them printed, which can be costly.  I used catprint with a 15% off coupon. 

The more stuff you have printed and designed the more it will be.  Have you tried to find any templates to try to do yourself?