Wedding Stationery Budget and why you should have one

Numerous dynamics are involved when it comes to planning a wedding. It is common and natural for couples to get involved in finding a great venue, an impeccable wedding dress, the best caterer and so on. But one of the most important areas that need budget allocation and attention too gets neglected -and that is your wedding stationery. 

Wedding stationery is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when factoring in costs for a wedding, and it is perfect that way because there are more important things to consider such as decor, entertainment etc. But the point that I want to convey here is that stationery can certainly take up way more of your budget than your imagination if not planned well and you will be totally taken aback by what you end up spending when you have to get everything done in rush.

But why is stationery so important?

Your wedding stationery sets the mood and tone for your entire event right from the very beginning. Invitations are the first impression that your guest have of your event.

When invitations are sent to the guests, couples do not actually get to see the reaction of their guests, although guests generally do talk about them after receiving them. But the day-of-stationery is what couples witness live on their big day and when all the details such as the decor, florals, lighting and stationery are put together they actually get to feel that stationery has played a key role in making the whole set up so warm and welcoming.  

All the awesome couples that I have had the opportunity to work with have told me that the warmth that their wedding stationery brought to their wedding day was unbelievable! 

Your photographer will also be capturing snaps of your invitations and day-of stationery. And for years to come, these details are what you will cherish.

How much does Wedding Stationery cost?

Well, there is no definite answer to “how much does wedding stationery cost?” because there are a lot of factors that determine the costs. And just like most of the things that you buy, it can basically cost from nothing to thousands of dollars. And there exists no upper limit. I’d soon be writing about this in another post but for now I’d stick to the topic and give you a general rule as to how much budget needs to be allocated for your your wedding stationery. 

If you want to make sure that your wedding stationery is at par with the rest of your arrangements and truly reflects the quality and vibe of your entire event, then allocate about 6-8% of your total wedding budget for your wedding stationery. This includes save-the-dates, invitation suites, your day-of-items and last but not the least the postage cost. But remember that your stationery budget can vary significantly depending on your guest count and preferences and priorities.

Wedding Stationery Budget breakdown

In this section, let’s explore how to divide your wedding stationery budget and how to give perfect attention to all the different stationery elements. Let us  assume that your total wedding budget is $100,000. You should set aside about $6000 to $8000 for your wedding stationery.  Take a look at this wedding stationery pricing guide to quickly find out the investment that you need for your wedding stationery.

• If your total budget is $25,000, then set aside at least $1500 for stationery

• If your total budget is $50,000, then set aside at least $3000 for stationery

• If your total budget is $75,000, then set aside at least $4500 for stationery

• If your total budget is $100,000, then set aside at least $6000 for stationery

• If your total budget is $150,000, then set aside at least $9000 for stationery

• If your total budget is $200,000, then set aside at least $12,000 for stationery

So where does all of this allocated budget go? I’m putting the wedding stationery items into three groups so that you can understand better.

PRE-WEDDING STATIONERY
Stationery that you need before the Wedding

• Save-the Dates

• Invitations

Invitations are the most significant part of your wedding stationery and are generally the first piece of stationery that your guests receive. They make the largest part of your wedding stationery budget. You would need one per household. The number of invitations that you need to order is about 70% of your total guest count. You can have Save the Dates sent across as well. 

DAY-OF-ITEMS

Stationery that you need on the Day-of-Wedding

• Ceremony Programs, Place Cards, Menus, Place Cards
  You would need one per guest. So this makes for all the confirmed guests and you would also need some additional Programs and Menus etc for those who want spares and some for keepsakes as well. 

• Welcome Signages
  You need one welcome signage per event.

• Custom Signages
  They are the best when done for drinks bar, dessert bar, photo booths, gift table, card baskets etc.

• Table Numbers
  Depending on the number of tables that you have in the set up.

• Seating Chart
  Mostly needed for the Reception and you would need just one if you have a single entrance to your reception venue.

POST-WEDDING STATIONERY
Stationery that you need after the Wedding

• Thank you Cards, Favor Tags, Favor Envelopes
  They are usually one per household. But if you have individual wedding favor for each guest, then you might need them per guest.

Final Thoughts

Wedding budget allocation is a subjective matter as everyone has different priorities. You might want to spend more on that dream dress than on entertainment and that is perfect! You can have a large chunk of budget for whatever you want, but it is vital to have allocations for everything including your wedding stationery.