DIY Invites Cost: Real Numbers and Smart Ways to Save
Thinking about creating your own wedding invitations can feel exciting and a little scary. You love the idea of personal touches, but you also wonder if the price tag will blow your budget. The good news? DIY invites can be affordable, but the cost depends on a few clear factors: paper, printing method, embellishments, and the time you spend.
Paper and Printing: The Core Expenses
Paper is the biggest line item. A decent cardstock for a 5‑by‑7 invite runs about £0.30‑£0.70 per sheet. If you need 100 invites, that’s roughly £30‑£70. Bulk buying can shave 10‑15% off, so order a little extra and keep the leftovers for thank‑you cards.
Printing options also affect the price. Home inkjet printing is the cheapest—around £0.10 per page—but you’ll need quality ink and may see colour variation. A professional print shop charges £0.60‑£1.20 per piece for full‑colour printing, which adds up fast. A middle ground is a local copy centre offering glossy or matte finishes for about £0.35 each.
Embellishments and Finishing Touches
Ribbons, stamps, wax seals, and calligraphy pens are where the budget can explode. A roll of satin ribbon costs about £5 for 30 m, which equals roughly £0.20 per invite if you use 2 cm per card. Wax seal kits start at £10 and can be reused, bringing the per‑invite cost down to under £0.10 once you’re past the learning curve.
If you love hand‑lettering, a good nib pen set is a one‑time spend of £15‑£25. The cost per invite depends on how many you write yourself. Many couples find a hybrid approach works best: printed text for details and hand‑lettered names for a personal feel.
Don’t forget envelopes. A plain envelope is around £0.10 each, but a lined or coloured option can be £0.15‑£0.25. Adding a matching liner adds another £0.05 per envelope.
Overall, a basic DIY invite with cardstock, home printing, and minimal embellishments lands at about £1‑£1.50 per set. Add a few decorative touches and you’re looking at £2‑£3 per invite. Compare that to a fully custom designer suite costing £5‑£10 each, and the savings become clear.
Time vs Money: How to Balance the Two
Every hour you spend on design, cutting, and assembly has an invisible cost. If you value your time at £20 an hour and spend 10 hours on 100 invites, you’ve added £200 to the project. Some couples factor that in and decide a hybrid approach—DIY layout, professional printing—makes sense.
One practical tip: design your invite on free tools like Canva, then print a test batch. If the test looks good, order the full run from a local print shop to avoid printer jams at home.
Another saver is to enlist friends or family for the assembly line. One person cuts, another folds, a third adds stamps. Turning the process into a fun gathering can cut hours dramatically.
Bottom line: DIY invites can be as cheap or as pricey as you make them. Focus on the essentials—good paper and clear printing—then sprinkle in affordable embellishments that match your wedding theme. With careful planning, you’ll keep the cost under £3 per invite and still wow your guests.
