There are so many questions to answer when planning your wedding, and it’s sooo easy to get overwhelmed when you’re getting started! One question I hear that often creates confusion for couples when it comes to wedding invitations is – how many wedding invitations should be ordered for the big day?
There are a few ways to answer this very important question, and we’re about to get into them! Let’s take a look at how many wedding invitations you’re going to need and some other important information regarding this pivotal aspect of your wedding.
How Many Wedding Invitations Should I Order?
How many wedding invitations you need is determined by a series of factors. So let’s take a look at what might help you answer this all-important question.
Types of Invitation Mailings
There are a two main types of cards you’ll be sending before getting married:
- Save The Date Cards
- The Invitation Suite
Additionally, in some rare situations or due to unforeseen circumstances (hello Covid!), you might need to send a ‘change the date’ card – although we seem to be past the worst of the pandemic postponements – and lastly, post-nuptials, you’ll be sending out a ‘thank you’ card to everyone who gives you a gift.
So, when you’re asking ‘how many wedding invitations should I order?’ there are a few different quantities to consider. For example, how many save the dates and thank you cards that you’ll need, too.
Create a List
One of the first steps you need to figure out is your guest list. I recommend putting together a first draft of your guest list with your fiancé(e), then sharing it with your immediate family members, before honing in on the final list. How are you going to even get close to the number of wedding invitations you need if you’re unaware of how many guests you need to cater to in the first place?
A guest list helps in so many ways, beyond just wedding invitations. It helps plan the catering, seating arrangements and requirements, budgeting, and more. We’re focusing on wedding invitations, but you definitely want to look at this step as a beneficial step overall when it comes to planning.
While making your guest list, start organizing the guests by household. I advise gathering a spreadsheet where you can collect their addresses so you’ll be ready when it’s time to address and mail invitations. Count the number of households you’re working with, and this is going to be the number of invitations you need, in theory.
Think of it like this: you’re not sending invitations to every guest. If four people live at the same home and are all invited, you’ll invite the household.
Want to learn more about when and how to send out wedding invitations? Lucky for you, we have a whole set of resources to help you through the process on our website. You can just read our blog post about the process!
Extras
Now, ordering the exact amount of invitations on your list is not enough! You’ll want at least 5 and up to 10 extra invitation suites for the following reasons:
- Last-minute invites to the wedding
- Keepsakes for you and your families (an invitation for you to keep forever)
- A set for your photographer to capture on the day
- A few backups just in case something gets lost in the mail. If you want to learn more about how to mail your invitations check out our blog post all about the process.
The best metric to use is to have an additional 10% invitations on hand for those special in-case moments.
Getting the Invitations Made
Whether your select a semi-custom design from our invitation shop, or work with me to create a fully custom design, the invitation design process is truly so much fun and my favorite part of the wedding planning process! I’m here to guide you through it, from start to finish.
Want to learn more about when and how to word your wedding invitations? Be sure to check out our whole blog post to help you through the process on our website.
Things To Keep In Mind
A few rules of thumb will help guide you to the answer to the question ‘how many wedding invitations should I order?’
The Number of Guests Isn’t Equal To The Number of Invitations
This has been said, but it bears repeating. You’re working on a one invitation per household type of situation. So look at it like this:
- Married couple? One invitation.
- A family living together? One invitation.
- Single friend or family member? One invitation.
On the other hand:
- If two couples live together (for example, a married couple caring for their elderly parents) and you’re inviting both, you should send them separate invitations.
- If you’re inviting a whole family, (for example, an aunt and uncle and their kids) but some of them live separately (the oldest cousin has moved out, maybe), send an invitation to each separate address.
Follow Up To Ensure Everyone Received an Invite
You want to make sure that everyone actually receives an invitation, so be sure to follow up in a timely manner, but not immediately.
You want your guests to have time with the invitation first before you start making calls. Hopefully, no guest is without their invite, and if some are, the number is usually small.
Why You Need Extras
Printing invitations is not always a simple thing – especially if we’re ding specialty printing techniques like letterpress, foil stamping or edge painting, or if you’re adding a lot of embellishments such as wax seals, belly bands or envelope liners. If you end up needing more invitations, we have to do a separate order and it could take several weeks to produce AND the cost per piece will be higher.
So definitely order extras up front and you’ll be prepared for any unexpected scenarios – It’s a win-win situation!
If you’re ready to confidently move on to your wedding invitation’s design and ordering process, then take a look at what we have to offer! We create gorgeous modern wedding invitations, save the dates, announcement cards, change the dates, and so much more. Fine Day Press is here to help you bring your wedding to life on paper. So get in touch, and let’s work together on some stunning wedding invites.
xo, ashley
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