The invitation you like may only be available in a small range of colors and, although invitation books often offer coordinating pieces, they may not offer all of the elements you need. For instance, there may be a coordinating program and thank you card available but no place cards or menus. Be sure to find out the total cost of all of the pieces you are interested in. If you don’t, you may find out that the invitations you have chosen fit into your budget only before you have added the required envelopes, response cards and reception cards.

Parts & Pieces

Parts and pieces make up the second category of invitations. These invitations are created from paper, ribbon, rivets, photos, and embellishments from stationery, art supply, and scrapbooking stores. This category is for the creative party planner who wants to make the invitations herself. The possibilities for this type of invitation are only limited by the supplies, ability and budget of the creator. An invitation book may not offer the perfect shade of peach, but invitations made from parts and pieces can. In addition, homemade invitations can be inexpensive for simple designs (parts and pieces can range from $1 to $15 per invitation).

There are some disadvantages to homemade invitations, however. While sometimes a less expensive solution than book or custom invitations, costs can add up if you don’t already have all of the necessary equipment to create your masterpiece. Also, making your invitations can be very time consuming. The process can be labor intensive and should not be entered without counting the cost of the time spent tying bows on 150 invitations.

Besides extra costs and extra time, you need to consider your knowledge of etiquette before creating your own invitations. Be sure to have someone else double check your proof before printing them all to catch an spelling or etiquette mistakes before they happen. You may also consider having the invitations professionally printed even if you are going to assemble them yourself. This will give a high quality finished look for a relatively low cost.