Wedding stationery runs $400 to $1,200 for most couples, plus postage that routinely surprises people. The full suite — save-the-dates, invitations, day-of paper, thank-yous — adds up faster than the per-piece prices suggest.
What it costs
| Item | 100 guests |
|---|---|
| Save-the-dates | $100 – $300 |
| Invitations with RSVP | $300 – $900 |
| Letterpress or foil upgrade | +$400 – $1,200 |
| Envelope addressing (calligraphy) | $200 – $600 |
| Day-of paper (programs, menus, escort cards) | $200 – $600 |
| Signage | $100 – $400 |
| Thank-you cards | $80 – $200 |
| Postage | $150 – $400 |
Postage catches everyone. Heavy or square invitation suites cost $1.50 to $3 each to mail, plus return postage on RSVP cards. On 100 invitations that's real money.
Weigh a complete assembled suite at the post office before ordering stamps.
What you actually need
Essential:
- Invitation with RSVP method
- A wedding website
Useful:
- Save-the-dates, if guests are travelling
- Escort cards or a seating display
- Thank-you cards
Frequently skippable:
- Ceremony programs — most get left on chairs
- Individual menus — one per table works
- Table numbers as printed pieces
- Separate reception cards, in most cases
Online RSVPs work fine. They save the return postage, they're easier to track, and they're now normal enough that nobody finds them odd.
Timing
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 8–10 months out | Save-the-dates (10–12 for a holiday weekend) |
| 6–9 months | Order invitations |
| 8 weeks before | Send invitations |
| 4 weeks before | RSVP deadline |
| 3–4 weeks before | Day-of paper finalized |
| Within 3 months after | Thank-yous |
Order invitations 6 to 9 months out even though you send at eight weeks. Custom design and printing takes 4 to 8 weeks, and proofing takes longer than anyone expects.
Questions to ask
- What's included — design, printing, envelopes, assembly?
- How many rounds of proofs?
- What's the turnaround from final approval?
- Do you handle assembly and addressing, or is that us?
- Can you supply a sample suite for postage weighing?
- What's the cost to reprint if something's wrong?
On proofs: get at least two rounds in writing. Typos in wedding invitations are common and expensive to fix after printing.
Where to save
- Online RSVPs instead of reply cards and return postage
- Skip ceremony programs
- One menu per table rather than per person
- Digital save-the-dates — increasingly normal
- Standard rectangular envelopes. Square invitations cost more to mail.
- Print day-of paper yourself on good stock
Our preferred stationers
[INSERT: signed vendor entries here]
Frequently asked questions
How much do wedding invitations cost? $300 to $900 for 100 invitations with RSVP cards. A full stationery suite including save-the-dates, day-of paper, and thank-yous runs $400 to $1,200, plus $150 to $400 in postage.
When should you send wedding invitations? Eight weeks before the wedding, with an RSVP deadline four weeks out. Save-the-dates go eight to ten months ahead, or ten to twelve for a holiday weekend.
When should you order invitations? Six to nine months out. Design, proofing, and printing take four to eight weeks, and proofing consistently takes longer than couples plan for.
Are online RSVPs acceptable? Yes, entirely normal now. They save return postage, are easier to track, and reduce the chase considerably.
How much is postage for wedding invitations? $1.50 to $3 per suite for heavy or square formats, plus return postage if you're using reply cards. Weigh a complete assembled suite before buying stamps.
Do you need ceremony programs? Not really. Most get left on chairs. If you want one, a single large sign at the entrance achieves the same thing for less.
What stationery can you skip? Ceremony programs, individual menus, separate reception cards, and printed table numbers. A wedding website covers most of what these communicate.
Weddings at The Arbor
The Arbor at The Bucks Club is a wedding venue in Jamison, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Cost figures derived from published Philadelphia-metro market data, August 2026.
Last updated: August 2026
Fill 1 slot. Lowest priority in this cluster — stationers are frequently national or online rather than local, which means less reciprocal-link value than photography or florals.
If you want a local relationship: ask your signed planners and photographers who they recommend. Otherwise this page ranks perfectly well on the guidance alone and can carry a generic "we're happy to recommend" line instead of vendor entries.