July 13, 2026

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How Much Do Wedding Invitations Cost? A Real Budget

Invitations look like a small line in the wedding budget — until you add envelopes, stamps, calligraphy and that second print run nobody planned for. Here are the real numbers for each option, the costs almost nobody budgets, and a simple rule for deciding what’s worth it for you.

What a paper invitation really costs

For a 100-guest wedding (around 60–70 invitations, since many go per couple or family), the typical ranges look like this:

• Online print shop with a template: €2–4 per invitation. Total: €120–280.
• Semi-custom design: €4–8 per invitation. Total: €240–560.
• Bespoke stationery (custom design, specialty papers, letterpress): €8–20+ per invitation. Total: €500–1,400.

Then come the items almost no first-draft budget includes:

• Envelopes and postage: a domestic stamp is around a euro; add lined envelopes or wax seals and you’re at €1–2 more per unit. For 70 mailings, that’s €70–200.
• Envelope calligraphy: if you commission it, €1.5–3 per envelope.
• Reprints: the ceremony time moves, a venue falls through, a typo slips in — and you’re printing again. A short second run usually costs 40–60% of the first.
• The “just in case” pile: everyone orders 5–10 extras for last-minute guests and keepsakes.

All in, a mid-sized wedding rarely spends less than €250–400 on stationery, and with bespoke design it easily passes €800.

What an online invitation costs

A web invitation is paid once, works for your entire list and has no per-unit cost: it makes no difference whether you invite 50 people or 250. No stamps, no envelopes, no reprints — if a time changes, you edit it and everyone sees the right version instantly.

The market ranges from free ad-supported templates to €15–30 monthly subscriptions which, over the many months a wedding takes to plan, end up costing more than they first appeared.

The hidden costs that tip the scales

Beyond the per-unit price, three costs deserve an honest look:

• Your time: stuffing, addressing and posting 70 envelopes easily eats a full afternoon; collecting RSVPs that arrive by call, WhatsApp and “tell your mum I’m coming” eats weeks. An online invitation with a built-in RSVP turns that into a list that fills itself in.
• Changes: on paper, every change after sending means a separate message to the whole list (or a reprint). On a website, you edit it and you’re done.
• RSVP errors: without a proper form, allergies and plus-ones get lost along the way — and that costs money too (extra place settings, missing menus). Our guide on what to ask on your RSVP covers the questions that prevent those surprises.

When each option makes sense

Paper makes sense when the physical invitation matters to you as an object: a very formal wedding, families who expect the traditional envelope, or simply because beautiful paper makes you happy. In that case, budget it properly from day one (postage and extras included) and don’t skimp on quality — that’s what justifies the spend.

Online makes sense in almost every other case: big lists, guests spread across cities or countries, weddings where details might change, and couples who’d rather put that money elsewhere. It also solves what paper can’t: organised RSVPs, instant updates, and all the practical information behind a single link.

The hybrid route is increasingly common and very sensible: beautiful paper only for grandparents and older relatives (15–20 units, contained cost) and a web link for everyone else. If you go that way, our guide to digital invitation etiquette shows how to send the link without losing any elegance.

The summary table

Whichever way you go, the rule is the same: budget the extras from day one and decide with the full numbers in front of you — not just the per-unit price.

BudgetInvitations

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