A small line item made of a dozen small pieces, on a calendar that runs earlier than most couples expect.
The 2026 national average for invitations and stationery. A full program with signage and day-of pieces lands closer to $500 to $1,500.
Print method is the biggest lever. Each additional ink or foil color is another pass on the press, so a two-color letterpress invitation costs substantially more than a one-color version of the same design. Digital printing has closed most of the quality gap.
Couples price the invitation and forget everything around it. A full stationery program usually runs to save the dates, the invitation, an RSVP card and envelope, a details or accommodation insert, outer envelopes, ceremony programs, menus, place cards, table numbers, signage, and thank-you cards. For a 100-guest wedding the full suite typically lands at $400 to $700, and $500 to $1,500 once signage and day-of pieces are included.
Each additional ink or foil color is a separate pass on the press, so a two-color letterpress invitation costs meaningfully more than one color. This is the single biggest lever on the print bill.
A full suite with an inner envelope, RSVP card and inserts is often heavier or squarer than a standard letter, which triggers a non-machinable surcharge. Budget $1.00 to $1.50 per invitation and another $0.70 or more for each RSVP return envelope you stamp. At 100 invitations that is $170 to $220 in postage alone.
Take one fully assembled suite to the post office and have it weighed before you buy stamps. Every stationer will tell you this and roughly half of couples do it.
The order
Before it mails
Order more than you need, and order earlier than feels necessary.
You need one invitation per household, not per guest, which cuts the number substantially. Then order 20 extra: for mistakes in addressing, late additions, and keepsakes. Reprinting a short run costs almost as much as the original because setup dominates the price.
Paper weight, texture, foil finish and color all look different in your hand than on a screen. Most stationers sell a sample pack for a few dollars, and it is the cheapest insurance in the category.
Dates, the day of the week, the venue name and the address. Have two people who have not seen it read it cold. The most common errors are a date that does not fall on the day named, and a venue address that is subtly wrong.
Save the dates go out six to eight months ahead, and eight to twelve for a destination wedding. Invitations go out six to eight weeks before, with an RSVP deadline three to four weeks before the wedding so you can give the caterer a final count. Working backwards, order stationery three to four months ahead, and earlier for letterpress or calligraphy.
We are building this market by market, and a city page goes live only once it holds enough real stationers to be worth your time. Two listings is not a directory, so until it is useful it stays closed.
A full suite for 100 guests typically runs $400 to $700, with the 2026 national average for stationery near $510. Adding signage, menus and place cards pushes most couples to $500 to $1,500.
Save the dates six to eight months ahead, or eight to twelve for a destination wedding. Invitations six to eight weeks before, with an RSVP deadline three to four weeks out.
Budget $1.00 to $1.50 per invitation and $0.70 or more per RSVP return envelope. Full suites are often heavy or square enough to trigger a non-machinable surcharge, so weigh an assembled one before buying stamps.
One per household rather than per guest, plus about 20 spares. Reprinting a short run costs nearly as much as the original because setup dominates the price.
It is a texture you can feel and it roughly doubles the print cost, priced per color. Digital printing on good stock is excellent now, so it is a question of taste rather than quality.
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