It’s really not until you get stuck into the planning of a wedding that you realise just how many expenses there are. Even if you’ve decided just to go for a rather simple event with no unnecessary garnishes, there are just so many added expenses and extras that are guaranteed to take you by surprise. And just when you think you’ve covered all bases, along comes something you didn’t realise could cost so much – wedding stationary being a prime example.
You’d think that when you’re talking things like table cards and invitations, you’d be unlikely to spend a great deal on such simple things. But you’d also be wrong as unless you’re really happy to go for the most bargain-basement stationary that’s in no way befitting a wedding, costs can soon add up to a quite eye-watering final figure. On the plus side, the folks at Handy Hippo Crafts have a few expert tips to share on how to keep wedding stationary costs to an absolute minimum while still producing the kind of stationary that’s as gorgeous and elegant as any wedding deserves.
For example:
1 – Plan Ahead
First of all, there’s nothing in the world that breeds poorer decision-making than trying to rush things at the last minute. It’s pretty much inevitable that the less time you have, the more likely you are to make bad decisions and spend more than you wanted to. This is why no matter how far ahead your wedding may be, there’s really no time like the present to start thinking about getting your stationary sorted. Research the providers on the market, have a good think about what you want and consider setting things in motion.
2 – A Single Supplier
If you decide to go with the professionals, one of the most important money-saving tips of all is that of sticking with the same supplier for all the stationary you order. From place settings to thank-you cards to invitations and so on, the more you order in bulk from one supplier, the more likely you are to get a preferential rate. By contrast, source various things from all over the place and you’re almost guaranteed to pay more.
3 – K.I.S.S.
Yes, it’s a cliché, but the old ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ adage works pretty well here to say the least. It’s one thing to like the idea of having all your stationary coordinated with jewels and gold leaves, but if you’re trying to make savings, this isn’t the way to go. Simple can be beautiful and there’s nothing to say you really must go OTT with the embellishments. Take a look online for a little inspiration on how to create wonderfully simple wedding stationary if necessary.
4 – RSVP?
Paper and card invites are always nice and certainly a tradition that’s worth keeping. Quite to the contrary however, there’s really no need in this day and age for potential guests to RSVP using the same coordinated stationary by post or in-person. Instead, simply ask them to confirm or decline the wedding invitations by text, email or even a social media message – all of which are hugely convenient and 100% free of charge.
5 – Go Digital
Speaking of going digital, you could of course oust the idea of invites altogether and organise your own invitation system online. Some will of course argue that this goes against tradition and for sure it’s not the ideal solution for everyone, but if the most important thing of all is keeping costs down, this is a great way of 100% eliminating one of the costs from top to bottom. You could build your own website, organise things by email or use the wonders of social media – any and all of these won’t cost you a penny and should in theory get the job done.
6 – Go Manual
Last but not least, if time permits and you’re really looking to make an impact, one of the most outstanding ideas of all is that of going manual and making your own stationary. Even better if you can get kids involved as there’s really nothing sweeter than a stack of place settings created by kids using their own favourite colours and plenty of imagination. Whether you want to keep it simple or take things to a much more elaborate level, the DIY approach gives you so much freedom and allows you to create something wonderfully unique. And of course, it also happens to be a hell of a lot cheaper than buying stationary, which is an added bonus to say the least!