7 Best Places to Buy Cheap Wedding Invitations

Planning your wedding is a momentous and exciting moment in life… but it can also be an expensive time! Once you compile your wedding budget, costs seem to add up quickly and, most notably, couples are shocked at the cost of wedding invitations. For 2023, it seems the price of everything is increasing — hello, inflation! — and wedding essentials like stationery are no exception. But don’t worry: there are still plenty of top brands that offer affordable wedding invitations in 2023 that look and feel like luxury, without the pricey extras. In this blog post, we’ll show you the best brands to shop for cheap wedding invitations that look expensive. From classic invites to modern styles, and eco-friendly designs to DIY invitations you can make yourself, we’ll put you on the right path. Read on to save money on your wedding invites and wow your guests. Enjoy!

Affordable Wedding Invitations That Look Expensive: Top Brands to Shop

If you’re looking for a timeless look that never goes out of style, classic designs are the way to go. These elegant invitations are perfect for couples who crave a simple style but still want elegance and sophistication.

Classic Designs That Won’t Break Your Budget

Classic doesn’t mean basic or dull; instead, we’re finding them to be the most timeless in terms of long-lasting style and elegance. If you crave a luxurious style but don’t want to spend a lot of money, choose a classic design. Think elegant typefaces such as calligraphy handwriting and elegant swooshes and washes, simple color palettes, and silver or gold detailing as an accent.

One of the top brands for classic wedding invitations is Minted. They offer a wide range of both sophisticated and luxurious designs that can fit into any budget with their special budget collection, unique smaller sizing (i.e. petite cards are available at a hefty discount), all-in-one styles, and customization in every aspect possible. They believe in offering stylish options for every budget, a huge benefit to shopping with them.

For eco-conscious couples, you’ll see that Minted offers beautiful invitations made with recycled paper. They have dozens of options here and different weights for sustainability.

Another option is Basic Invite, which has a realm of classic invites that are budget-friendly and customizable to suit your aesthetic and color palette.

In addition, you may find success at Shutterfly, which now offers an extensive array of classic invites that won’t break the bank. These invitations are usually simple yet elegant, with a clean design and personalization options including both photo or non-photo cards.

Last but certainly not least, Zazzle is one of the top wedding invitation sites of the moment as its affordability is unmatched. Most of the time, you can find a discount on top of their already low prices on wedding invites. To top it off, you can shop coordinating pieces for a one-stop shop that will keep your wedding budget in the green. :) As long as you choose a paper that isn’t too thin, your invites are bound to be just as tasteful and elegant as another top-tier invitation suite — but with the affordability you need.

Whether you choose a simple design or a fancy suite, classic invitations from these makers will make a fabulous first impression on guests. With so many brands that offer affordable styles, you’ll be able to choose a design you love and still save money and get the quality look you crave.

Now, let’s venture towards modern style: here are some modern invites that will definitely set the tone for your wedding.

Modern Styles to Impress

When a classic style simply won’t do, make an impact by sending modern wedding invitations. From geometric designs and eye-catching typefaces to bold color-block styles that are vibrant and striking, you’ll find modern wedding invitations that won’t break the bank from these top brands.

Minted will give you the best option for modern style, as many of its designers focus on new, vibrant, and eye-catching styles that are very of the moment. The designs are made by independent artists, so you’re also supporting small businesses when you shop (yay!) Minted is a great option for couples who also want to put their own spin on their design, giving the unique ability to take a template and completely customize it to your liking from motif to color combinations — even typography and wording. With a sample kit available, you can actually feel the quality in your hands before you commit to a large volume order. That can save you money in the long run vs. ordering invitations and needing to re-print them later on. (Whoops!)

Secondly, Basic Invite offers a nice array of modern invitations and customizable elements. Their font package is large with a unique array of color combinations you won’t find elsewhere.

I frequently recommend Zazzle for couples who have a low budget for wedding invitations but still crave custom styles. You can pretty much find any invitation style from minimalist to ornate with inexpensive pricing even if you have a low minimum quality. I’m always impressed by the quality, as long the paper chosen is thick enough for an invitation (without going overboard on thick cardstock).

PRO TIP: The recommended lb weight for a quality invitation is 80lb cardstock. This is to ensure the text isn’t visible on the opposite side and isn’t flimsy in your hands.

Lastly, if you want a completely custom design from start to finish, your best bet will be Etsy. You can work with a designer one-on-one without driving up costs; you can sort invitation styles by cost, even tweaking the search results further to stay within a certain budget range. Reach out to a designer whose work you like that is within your budget and let them know what you’re looking to create. Most of the time, you’ll be able to find a designer that offers affordable custom wedding invitations suited to your taste, unique aesthetic, and vision, at a fraction of the top-tier designer pricing.

Next, let’s tackle some eco-friendly options for couples who love the style on an affordable budget.

Eco-Friendly Designs That Save You Money

What are eco-friendly styles? They’re the type of wedding invitation options that will contribute to a green environment while helping you to save money while planning. There are a handful of eco-friendly brands that offer invitations made from recycled paper for a more sustainable option. These options are affordable yet look just as elegant as pricey options. The best part is, your guests won’t even know they’re sustainable and inexpensive! That’s a definite win-win. :)

For environmentally-friendly styles, consider using invitations made from seed paper, like The Green Atelier or MyFavorIdeas. They both offer plantable paper options and envelopes that will result in wildflowers planted once guests are done with the invite (vs. recycling or tossing them into the trash).

In today’s digital era, many couples are turning toward affordable digital wedding invitations that are sustainable and paper-saving! One option is Greenvelope, which offers paperless styles that are classic, modern, or ornate in design. They are customizable from templates and look just like you’re opening them up — but digitally, of course. They’re an affordable option that uses zero paper, giving it huge points for sustainability.

Now let’s explore some affordable DIY options to make your invitations stand out without breaking your budget.

DIY Invitations That Are Affordable and Simple

If you’re feeling especially crafty, you can tackle affordable wedding invitations by creating your own. By doing so, you’ll have the ability to design it yourself, putting your own personal spin on the style and detail of the card itself. Plus, you can be picky about what paper and design elements you use, as well as the type of printing, so you can control the cost in the process.

If you’re not a design exoert, places like Canva can assist in helping you with a free template to design a basic invitation. You can also find discounted templates that are wildly affordable on Etsy, like this one. Then, you’ll just need to purchase cardstock in bulk (make sure to select 80lb) and matching envelopes. You can print your template at a local print shop in town, or send them digitally to Zazzle (they offer an upload-your-own-design here) which you can have printed and shipped to your door.

As a result, it’s never been easier to have a personalized invitation suite that is as cost-effective as possible. It’s easy!

Want to go the extra mile? Here’s how you can shop personalized invitation options to make a statement and wow your guests.

Personalized Invitations That Make a Statement

Even the most basic wedding invitations can stand out with a few extra-special details and embellishments added to them. One instance is by incorporating a motif or monogram into your design. Lucky for you, creating a motif isn’t going to cost you a degree in design: it’s FREE to create a monogram here and you can use it wherever you’d like throughout your wedding stationery including invitations.

► Create a FREE monogram here.

In addition to the monogram, you can find other cost-effective embellishments to make cheap invites look more regal and elegant. Just add things like wax seals (buy in bulk cheap here), vellum jackets (like these affordable styles), or a bit of elegant ribbon to add an extra-special touch. When you take the time to add these mini extras, you’ll notice how it makes an impact on your invitations without adding too much to your overall costs.

I hope now you’re realizing that wedding invitations don’t need to break the bank to look good! You can get mini luxuries at a fraction of the cost when you know where to shop. From classic and timeless to bold and modern styles, there are many top brands that offer affordable styles for every couple and any budget. You can start shopping to save money on your wedding invitations without skimping on quality. No one’s gonna know! ;) I hope this blog post helps you to see that invitations will set the tone for your theme and style, regardless of how much you spend. Choose a design you and your partner love that’s within your budget and run with it. You’ll find the savings you’ve added from less pricey options can go towards other wedding day details along the way.

Now, let’s explore a complete list of the places to shop for cheap invitations and how much you can expect it to cost for your wedding (approximately). Prices are accurate at time of publication.

1. Zazzle

Cost: From $0.94 each with most styles around $1.50 or less

You can purchase styles that look expensive at Zazzle (but no one else will know it!) Most of the time, you can expect to spend $1.50 to $2.50 per invite, with more discounts based on quantity. But most of the time, there is a sale happening so you’ll get even more affordable invites. Try to use a code whenever possible, or shop when there’s a sale happening (like right now at time of publication). You can choose from rustic, boho, beach, floral, classic — you name it, they have a design for you at a great price.

They have a special budget section which offers invites as low as $1 each. You can apply a discount and save even more. You’ll get cheaper invitations based on the quantity you purchase, too.

2. Minted

COST: As low as $1.81 to $2.50 each for some invitation orders (based on 100 quantity)

Popular invitation store Minted offers something for everyone in truly any price range. It is one of the best options when looking to save money on wedding invitations, particularly if you know where to shop on their site.

They offer luxurious designs that are expensive, but they also offer budget options for couples who want to buy affordable wedding invitations. You need to navigate to their budget-friendly options to see the lowest prices possible.

They have one option, in particular, that cuts costs drastically and saves paper called the All-In-One invitation. Instead of an outer envelope, this style folds into itself and seals with a sticker. There is an attached RSVP card which you tear off and mail to guests (it is a postcard, so you save on postage there, too!) It requires no RSVP envelope so the savings keep stacking up. This style means you can buy budget wedding invitations that look expensive while cutting costs on envelopes, postage, and additional enclosure cards.

NOTE: Choose the option without gold foil to maximize savings: you’ll spend approximately $1.72 per 100 invitations.

If you want a classic size — typically 5″x7″ — you can save money on their website in other ways:

• FREE Wedding Website: Make your own free website for guests to send in their RSVP online and skip the RSVP card and envelope with your invitation order.

• Budget Invites: They offer petite-sized invitations at a lower cost than their classic card ($2.30 each for 100 vs. $2.64 each for 100 in the classic size).

Here’s an example of a petite-sized invite:

And the free website to match!

• Free envelopes: You get free envelopes with your invitations.

• Free Guest Addressing: The envelopes arrive with your guests’ names and addresses printed on them, if you like, as a free bonus

3. Basic Invite

COST: As low as $0.99 per invite

As its name suggests, you can get basic and simple wedding invitations for cheap from this amazing website. These are some of the most affordable invitations that look expensive.

They offer free guest printing on the envelopes as well as unique peel-and-seal invites to save money.

You can choose from fully customizable options with any design under the sun: you can get nearly any theme, color scheme, and style. It’s pretty amazing. You can even upload your own design and choose from over 180 colors for as low as $0.99 each.

I like their photo overlay option, shown below. It’s a great way to put your engagement photos to good use!

Note: They also offer clear acrylic invites for as low as $1.49.

5. Shutterfly

COST: As low as $1 each, depending on quantity and style

You may be familiar with Shutterfly for its photo albums and photo gifts, but it is also a great budget store. You can browse options here for as low as $1 each.

6. Etsy

COST: Some as low as $0.89 per invitation based on quantity

Etsy, known as a place for handmade, may sound arts-and-craftsy, but it’s actually filled to the brim with talented artisans who create affordable invitations for weddings. Some of the cheapest invites I’ve found come from Etsy, and that’s because you’re purchasing them directly from the designer. This cuts a lot of middleman costs you may get from larger print companies. Along the way, you’re also supporting small businesses. (Go, you!)

Whether you want printed invitations or a custom invitation you can print yourself at home (another affordable option!), you’ll find it here. There are dozens of themes, colors, typography, paper choices, templates, styles, and more from which to choose.

There are way too many beautiful designers to name them all, but here are a few that are trending right now.

This invitation is one of the top sellers and features a rustic and minimalist design. You can get a sample for as low as $0.45! It is by DiyIdoShop.

The most affordable are available at Level 33 Graphics, which seem to be wildly popular especially with their fall design; pricing comes in at under $1 right now.

These kraft paper invitations are always a great option (from White and Kraft):

Or these by FabLabStationery. Affordable and elegant!

7. Zola

COST: As low as $1.99 each

Zola offers many ‘extras’ here like free shipping, free envelopes, and free addressing. You can get free change the dates if you need them, along with accents for purchase like back-printing, matching rsvp cards, envelope liners, qr codes, and more.

Here are some styles, starting at $1.99 each.

8. Amazon

COST: From $1.30 per invitation, depending on style and quantity

You may already use Amazon for anything under the sun: makeup remover wipes to your fave lipstick to your pantry shopping list. But did you know you can get inexpensive wedding invitations from this major retailer? Here’s a tip, though: when shopping for invites, don’t head to the main site but their Handmade section instead.

You don’t want to purchase their bulk invites where you write in the details with a pen; those invitations work for a birthday party but are not proper etiquette for a wedding.

Instead, you’ll browse these designs by makers who are ready to customize, edit, and print your invitations and ship them to your door at awesomely low prices. Plus, the invitations you’ll get from the handmade area are way better quality than what you may find in their general store.

PRO TIP: Double down on savings and use Prime to get free shipping on most orders. If you don’t have it already, you can get it for free for 30 days here. You can browse budget invitations here for under $1-$2 each that look great and have positive reviews from happy customers.

If you want luxe without the cost, check out these beauties: they are lace-wrapped kraft invitations and they are as low as $1.38 each. The reviews on these are glowing! Buy them on Amazon here by PickyBride. At the time of publication, it is $68.99 for a set of 50.

Also loving this style from $1.56 each from here.

Buy in Bulk: A bulk order of a standard invite, like this one, might not have all the bells and whistles but it provides what you need at a great price, as low as $1.30 each here.

Print Your Own

If you want to try some invitation DIY, get a printable kit from Carlson Craft. It easily coordinates in any theme you choose for as low as $8.99 for a full set. It has terrific paper quality and look how nice the invitations look in person!

These are even cheaper at $0.40 each and have rave reviews. Get them here.

• Shop more options here.

9. Greenvelope

COST: It varies; invites are digital

Who says you need to send paper invitations at all?

I love paper invites as much as the next person, but if you are seriously looking to cut costs, a place like Greenvelope is a great alternative. Since couples are looking for more eco-friendly alternatives, we can see digital wedding invites becoming a huge trend, even if just for the save the date and additional stationery options (like rehearsal dinner invites, bridal shower invites, etc.)

Now that you know the best stores for invitations to save money, let’s talk additional tips for cutting costs even further.

Making the Most of Your Budget

As mentioned, the best way to cut costs immediately is to trim your guest list. Consider having an adult-only reception with no children invited or be very specific on who gets a plus-one at your wedding.

Then, once you’ve finalized your guest list, shop these cheap invitation options and use our additional cost-saving tips for the most affordable wedding invitations you can get.

1. Cut the bells-and-whistles.

Will guests really notice if you don’t have a belly band? What about a wax seal? Will anyone know if you didn’t include a full-color envelope liner? Doubtful!

While these extras are nice, they add up in cost. To keep your invites cheap, skip these frills and opt to spend your savings elsewhere.

2. Get free wedding invitation printing on envelopes.

Choose to do your own calligraphy if you have nice handwriting, or get free wedding addressing on your envelopes here to cut costs. The price of a calligrapher can be expensive, depending on what style you’re looking for.

3. Choose an RSVP postcard.

Most traditional response cards are sent in the mail with a standard postage stamp and an envelope. You can go with an inexpensive option by choosing an RSVP postcard, which requires no outer envelope and costs less on postage. Instead of a standard stamp on each, you can use a postcard stamp.

Or you can skip mail RSVP cards altogether and have your guests submit their responses online for free. Do this by sending QR code rsvp cards and setting up a free wedding website to accept digital responses from guests.

4. Buy all wedding-day stationery together.

One of the best tips to save money is to purchase ALL items together from the same place at the same time.

Not only will you save on shipping costs, but additional printing runs can be expensive and you’ll be nervously waiting for each item to arrive on time. All of the places we’re sharing on this blog post are perfect places to buy cheap invitations, save the dates, ceremony programs, signage, and more.

READ: Wedding Stationery Checkist

See? You just saved a bunch of money by utilizing these wedding money-saving tips! :)

Is it cheaper to buy or make my own wedding invitations?

It is far cheaper, based on the retailers here, to buy cheap invitations vs. making them yourself. In addition, you’ll save valuable hours, as diy invitations can be time-intensive to make.

Not finding the price you need to stay on budget? You can easily cut costs simply by lowering your guest list and planning a smaller, more intimate wedding. Trimming your guest list is the most straightforward way to massively cut costs across the board — food, drinks, favors, place settings, more — and yes, you’ll also have affordable invites out of the deal.

With some creative thinking and careful shopping, you can find cheap wedding invitations that are still high quality and will make your wedding memorable. Don’t let a tight budget hold you back from making your wedding day special; there are countless ways to find affordable invitations that will satisfy your needs.

Now that you know the best places to shop, it’s time to start shopping for your invites! Click on the link below to browse affordable options for your upcoming nuptials.

• Zazzle
• Amazon
• Minted
• Basic Invite
• Shutterfly
• Etsy
• Zola
• Greenvelope

Happy Planning!

xo
Emma