How Many Wedding Invitations to Order?

Knowing how many invitations to order is one wedding planning task couples tend to overlook. Consequently, there’s a chance you’ll either have too many or not enough. Keep reading to determine how many wedding invitations to order, to ensure every important person in your ceremony gets the invite.

How Many Wedding Invitations to Order?

Couples should order one invitation per household, one to two for a keepsake, and another one to two for the photographers and coordinators. If you want to add extra, stick to the average industry of 10%-20% more. You may also need 10 to 20 envelopes for potential errors when addressing guests.

Bespoke wedding stationery and invitations serve as the first impression of your big day. They set the tone of what guests should prepare for, like dress code, location, and other crucial details. There are simple ways to determine the number of invitations to order, to ensure you have enough to send.

Count the Number of Households

You don’t have to send an invitation per guest as this will be too costly. It would be better to count by the households, instead of the number of guests. Otherwise, you’ll waste money and end up with lots of souvenirs.

• Some families may not live under the same roof, so regroup and organize the list based on the addresses.
• One for the officiant or priest.
• Families get one invitation. You may consider ordering a different invite for their older children living in other places.
• One invitation for cohabiting couples.
• For couples living apart, you may either send one invite to the person you’re closer to or order separate invitations. 
• One invitation per single friend, with or without a plus one.
• One invitation each for single friends living together.
• If the bridesmaid or groomsman is part of the family, you may send one invitation for that household, with the invite mainly addressing the person part of the entourage.

In general, you’ll be looking at approximately 50% to 60% of the total guest list when determining how many wedding invitations to order. This estimate serves as your initial quote, and then you can adjust according to other factors or until you finalize the number of guests.

Save One or Two Invitations for Keepsakes

Keep one or two invitations and envelopes to place in your album or frame. Wedding invitations are among the tangible memorabilia you can keep for many years to come, along with the wedding dress, suit, and garter. They will have a sentimental value that you can show to your grandchildren.

The invitation’s theme and design reflect who you are as a couple, and it takes part in your love story. Likewise, a professionally-designed wedding invitation card serves as an emblem of sincerity in moving to the next chapter of your life as a couple.

Give One or Two Invitations to the Photography Team and Coordinators

The photographers will include the invitation during the pre-wedding shoot. This is why the wedding invitations should be as informative as they are magnificent. They provide a glimpse into your big day.

• Wedding planners and coordinators would have a master list of the guests. However, it’s also ideal for them to have an invitation as it can help them check the essential people at the ceremony.
• During your wedding planning, you would invest time and resources in designing unique details to personalize every aspect of your wedding. Photographers can capture those lovely, intricate details in styled shots and flat lays.
• The photographers may include both sides of the invitation in a single shot, so it’s better for them to have two copies.
• While the photographers would know the ceremony’s program with the help of your coordinator, it also gives an idea of who are the most important people on your guest list they should photograph.

Plan to Have A Contingency of 10% to 20% of Invitations 

Once you have the total number of households, add at least 10 extras to that number. For instance, if 70 is your final headcount, add seven to 14 more wedding invitations to your order.

Unexpected wedding costs from planning to the ceremony can side-swipe even the most prepared couples. Guest lists can change, and many things can happen in two to three months before you send wedding invites.

• The groom’s father insists on adding five more guests from his company.
• Your grandparents want another one for their family scrapbook, while your partner’s grandparents also want one as an heirloom.
• A distant relative demands an invitation for posterity.
• You realize you forgot to invite a college buddy living overseas.
• You make a new friend that you surely want to invite.
• You suddenly have more room to invite other people.
• You have a B-list in case some from your initial guest list can’t come.
• You want to include some invitations to your reception décor.
• Some invites get damaged during assembly or mailing.
• There’s also the possibility that wedding invitations can get lost in the postal service or returned due to incorrect addresses.

While you can order the exact amount of invitations to save money, it may be more costly to reprint a small quantity at a later date. Wedding planning can be overwhelming at times, and you can save yourself the headache of last-minute purchases by adding extras right away.

Order Extra Envelopes for Mailing or Labeling Mistakes

Perhaps you want to put some personal touch to the envelopes in the form of calligraphy. Maybe you’re printing customized stickers for your entourage. There may be times when you might mislabel the envelope or smudge the ink.

In such cases, you’ll need an extra 10 to 20 envelopes to cover for any mistakes. You may also include this in your 10% to 20% contingency.

However, make sure that you consider your budget when ordering extra. When planning how to save for a wedding, even expenses that seem small may add up quickly.

Conclusion

At Laura Damiano Designs, I can make your wedding invitations create excitement and anticipation about your big day. Make sure to order one invitation per household, then add one to two for the keepsake, photographer, and coordinator. Additionally, prepare an extra 10% to 20% of the final count for mail mishaps or mislabels.