How To Get More Wedding Stationery While On A Budget

As the two of you move further down the list of wedding stationery you’ll realize that there’s a lot to consider. Yes, a lot of the stationery is practical and compliments each other, but you've got a wedding budget and might only want to use what you need and cut out other embellishments like the save-the-dates or social media card in order to save the trees and your money. Luckily for you, we’ve run the numbers and found Minted as the best design marketplace for specialty wedding stationery and quality service. Keep reading for all of our expert tips for designing your dream wedding stationery while on a budget. 

From the start, Minted offers all customers the opportunity to schedule a complimentary 30-minute concierge service where couples can meet with a virtual consultant to discuss their wedding stationery needs. These appointments can be tailored specifically to your wedding needs and can cover a range of items including how to find designs that fit your wedding theme, how to build your Save The Dates, exploring the Minted Invitation suites, help with your website design or customization art options from the Minted Artist Marketplace. Oh and did we forget to mention you can also discuss your day of stationery needs or any accessories needed for your other wedding events? The point is, the Minted Free Wedding Concierge service can cover it all and it’s a must-do on your wedding planning journey.  

All you have to do is schedule an appointment by filling out a general questionnaire that will help give the Minted expert a better idea of your design vision and your stationery needs. These details can include anything you’d like to learn more about such as specific formats or luxe finishes. Remember, now is the time to have all of your stationery questions answered! Plus, the 30-minute consultation is just you, your soon-to-be spouse and a member of the Minted Wedding Concierge team who has been specially trained in every aspect of the wedding stationery business and they are there to help, trust us you won’t regret scheduling the appointment. 

As wedding experts, we understand there are a lot of details that go into your planning and that’s why we suggest working with vendors and professionals like Minted who have the best product recommendations. And if you’re lost on where to start or what type of paper invitations to order, Minted will ship you a Free Sample Kit . When you order their free sample kit, you’ll receive samples of standard, foil-pressed and letterpress invitations, plus swatches of their premium paper options, envelope colors, foil colors and more (talk about a steal!). The Free Sample Kit  is a great place to start and is only one click away!

As a customer, you have three options to choose from —all including the free sample kit—you can be sure Minted has their customer’s in mind.

Option 1- is simply the invitation sample kit.

Option 2- you also get the chance to receive a free personalized save-the-date sample where you can choose from a curated list of styles.

Option 3- you're able to personalize up to 10 individual wedding samples which includes matching RSVP and Direction Cards as well as a belly band. A definite deal breaker, especially when you consider the $10 discount code they provide you with!

And while you wait for your free sample kit, we recommend you scroll the website and start by selecting a template of your liking. From there, you can add in your wedding details (i.e. your names, the hosts names, wedding date, the location of the wedding ceremony, and the location of the wedding reception), or completely customize an entire suite to suit your personal style! Within a few minutes you could be falling in love with color themes that you'll want to use for your wedding reception and the best part?  Minted offers super-reasonable prices for all of the wedding stationery items. 

Believe it or not, a square wedding invitation is going to cost you! Oversized or non-standard envelopes have to be hand-stamped by the post office, so you’ll end up shelling out more for postage than you would for rectangular invites. But with Minted, you can determine your guest RSVP list in advance of placing your final envelope order which will help calculate your final cost. 

Engraving and letterpress are certainly impressive, but if you’re on a budget, look for digitally-printed or thermography invitations that are equally chic. Just make sure to talk to your Minted stationery concierge about printing options before settling on a final design, since certain aesthetics can only be achieved through specific print methods. But if you’re still unsure of the type of print methods you want for your design, Minted provides a breakdown of each on their website and also the option to request specific samples.

All of those bells and whistles may seem inexpensive at first, but the extra details add up when you have 100+ guests to consider. To stay cost effective, elevate your invitation suite with Minted’s luxe add-ons that are within your budget. These add-ons include details like wax seals, envelope liners, RSVP cards, belly bands, and more. 

Pro Tip: Trifold invitations with tear-off RSVP postcards are a particularly good way to streamline your invite and cut costs, especially if you have a lot of information to share with your guests.

As wedding experts, a helpful tip is to purchase all of your paper needs up front (including save the dates, invitations, thank-you cards, and even place cards) especially when they will earn you a discount. Luckily with Minted, you have the option to match your invitation suite with all of your wedding stationery items for a complete and cohesive look. Also, remember to order extra invitations and envelopes for last-minute additions to the guest list and inevitable printing and addressing accidents. A one-off print job is far more expensive per invitation than bulk printing, and you’ll likely have to pay extra to get the job done quickly.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but couples who fail to proofread often find themselves paying massive reprinting fees to replace invites with misspelled venues or the incorrect year! Carefully review your invitation proof before approving, paying especially close attention to all names, dates, times, and addresses. Minted experts also proofread all orders before they go to print for another set of eyes! 

It’s wonderful to receive a hand-calligraphed wedding invitation, but ultimately, hiring a calligrapher is an expense you can forgo. Guests will appreciate that you hand-wrote their addresses and you’ll save big bucks. If your handwriting just isn’t envelope-worthy, you can order printed address cards from Minted that feature fancy typography. Plus, these would be included in your full invitation suite.  

Guests love a wedding website, especially one that matches your wedding invitations and saves the dates. With Minted, you can set the tone for your celebration and ensure your guests can easily find all the important details in one place with a free wedding website design. Take advantage of the free designs and customize your wedding details like maps, hotel, and travel information, and even manage your RSVPs online. Then you always have the option to direct guests to your website and skip the inserts, RSVP cards, return envelopes, and postage that raise stationery prices.

You don’t need organic cotton, leather, or wood to send a memorable and stylish wedding invitation! Choose a design you love that represents your wedding style and can be printed on regular old paper and we promise — your invitations will still be gorgeous.

Stationery can add up to be a pretty substantial part of your big day budget — but it doesn’t have to! We’ve spilled on how to save on wedding invitations, but what about the rest of those printed pieces? Here, we’ve rounded up the best ways to save on day-of stationery, like programs, menus, place cards, and more.

Programs, menus, seating charts… If it can be printed on paper, it can probably be displayed on a sign. While there’s certainly a cost that comes with buying a nice chalkboard or a vintage window, you’ll only need one. The sheer lack of volume is sure to save you some money!

Escort cards or a seating chart—which tell people which table they should sit at—are a necessity. But place cards—the ones that tell them exactly which chair to sit in — are not. Save yourself a couple hundred bucks by skipping these cards, or use them only at the head table, where you may have stronger feelings about exactly where everyone sits.

Yes, every guest needs an escort card, but some printed pieces can be shared. Consider placing one or two menus at each table and letting guests pass them around. And if you’re printing a note or tag with your favors, opt for one favor per couple to minimize costs.

We’re big fans of letterpress and foil (stunning!), and while they make a big impact on invites, those details may go unnoticed on the wedding day. When it comes to day-of paper products, which are more likely to get tossed than posted on the fridge, skip the fancy detailing and consider digital printing. Although you may love those fancy labels and tags for wedding favors, it's simply an unnecessary add-on in some cases.

If you’ve got the time and the skills, do-it-yourself stationery can be a great time-saver. Do either you or your spouse-to-be have a knack for Photoshop? Design and print your own programs. Have great handwriting? No need to hire a calligrapher.

If you have a great printer at home, you’re halfway there! Browse wedding blogs or online stationery stores for gorgeous free invitation templates that can be personalized with your wedding details before you print.

Feel like getting crafty? Order a rubber stamp customized with your invitation wording, pick up a few packs of quality paper, and get to work. Thinking of just doing the day-of stationery yourself? Don't forget to include wedding favors! If you don't have a large guest list and somehow have the time to make your own invitations, this option is very rewarding.

Most of the time, the bigger the paper, the more you’re going to spend. So keep your stationery small. Instead of a half-page menu card, condense it to a quarter page. This is also true if you’re DIYing any of these pieces.

By downsizing some or all of your stationery you're cutting your wedding costs and opening up more opportunities for you to spend where it matters the most: your wedding party. Along with saving some cash, you’ll be saving some trees too!

When you shop with Minted you’re not only saving money, you’re supporting independent artists all over the world, including all 50 states.

Unlike most of their competitors, Minted is an inclusive artist forum where anyone can submit ideas. Through contests and a unique community-driven marketplace they’ve consistently maintained first-to-market with trends.

Besides all of their wedding stationery, Minted maintains an extensive list that goes well beyond event oriented stationery such as fine artwork, wall murals, linen, curtains, custom bags and accessories, as well as tons of unique furniture and home decor. 

So even if you’re planning to create half of the stationery yourself and would love to support an independent artist by having them create chic day-of stationery such as all the labels and tags for the wedding favors, or you simply need the programs and menus professionally printed you could always rely on Minted to support you with whatever plans you have!