I love a good deal. In the Midwest where I live, when someone compliments a shirt or accessory, it’s commonplace to reply, “Thanks! I got it for $20 bucks!” Yeah, we like a good humblebrag. And I love finding wedding deals because I can pass the discounts onto you!
The first major wedding purchase you’ll order are save the dates. Save the date cards are mailed to guests 6 to 9 months ahead of the wedding date (or up to 1 year for a destination wedding). Here’s a calendar of when to mail your cards based on wedding month. You want to get the best deal, but it’s difficult to know where to shop with so many companies online – and no baseline of how much is a reasonable amount to spend. That’s where I come in! I did all the digging and price-comparing to find the most inexpensive save the dates without sacrificing quality.
The place I found is awesome and, as a bonus, is ironically the same place I ordered mine years back. It still looks as nice as ever on our fridge! So, I can attest to its quality first-hand. :) Here’s how to go about ordering save the dates while saving some money!
Determine Your Budget
First, you’ll want to decide how much you realistically want to (or can) spend by setting a budget for save the date cards. Based on averages, a reasonable budget is approximately 4% for stationery.
This means if you have a budget of $10,000, your stationery will cost around $400. For a budget of $20,000, your stationery should cost around $800. (For $30,000, you should set aside $1,200 for stationery.) The important thing to note, however, is this includes all of your stationery – and save the dates are just one small part of it. You’ll also need invitations, escort cards, signage, programs, and more.
But don’t let that worry you! That’s the major benefit of finding the most inexpensive save the dates you can. By going a little cheaper on save the dates, you’ll be saving money for other wedding expenses. Next, let’s talk about options.
Consider Online Options
The best part of shopping online is the ability to price-compare, right down to the tax and shipping costs. There are more stationers online today than ever before, all with vast price points from the luxurious to more affordable options. I checked out top competitors – 5 places total – and the most affordable for save the dates is Vistaprint.
Let’s discuss some pricing for specifics.
Pricing
For standard save the date cards at Vistaprint, the price is as low as $0.68 for a set of 100, or as low as $0.63 for 200. Since you only send one card per household, this roughly estimates to around $34 if sending to 50 households. That’s an amazing price!
(NOTE: The higher the quantity, the cheaper the cost per card. See more options here.)
Other stationers with similar styles and paper quality began at $1 each, and others that were cheaper in price had poor reviews on quality. But Vistaprint does both extremely well: the costs are low, while the paper quality is high. We like that. :)
Discount Codes
In addition to their low prices, Visaprint frequently offers online discounts and promo codes. When ordering online, check out their Deals Page to see what specials are happening so you can take the savings even further with a promo code.
Free Shipping
Why pay more for shipping? Vistaprint offers free shipping on all standard orders of $100+, no code required. That really adds up!
Examples
Here are some examples of their templates. There are dozens of styles, color palettes, and designs to choose from for every wedding. Here are some of my favorites.
► You can browse more designs here.
Want to take the design into your own hands? You can upload your own template and create DIY save the dates.
DIY Save the Dates
Want to get creative? Vistaprint has an ‘Upload-Your-Own’ option, one of our favorite cost-effective ideas. Put your own personal spin on a blank vertical or horizontal card by uploading your own custom design to its specifications. Then, they’ll print and ship the cards to your door. It’s easy!
And there you have it, the most inexpensive save the dates you can buy. I hope this helps as you pick out your design that will spread the exciting news to guests: we’re getting married! It’s on!
SHOP NOW: Now that you know you can start saving, don’t wait! Browse designs of affordable options for save the dates without sacrificing quality at Vistaprint.
Happy Planning!
xo
Emma
This is a sponsored post, but all views are our own.
