Stationery & Websites Budget Breakdown (Micro-Wedding Edition)

“Do we really need invitations if we have a website?” Or, “Let’s just text everyone, it’s only fifty people.” Sensible on paper—until you realize stationery isn’t just paper. It’s tone-setting. It’s how your day begins in your guests’ hands and how it stays with them after. Done well, it’s design, logistics, and hospitality in one elegant system.

Below is what’s realistic for a micro-wedding, with numbers that won’t give you sticker shock mid-checkout.

Wedding website optimized for desktop and mobile.

What you actually need (for ~50 guests)

• Save the Date (optional if timing is tight or the guest list is ultra-local)

• Invitation (single card) + details insert (or a QR to your website)

• Envelopes (outer + return; addressing method)

• Day-of: program (optional), menu (shared or per-place), escort display/place cards, a welcome sign, bar menu, and one or two directional signs

• Wedding website: RSVP, schedule, map, dress code notes, lodging, registry, last-minute updates

The “Digital-First” Option

You lean on the website; paper is minimal.

• Website: free to ~$10–$20/month depending on features and privacy

• Digital save-the-date + e-invite: many platforms are free or <$60 for premium designs

• Printed touchpoints for the day (menus, a welcome sign, escort cards): $150–$600 DIY print or online printer

Micro-wedding reality: $200–$700, plus time to design and proof. Elegant if you’re decisive and organized.

Standard Paper Suite (refined but sensible)

• Printed invitations (digitally printed), envelopes, and a small details card that points to your website

• Addressing: clean fonts or printed labels (not calligraphy)

• Day-of suite: 1–2 signs, menus, simple escort/place cards

Micro-wedding range: $300–$800 depending on paper, finishes, and quantities.

Editorial & Tactile (letterpress or foil accents)

• Heavier stock, letterpress or foil on the invite, matching envelopes, perhaps a liner or wax seal

• Day-of pieces printed to match (even if simplified)

Micro-wedding range: $800–$1,500 for restrained luxury; $1,500–$3,000 if you add hand calligraphy, multiple processes, or custom illustration.

Hidden Costs You Might Miss

• Postage math: square envelopes, heavy stock, and wax seals can trigger non-machinable surcharges or extra ounce fees. Budget a cushion—postage often runs higher than the “Forever stamp” line you’re picturing.

• Addressing labor: hand calligraphy is art and priced accordingly; even printed addressing has setup fees.

• Multiple proofs/reprints: last-minute changes, a typo caught late, or a new venue time = reprint costs.

• Rush timelines: expedited print + expedited shipping add up quickly.

• Display hardware: sign stands, frames, easels—small, but not zero.

Wedding Websites (what’s worth paying for)

• Must-haves: private/guest-list only access, RSVP (with plus-one logic), schedule, map, lodging, FAQs, registry links

• Nice-to-haves: password, custom domain, sections for dress code/parking, SMS or email updates for guests, and the ability to export RSVPs/meal choices

• Cost: free to $10–$20/month; a designer-built custom site can run $200–$800+ if you want a bespoke look

Lovestruck POV: Use the site to carry the heavy logistics so your paper stays chic and minimal.

Day-Of Print That Pulls Its Weight

• One beautiful welcome moment (a single large sign or board—readable, photogenic)

• Bar menu (saves your bartender from reciting the same speech 50 times)

• Escort display (clean, simple; alphabetical over table-by-table)

• Menus: one per place looks luxe; one per table is practical and pretty

Micro-wedding range: $150–$400 if you keep it simple; $500–$1,000+ with specialty boards, acrylic, or custom stands.

Ways to Save (without losing the look)

• Consolidate pieces. One impeccably designed invite + a small details card that points to the website. Skip the multi-card suite.

• Postcard RSVPs or digital RSVPs. Fewer envelopes, fewer stamps, fewer returns to chase.

• Standard sizes. Rectangular, machinable envelopes keep postage civilized.

• Batch elegance. Put your design investment into the invitation and welcome sign. Keep menus and escort cards simple and consistent.

• Use your brand palette. Two colors + great typography reads elevated without pricey finishes.

• Print smart. Order a handful of extra invites (for keepsakes and late adds) to avoid micro-reprints.

Questions to Ask Your Stationer (or Yourself)

1. What’s included in the price—envelopes, addressing, proof rounds, and assembly?

2. Timeline: from deposit to proofs to ship date; what’s the rush policy?

3. Paper & process: digital vs. letterpress vs. foil—what changes the price most?

4. Postage reality: will my size/weight/seals trigger surcharges?

5. Day-of package: can we bundle menus, signage, escort cards for a set price?

6. Reorders & reprints: minimums and turnaround if guest counts shift.

Reality Check

Stationery and websites together typically land at 2–5% of a micro-wedding budget. You can go lean and digital-forward for a few hundred dollars or invest in tactile processes that feel heirloom. Neither is “more correct”—the right answer is the one that sets the tone, communicates clearly, and fits your priorities.

Pro Lovestruck Tip

Design one signature moment—a chic, editorial invitation or a statement welcome sign—and let everything else echo it quietly. Guests remember coherence and care, not the number of inserts.

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