Eight Tips to Create Custom Wedding Invites on the Cheap

Looking for a custom invitation without spending upward of $700? The average cost of wedding invitations and reply cards is $659, according to 2010 data from The Bridal Association of America.

Here are some ways to trim costs for your wedding. When using these tips, expect to pay around $200 for 100-150 invitations.

1. Establish the Look. Use Pinterest to browse for invitations from which to draw your inspiration. Once you find a direction you’d like to go in, you’re ready to start on your very own. There are several options for today’s budget bride including free online templates, designing from scratch or ordering at a discount.

2. Use a Template. There are several online printers that are affordable. Some offer wedding invitation templates, and if you’re feeling like you don’t want to try designing an invitation yourself and don’t have access to a designer, this is the way to go.

3. Design it Yourself. Use stock photography sites where you can search for illustrations and graphics. Search for illustrations or vectors similar to the look you’re going for by using keywords like “swirl,” “scroll,” “vintage,” “invitation,” etc. Using your inspiration invitation, find a font(s) that closely matches your look.

4. Save on Printing. If you create your own design, look for a printer who specializes in invitation printing so you’re sure to get the type of paper you need. Online vendors provide quotes for easy cost comparison.

5. Think Small. If you’d like a separate RSVP card, consider making it the size of a business card and include a URL where guests can register. When the RSVP is a web address, there is no need to make the RSVP card postcard size to return, so you’ll save money on printing costs and return postage (and extra envelopes).

6. Picture Perfect. On the back on the wedding invitation [one bride-to-be] included a photo of her and [her groom-to-be] from their professional engagement portrait session. It printed beautifully and now her friends and family have a photo they can keep of the couple. The cost to print on the backside was nominal and she saved a lot of money by not developing pictures separately.

7. Off the Shelf. If printing custom invites is still out of your budget range, craft stores offer kits you can use on your home printer.

8. Handmade Touch. A big trend for weddings and paper goods is using a personalized custom rubber stamp. The bonus? Use your stamp to customize paper goods for the wedding — like the wedding program, water bottle wraps, paper bags and more.

Weddings expert Cara Davis is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot and blogs from her home in Orlando, Fla., about cheap ways to spend and save at CheapWaysTo.com.

For more information, to book a segment, or arrange an interview, e-mail Cara Davis at cara@cheapwaysto.com.

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