Our Invitations: Cost Breakdown

I swear this is my last post about our invites, but I had some questions about costs, fonts, etc. that I need to answer! So, here goes...

The font that I used for our names is called Albemarle Swash and it can be downloaded for free here. The font that I used for everything else is Felix Titling, and it comes standard with just about any Office software.

As far as costs, I am going to break it down store by store, which should be easier.

From Paper and More I bought:
-150 4-Bar Solid Bright White Envelopes = $23.97
-300 Sheets Bright White Linen 8.5 x 11" Cardstock = $47.97
-Shipping = $3.99
Total = $75.93

From Cards and Pockets I bought:
-120 Onyx Metallic Perfetto Pocketfolds @ 1.38 each = $165.60
-120 Fuschia Metallic Invitation Mats for Perfetto Pocketfolds @ .18 each = $21.60
-120 6.5" Square White Envelopes @ .20 each = $24.00
-Shipping = $14.31
Total = $225.51

From LittleBeaneBoutique on Etsy I bought:
-150 Square Labels (for the front of the invitation) = $47.25
-Shipping = $5.95
Total = $53.20

From Expressionary I bought:
-1 Square Address Embosser (for our return address on the back of the envelope) = $14.40
-Free Shipping
Total = $14.40

From Michael's I bought:
-40 Sheets Azalea Starsdream Metallic 12X12 Cardstock = $40.00
-Corner Punch/Embosser Combo = $14.99
- Fiskars Paper Cutter = $20.00
- 10 Tape Runner Refills = $50.00
-3 Rolls of Pink Satin Ribbon = $6.00
Total = $130.99 (not including tax)

From Staples I bought:
-6 Ink Cartridge Refills @14.99 each = $89.94
Total =$95.34 (including tax)

From Kinko's I bought:
-31 Cuts for invitation and inserts @ $2.00 each = $62.00

Shipping Costs:
-120 42-cent stamps for RSVP envelopes = $50.40
-120 $1.20 Stamps for main invitation envelope = $144.00
(they cost more to mail because of the shape and weight!)

Grand Total.......$851.77

This is based on 120 invitations. That breaks down to about $7.10 per invite. I know that this wasn't exactly an economical choice, but DIY definitely does NOT always mean less expensive. Buying all of the main supplies like paper, envelopes, etc. is not expensive, but the little things that you don't think about like tape runners (or glue), ink cartridges, cuts and shipping are where the money really adds up.

I hope that all of this info helps some of you other DIY brides out there!

Our Invitations! Part Two...

I'm back with more invitation details! Here are some details of the writing that I used to address the envelopes. I'm not ashamed to say that my parents got me a calligraphy set when I was about 9 or 10 and I used to write my friends' names in calligraphy on the front of their Barbie Valentines, birthday cards and anywhere else I could. So, I have had some practice in that department. I didn't go with an all-out fancy writing on the envelopes because that just doesn't fit the vibe of our wedding. Here are some examples, sorry about the blurring!




I tried to get a picture of our return address on the back of the envelope, but it was basically impossible for me to photograph. We had a custom embosser made of our address, so I am sure you can imagine what it looked like!

Here are some pictures of our invitation inserts. Yes, I realize the info on the Accommodations card isn't centered, but I promise it was centered on the actual invitations. I just happened to grab a misprint for the pictures! Pay close attention to the responses on our response card. They have been a HUGE hit with our guests!





This response card has definitely elicited some fun responses. I highly recommend these... even our male guests have enjoyed adding comments to them!

Getting these invitations finished and mailed was definitely the biggest sigh of relief that I can ever remember having. I LOVE going to the mailbox everyday to see who has responded! Ryan and I have both refused to take the envelopes from our friends, insisting that they mail them. I mean come on... the stamp is right on there... don't deny me of the best part of my day! :)

Our Invitations! Part One..

Let me start by saying that I am SO sorry for my recent lack of posting, but we have had some serious technical difficulties around here! First I couldn't get my camera to work, then the battery died and we couldn't find the charger. Luckily, Ryan came through and found the charger in one of our unpacked boxes today and now my blogging can resume! I am going to try to blog everyday this week so that I can catch everyone up on everything! And, since our invitations are pretty detailed, I thought I better break them up into a couple of posts. Enjoy!

Here is what our guests saw when they opened the envelope. We opted to not use an inner envelope because, well, they are kind of pointless and wasteful. And since we used pocket folders, the folder basically served as the inner envelope. (You can click any of the pictures to make them bigger.)

And here is what they saw when they removed the label and ribbon:

Here is a close-up of the main invitation:

And here is the side with the inserts:


Tomorrow I will share more details of the inserts and our calligraphy, embossing, etc. I can also do a cost breakdown if anyone is interested. These invitation posts are so long overdue, I hope they are worth the wait!

A slave to my invitations...

...is really all that I am these days. I realize I haven't blogged in 11 days and that is just unacceptable! Basically, when I am not working, unpacking our house, or watching UK lose a basketball game to some crappy team, all of my time is spent working on our invitations. Naturally, I went the DIY route. I created the design and then had them printed on a nicer printer and I have been working nonstop on assembling them since then. I haven't even completed step one. But, nevertheless, I am going to share some sneak peeks with my lovely readers! A lot of our invitees read my blog, so I can't show them completely until they are mailed out on April 1. If that day ever comes. Anyway, here are some snippets of what has caused me to be a horrible and neglectful blogger:




So there you have it. Step 1 is about 90% complete at this point and I should be able to move onto something else later this evening. Then it should be smooth sailing from there! I will be sure to share more pictures as I make more progress. Wish me luck!