How many invitations do you really need for your wedding? It can be tricky to estimate the exact number of wedding invitations you'll need to order when planning your special day. I've put together a simple formula to take the guesswork out of planning!
I know it's difficult, when you don't want to order too many and be stuck with a mountain of leftover paper after your wedding day. On the other hand, the worst case scenario is to not have enough from the get-to, and scramble to find someone who can last-minute print those extra invitations. That can be a costly mistake, both financially and with your time.
When you have so many other aspects of your wedding to plan, from the perfect spring flowers for your garden wedding, to taste testing that beautiful vanilla cake, to visiting your dream venue and reception area, let's check one item off that list: your invitations.
I'm here to make sure your wedding invitations are stress-free and flawless. That's why I've developed a perfect formula for planning how many invitations to order, so that you can continue with wedding planning and not waste another second on Googling another invitation question.
Want my tried and true formula? Read on! This will tell you exactly how many invitations to order without excess or scarcity.
Count by household, not by person
My first tip is to count out your invitations by household, not by each individual guest you're inviting to your wedding. One invitation should be addressed to each household, and have all the guests names listed on the front of the envelope. This usually works out to around 50-60% of your guest list.
For example, if your total guest list includes 100 individual guests, your household count will likely be between 50-60. That should be the number of invitations you'll need to cover everyone!
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Adult guests will always receive their own invitation.
I see this happen often with college-aged students living with their parents. In this scenario, the college student will receive their own invitation, and his/her parents will receive their own, separate invitation. This holds true for any adult aged 18+ who is living with family or relatives, or any single roommates living in the same house.
**One note with this: a couple who is unmarried and living in the same household will always receive one invitation, not two separate invitations. Couples always always stick together when it comes to wedding invitations!
It's always helpful to have 1-2 extras on hand for your photographer.
If you want flawless flatlay photos before your big day, you can even send these to your photographer beforehand! I always recommend that to all my brides, so that your photographer can shoot several gorgeous photos of your invitations and all the embellishments.
Why do they need 2 suites? To photograph the full suite laid out, as well as the beautifully assembled suite tucked away in its lovely envelope.
You'll want a 1-2 invitation suites for keepsakes.
After your wedding, you'll want a memento to remember your special day. Keeping your custom invitations can be such a beautiful reminder to cherish. You can even have one set framed to decorate your home.
Toss in a handful of extras, just in case.
There's no need to go too crazy with this; just 5-10 will work great. It's nice to have some extras on hand if you realize you forgot to send an invitation, or your mom comes up with another guest to invite, or if someone's invitation gets lost in the mail. Just a few extras will save you from scrambling right before your wedding!
If you're hand-addressing or DIY-ing your own envelopes, this is for you: Order 20 extra envelopes per 100 invitations (or, 20% extra envelopes). Why? Hand-calligraphing or even simple handwriting is extremely difficult to get perfect. When you accidentally misspell a name, or write the address off center, you'll be glad you ordered enough extra envelopes to make up the difference.
Overwhelmed by all the DIY, and would rather work with a stationery designer to make sure your invitations are flawless? I'd love to work with you! You can inquire here for custom wedding invitations, and I'll reply within 1-2 business days. Can't wait to hear form you!