DIY wedding invitations are a good way to save some serious cash or, sometimes, more importantly, a fun way to put your personal stamp on your wedding decor and we’re here to show you how!
Like a delicious meal, results are always stronger if you have a recipe to guide you. Whether you’re looking for some inspiration or need an entire A-Z roadmap, we have you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to buy or make wedding invitations?
Printing your own invitations may be more affordable than having them from a professional stationery designer, but it doesn’t always mean it will be faster.
How long before the wedding should invitations be sent?
Invitations should be sent to your guests six to eight weeks in advance of your wedding. Invitations for destination weddings should be sent to your guests three months in advance of your wedding.
How To DIY Wedding Invitations
To make easy DIY wedding invitations, start with this shortlist of card-components to make sure that you have all your bases covered.
- Create a custom stamp
Many couples have a custom logo or monogram created for their big event. Apply this to your stationery with either ink or embossing to make a memorable impression. - Choose a ribbon
Adding a little something extra is a pretty way to keep the contents inside of the envelope as well as tie your invitations into your theme. If you’re going Rustic or Boho, consider swapping the ribbon for some twine. - Watch your edges (punches or gilding)
Adding a stylized border moves your wedding invitations from ordinary to extraordinary. Traditional homemade wedding invitations look like a million bucks with a little gilding while more casual themes pair well with a pattern of hole punches. - Practice your calligraphy
Handwritten wedding invitations are always recommended. Make yours look gorgeous with professional-level wedding fonts. - Add a splash of color
Using watercolor is a fun way to add some subtle color. This is transparent and won’t interrupt your calligraphy, but it will make it easy to create wedding invitations that are aligned with your theme. - Include liner
This serves no practical function but succeeds in adding a layer of impressive beauty to your wedding invitations. - Seal it
Use the same logo that we mentioned above to seal your envelope with wax and make it seem like it’s an official notice from royalty.
You don’t have to use each and every element but with these DIY wedding cards, you can be as simple or as intricate as you like.
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DIY Wedding Invitation Ideas
Now that you’re aware of all of the components to create the best DIY wedding invitations, you may appreciate some guidance on matching them to your theme.
Unique DIY wedding invites
Think outside the box. For example, if you’re hosting a whimsical Star Wars-themed wedding, emboss the envelope with a smaller R2D2 rather than letting it take over the design. For everything else, add unexpected bold colors, replace your paper with an etched metal card, or anything else that says “we’re one of a kind”.
DIY rustic wedding invitations
Focus on natural elements like flowers, stone, wood, and anything “country”. Use these elements literally with images, or figuratively with color and texture. Try to be clever like incorporating a horseshoe into your wedding logo or pairing classy fonts with flowered hole-punched borders.
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DIY photo wedding invitations
Print your photos as a transparent background image to personalize your save the dates ideas. This can be something cute like a pic of the two of you or something clever like an image that directly relates to your theme. The trick with transparencies – for those of you who haven’t quite mastered photoshop just yet – is to make the image dark enough to still be legible and light enough to not interfere with the text. Depending on how dark the original is, the opacity sweet spot seems to be between 30% and 40%.
Vintage wedding invitations
DIY wedding invitations seem to pair perfectly with a vintage theme. All of the patterned hole punching, lace, and twine that you’ll use on your cards are sure to find their way into your vintage wedding decor. If you’re hosting an outdoor wedding, make the effort to create DIY wedding program fans so that your guests can keep themselves cool during the reception.
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DIY lace wedding invitations
Add hot glue to the mix and wrap the borders of your wedding invitations with lace. This is appropriate for many themes such as vintage, boho, rustic, and unique. You’d be surprised what a difference a little effort and texture can have on the end results!
Printable Wedding Invitations
If you’re not into paid premium wedding templates, there are plenty of gorgeous free designs to choose from. Again, use them for inspiration. Or, use them as a springboard and customize them to your liking.
Check out a few of our favorites:
It’s hard to believe that these designs are free! There’s a selection for every theme and style, and you can print them using your printer at home – even a few funny wedding cards. If this is your method of choice, make sure to pay attention to the paper. Choose a stock that’s too thin and the color will look weird and the card will be flimsy. Choose a stock that’s too thin and you’ll jam up your printer pretty quickly.
If time permits, gather a few paper stock options from a stationery store and do a few practice runs until you find the right balance between thick and thin. If you really love your design and want it on the best paper possible, you can always take the money you saved on the design process and invest it into a professional printer, and still have cheap DIY wedding invitations.
DIY Wedding Invitation Templates
If you don’t want to craft your wedding invitations completely from scratch, but still want to save a few bucks and apply your personal style, these templated DIY wedding invitation ideas from some familiar names are a great compromise.
- Rustic Theme Wedding Invitation Template $2.95
- Traditional Destination Wedding Invitation Template $3.45
- Bohemian Wedding Invitation Template $3.45
- Country Wedding Invitation Template $8.35
- Super Cute Modern Invitation Template $6.97
These unique DIY wedding invites are ready to go if you want it that way. But, they also leave a little room for you to apply your imagination and creative skills. Or, browse these sites along with Pinterest to gather some inspiration. If you’re going this route, we recommend that you begin with old-fashioned paper and pencil. Mockup your design with some thumbnail sketches before you end up winding your wheels with directionless photoshop hours.
Digital Wedding Invitations
In the green age, avoiding printed paper can be seen as a positive. Save a tree or two by sending digital wedding invitations. Beyond saving the planet, here are a few other reasons to consider going digital.
- You can use animation
- There are no size or dimension limits
- You can save a ton of money
- You can add more guests on demand
- Integrate with your favorite RSVP tracking software
You would use the same design process like choosing a great photo and the best font for your invitations wording, but you’ll find that things may take a little longer than expected. As a rule, it should be a lot faster, but with so many options you may find yourself struggling to make decisions. Again, it’s best to start with a sketch and general idea of what you want before you take the plunge.
How To Make DIY Wedding Envelope
Envelopes are often overlooked when planning how to DIY wedding invitations. You’ll want to put some thought into the design to make sure you addressing wedding invitations with style. You’ll want to choose a color and style that matches your invites and the rest of your theme. In some cases, plain white is entirely appropriate. In other cases, images or quotes fit in perfectly.
If you’ll be testing your calligraphy skills, make sure to get a thick enough card stock to hold the ink. Light paper tends to bleed.
You’ll also want to make sure that you have enough envelopes in hand. There may be a few unexpected friends you’ll want to add to your guest list.
More likely, there will be a few envelopes that you’ll want to throw into the “practice pile” that aren’t suitable to send out. 25% is the recommended extra amount.
In conclusion:
Whether you’re looking for elaborate or simple DIY wedding invitations we hope we’ve been able to help you out. Remember, creating DIY wedding invitations should be a fun process. Do lots of research, sketch out your ideas, and leave yourself plenty of time. Follow this advice and you’ll have yourself an entertaining project you can be proud of rather than a time-crunch chore. Happy Planning!
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