Affordable Wedding Invitations

Invitations for your wedding are the first thing your guests are going to see. You want them to be elegant, yet stylish, appropriate, and you want them to reflect the theme and colors of your wedding. It's true, you should already have an idea what you want your wedding to look like, and your invitations are a great way to showcase that theme, and give your guests a sneak preview of what they can expect. You can spend a wide range of money on invitations but don't be fooled, if you're on a budget, and you have some time to look around, there are tons of options for saving some cash on the invites.
An idea that a lot of brides and grooms are utilizing these days is the ability to do all of the work themselves from their own home computer. It's extremely affordable, and if you have the extra time to get a few done each day, it's a great money saving idea. You can buy invitation kits online, at craft stores, party stores, and some mass retailers. They have many different styles, so you can usually find something that will fit your theme, and they include everything you need such as the invitation card, the response card, envelopes for both cards, and some of them even include ribbons, or some other beading or decoration to make them a bit fancier. Most kits will include software, or the name of a website that will provide you with templates to walk you through setting up the text and formatting. You can choose wording styles, or can come up with your own, and can choose the text style, and size.
Some brides enjoy being hands-on with the details of their wedding, and this is the perfect opportunity for that. The price of the kits are unbeatable because all you are purchasing is the materials; you are doing all of the work yourself. Depending on the size of the wedding, you may need to buy a couple of kits to come up with enough invitations, but a kit can cost as little as $20, and usually includes about 25-30 complete invitations, along with a few test sheets so you won't ruin any invitations when you're getting them just right. Obviously, the kits with ribbon and decorative items cost a little more (And keep in mind, may cost more to ship), but the lower priced kits are just as elegant, and if you're crafty enough, you can add your own ribbons, or glue your own decorations to the invitations, and it will cost you only a few extra dollars.
In your area, you will find many printing shops, wedding boutiques, and party stores that offer services for purchasing and printing your invitations. They normally have huge books of sample invitations you can look at, and some will even work with you to personalize them a little bit more. If you don't want to be bothered with the hassle of the production of the invitations, this is the route to go, because all you'll need to do is pick a style, provide the shop with your information, pick a wording style, and pay. Next thing you know, you will be picking up a box of your customized invitations for your wedding. This can get a little pricey if you're not careful enough, because invitations at these shops are usually sold separately from the response cards and the envelopes for both. You also have other options such as adding ribbon to the invitation, medallions with the last initial on them, or envelope liners that match the color theme of your wedding. You may be able to strike a deal with the smaller scale printers if they're flexible and friendly, but don't plan on too much of a difference from the quoted price. The larger the company, the more set in stone the prices are.
It's worth the time to check out the internet for invitation options. If you want someone else doing the work for you, most websites are going to end up being cheaper than places in your local area because they're used to mass producing these things. If you have some time to play with, a lot of websites are more than willing to send you samples of the invitations that caught your eye on their site, and some will even personalize the invitation with the bride and groom's information, so you can get an actual idea of what it would look like as a complete invitation. All the additional decorative items are usually available on the internet, but it's wise to be careful, and order samples before placing a large, definite order.
What may look beautiful on your computer at home may not end up being high quality when 200 of them reach your doorstep and you're stuck with them. If you decide to go ahead and place an order, check to make sure the website has a reachable customer service team who will be available to assist you with any questions you have after placing your order. The last thing you need is invitations that still have not arrived a month before your wedding, and you can't seem to reach anybody who knows what's going on. In case of last minute changes, you want to make sure you will be dealing with a pleasant staff over the phone, who will talk you through the process.
If you're exceptionally crafty and creative, you could always create invitations from scratch using materials found at your local craft store. You can purchase blank cardstock already cut and scored, ribbon, stamps, paint, stickers, glue, beads, or whatever your heart desires but keep in mind it might just be easier and more cost effective to go with the invitation kit where all the materials are ready for you. You still have the option to do the work yourself, and you have the option to get creative. A wedding involves enough planning, and any affordable shortcuts you can take is a great thing. The costs for a wedding can add up very quickly, since there is so much brides and grooms usually don't realize they need to take care of, but with enough research there is usually an affordable option that may involve a little bit more work, but is usually worth it. Besides, you will only have to plan one wedding in your lifetime (Hopefully!) so why not have some fun with it and get involved?