4 Beautiful Examples of Wedding Invitations and their Costs

You might not realize it but your wedding invitations have an important role to play in your Chicago wedding, they:

• tell your guests who, what, where, when
• convey to your guests the level of formality of your event – black tie, cocktail, casual, etc.
• offer a little sneak peek into what’s to come – what they can expect to see and feel on the big day

As with most of the elements involved in planning your Chicago wedding, you’ll find that there are a lot of amazing options out there to choose from when you start to work on your invitations. Working with a local, Chicago invitation designer will not only make the process easy and enjoyable, it will allow you the luxury of meeting face to face to really work through your design concept together. Leaving you with a truly unique, custom wedding invitation that reflects you as a couple.

Of the many different styles, below are the 4 most common, as well as the average starting costs associated with each. Please note the below costs are the average starting point for Chicago wedding invitations. Of course, there are always options that are less or more expensive. The examples below simply serve as a guide so that you understand what to expect when you begin to plan out your invitations and stationery items.

All estimates are based on:

100 Invitations (Guest List of ~175 to 200)
Including – invitation, RSVP card, info card & two envelopes
(Different factors can increase starting point costs – for example, using more than one color, additional inserts, etc.)
Price does not include cost of postage or addressing of envelopes.

Be sure to visit our Chicago Invitation Designers page to get in touch with some amazingly talented Chicago Invitation Designers.

Looking for wedding professionals for your Chicago wedding? Be sure to check out our lists of Chicago Wedding Vendors.

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1. Digital: $800-$1,000+

Digital printing is basically exactly what it sounds like. First, your Chicago Invitation Designer would work with you to create a digital design that fits your wedding. Then, that digital image is printed on to paper.

Pros:

• most budget friendly option
• quickest turnaround
• no limit to the number of colors used
• great for Save the Dates & small scale signage

Cons:

• very basic
• most commonly printed on gloss paper stock (less sturdy – 3x as thick as printer paper)
• can be streaky and have inconsistency in coloration
• smooth, no texture or raised lettering

2. Thermography: $1,000-$1,300+

Basically, ink is sprayed on to the paper, then coated with a sand like substance which sticks to the ink. Heat is applied and, like magic, the ink raises leaving you with a really cool 3-D effect.

Pros:

• elegant & unique
• newer technique/printing method
• no limit in choices for font
• a step up from digital without breaking the bank

Cons:

• longer turnaround time
• more difficult/expensive to have more than one color

3. Letterpress: $1,300-$1,700+

Letterpress is a technique that has remained unchanged since it was invited by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1400s. With a little help in the 1990s from Ms. Wedding herself, Martha Stewart, Letterpress reemerged on the scene and is now one of the most popular techniques for wedding invitations.

Our favorite technique – a unique mold is created just for your invitations and the ink is actually pressed directly into the paper. It creates such gorgeous and elegant invitations. Your guests will definitely be impressed upon receiving.

Pros:

• very elegant & will impress your guests
• timeless, not something new & trendy
• definitely a great technique for a formal wedding
• simply gorgeous

Cons:

• costs can double with every color you add
• longer turnaround time

4. Foil Stamped $1,700-$2000+ (Based on foil type used)

Do you love all things shiny? Then you need to explore the option of Foil Stamped invites. A result of heat, pressure and shiny metallic paper – leaving you with a truly elegant, high sheen look.

Pros:

• a way to get a glossy look without having to use glossy paper
• gorgeous shine in lettering

Cons:

• harder to quote exact investment amount upfront
• most expensive option
• limits on type of paper that can be used
• longer turnaround time & much more expensive for a rush order

Ready to get started? Head here – Chicago Wedding Invitation Designers – to get in touch with the best of the best!