Average Cost of Wedding Invitations and More: A Guide to Paper

Your wedding day might just be the biggest event in your life so far — and it’s all about you! However dreamy you want your wedding to be, you may have to work perfection into your budget. Knowing how much you want or need to spend on certain areas of your wedding day can help you see the big picture. Learning the average cost of wedding invitations and all things paper will help you cross one thing off your list to focus on other, more exciting aspects of your special day.

How Important Are Wedding Invitations?

Wedding invitations are one of the most important paper objects you’ll deal with at your wedding. The only other paper that is more important is your marriage license! Don’t think about skipping invitations. You should send them in some form — whether you send them through e-card or snail mail is up to you, but many couples will go the traditional route to help older guests learn all the information they need to know without any technical difficulties.

RSVP cards are something you should remember to include with your invitation, especially if you’re inviting older folks to your wedding. The RSVP cards can put a little pressure on your guests to respond to you by a certain time. It can also help you if you plan to have a plated dinner. That way, they can write down any allergies they have or what their preferences are, so you can report it directly to the caterer.

When Should You Send Out Wedding Invitations?

You should send your wedding invitations around six to eight weeks before your wedding date, but you also should send save the dates months in advance if you’re worried about people not receiving the invitations in time to take off work or make travel plans. Remember, the earlier you send your wedding invitations, the earlier you can expect a response from your guests. You’ll likely still have to track a few people down, but you might get enough RSVPs in time to start making bigger decisions.

You don’t have to send save the dates, but if you plan to invite people who will have to travel, telling them the date sooner rather than later can help ensure their presence at your big day. You can send your save the dates about six months before your wedding — and it’s a great opportunity to let people know the location of the wedding and link to your website or registry, too!

What Is the Average Cost of Wedding Invitations?

Overall, you should only expect to spend about 2% of your budget on wedding invitations and other paper elements. While that amount may seem small, remember that if you have a lot of guests, your budget will have to be a bit bigger.

The average cost of wedding invitations falls around $250 for 100 guests. Remember, not every guest will get an invitation, as some of your guests likely live in the same household. The price could go up depending on any add-ons or deluxe choices you make to fit your wedding’s aesthetic.

If you find cheaper ways to print your invitations and any other add-ons, you might be able to trim the cost down a bit. The average cost of a wedding in 2024 is around $34,000, so consider whether invitations are an area where you can save some money.

5 Add-Ons That Might Cost Extra

You may have the opportunity to add more items to your invitations to fit your vision better or help your guests learn more information. The average cost of wedding invitations will increase with the upgrades you add, so make sure to be careful and adjust your budget accordingly. 

1. Seals

A seal can communicate to your guests just how timeless your wedding will be. You can get a custom seal with your and your partner’s names, or you might put your shared initial on it. However, a custom seal and wax might be an extra expense for your invitations that you didn’t predict.

If you’re adding seals to your wedding invitations, remember to ask the post office to sort your mail by hand. Otherwise, it may be run through a machine, smearing the seals and leaving them a mess when they end up in guests’ hands.

2. Foil

Foil on your wedding invitations can come in several different metallic colors, like gold, silver and copper. It adds some shine to your otherwise flat paper, making them have a more luxurious feel. You don’t need foil on your invitations, but if you have some wiggle room in your budget, it looks nice and takes it up a notch.

3. Embossing

You wouldn’t emboss your entire wedding invitation, but it can make a few certain words stand out. For example, you might choose to emboss your names in the invitation to draw attention to them and add a decorative flair. Embossing is purely cosmetic, so you shouldn’t have an entirely embossed invitation. You might even be able to add this stylish method to your invitations yourself!

4. Informational Cards

You may need to include informational cards with your wedding invitations, especially if you don’t have a wedding website. These informational cards will consist of things you may not be able to add to your invitation itself, lest it look too cluttered.

These cards might detail the following:

• Hotel and/or Lodging Information
• Registry Links
• RSVP Cards
• How to Share Photos

If you have a wedding website, you may be able to cut down on the number of informational cards you need to stuff in the envelope. Still, you may want to include some elements, like RSVP cards, for your guests who don’t have access to the internet or may not understand how certain forms of technology work. Try to help everyone feel included and welcomed at your wedding!

5. Special Printing

Some services may include the option to print addresses on your wedding invitation for you. If you have this option, you should take it. Having printed addresses on your invitations will make them look neater, and it’ll also save your hand from writing everything out. You can better allot that time to something else that needs your attention.

Unfortunately, special printing will likely cost you extra. Still, it can be worth the investment if it means you have time to work on other things in your wedding. It can also give a professional, clean look to your invitations — which can also help if you plan on inviting closer to 100 guests or so.

Learning the Average Cost of Wedding Invitations Helps

You may get your wedding invitations and inserts printed directly from a website as a suite, or you might use a platform like Canva to design your own and print and ship them directly to your house. Whatever the case, knowing the average cost of wedding invitations can help you adjust your budget for them accordingly. That way, you can spend less time worrying about spending too much on your wedding paper and more time looking forward to the future with your special someone.