One of the most frequently asked questions regarding wedding invitations and wedding stationery is how many do I need?
Determining the number of wedding invitations to order is a crucial step in your wedding planning process. It’s easy to overestimate or underestimate, but with a little guidance, you can accurately calculate the right amount and avoid any last-minute stress.
Invitations
It’s important to know exactly who you plan to invite prior to ordering your stationery, easier said than done! Once you have this sorted you can then finalise numbers.
Count the Number of Households, Not Guests
It is always better to have too many invites, and nice to keep a couple back for yourselves as keepsakes. That said, most of your guests will be couples or families rather than individuals.
Start by making a guest list and then break it down by households to get a more accurate count.
A safe rule of thumb is to order about 10-15% more invitations than your initial count. This should cover enough for spares and last minute changes to the guest list.
Add a Few Extra Invitations
It’s always a good idea to order a few extra invitations for various reasons. You may need additional invitations for:
- Last-Minute Guests: Sometimes, you remember someone after you’ve finalised your guest list or receive an unexpected RSVP request.
- Keepsakes: You might want a few extra for your wedding album or as a memento for you and close family members.
- Mistakes in Addressing: If you plan to handwrite or manually address the invitations, a few mistakes are bound to happen, so having extras on hand can save you from the hassle of reordering.
The extra money spent at this stage in ordering enough, is well worth it in the long run, if you then realise further down the line you are short by a few invites, need to resend, or if any go missing, as small batch printing for additional stationery can work out more expensive.
Consider Your Budget
While it’s essential to have enough invitations, it’s also important to consider your budget. Ordering extra invitations is smart, but you don’t want to go overboard. Balancing your needs with your budget will help ensure that you have enough invitations without unnecessary overspending.
Summary
When calculating how many wedding invitations to order, start by counting households, not individuals. Add a buffer of about 10-15% for extras to cover mistakes, keepsakes, and last-minute additions. Don’t forget to include your wedding party and other guests in your count. By following these guidelines, you’ll ensure that you order the right amount of wedding invitations, leaving you with one less thing to worry about as your big day approaches.
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Additional stationery items
How many orders of service do I need?
Although it’s nice to have individual orders of service, and you may wish to opt for this depending on budget, generally your guests will be happy to share.
If you are opting for shared order of service, possibly just a few extra may come in handy for those attending alone, as well as the minster and any last minute surprise guests who attend on the big day.
This can be an opportunity to save on costs, but remember to also include a couple of extra copies to keep yourself as they also make a lovely keepsake of the day.