Save on postage by ensuring your invitations will fit a standard sized envelope.
Make your own wedding invitations. Go to stationary shops, printers or on-line to get ideas and then have an invitation assembling party with your friends or family. Or, buy some nice paper (already printed with a colour or design) and envelopes and print up our own invitations on your own or a friend’s printer.
Make a website for your wedding, and either send out emails or basic invites by mail directing your guests to the website. You will save a lot on postage this way. (More information on websites at the end of the guide).
Go into a stationary store and pick out some paper that you like. Look on the bottom or the back of the paper, as it will generally have the wholesaler or designer’s details together with copyright information printed here. Note down these details and then use the internet to find the contact details for the wholesaler or designer and see if they sell direct (many will for a lot cheaper than the retailer’s price).
Ask around to find out who the major wholesalers are in your city. For example, Wedding Stationery Supplies (at 30 Rokeby St Collingwood) supply stationary to over 300 stationary retailers in Melbourne including Papermarc and Starfish Lane. I got my stationary here at a BIG discount, and they also do professional printing (although I did mine myself). Don’t expect all glam and glitter and you may have to go to a warehouse and plough through isles of shelves and boxes to find what you want. Also, be sure to ask if they cut to size for you, a lot will for free (so don’t forget to measure up before you go!).
Ask your retailer if they do any packages, or if they can do you a deal since you will be buying so much. For example, can they throw in the envelopes or thankyou cards for free?
Envelope seals are pretty, but will end up in the bin as soon as your invitation is opened, and can be an unnecessary expense.
Australia post sell some gorgeous wedding theme stamps, but you pay a premium for these, and again, they will end up in the bin as soon as your invitation is opened.
There are designers on the internet (found through a web search or they frequently advertise on ebay) who make up digital invitations. They can include your photo and wedding colours and the final product will be sent to you as an image file for as little as $10. You can then email these out, or pay 10 cents per print (sometimes a little more) to print them out on photo paper at your local chain store or photo store. Imogen did this, and her gorgeous personalised invitations cost her a whopping total of $15.
Don’t forget to include stationary and postage for the thankyou cards in your budget (yes this is done after your wedding, but it is still part of your wedding so should be budgeted for). If you buy these at the same time as your invitations you may save costs by buying bulk.
Have your buck’s or hen’s party at your house or at the house of a friend or family member. The food and drinks will be a lot cheaper than at a restaurant or night-club and you will also save on the cost of taxis if you can crash on the lounge room floor.
Get physical with buck’s and hen’s party ideas. You could try playing golf, going fishing, lawn or ten-pin bowling. As well as saving money, you could have some exercise and fun while you are partying.
Make a weekend of it and go camping in the great outdoors with your friends. A low key weekend of camping in the weeks before your wedding is a great way to unwind from all of the wedding stress, a “last opportunity” to hang out with your mates as a single person and, since you are self catering, you will save money on the food and drinks.
If you do decide to go out to a pub or restaurant, you can probably expect your guests to pay for their own meals and drinks and yours as well. Mates are usually willing to get you as drunk as possible at your own buck’s or hen’s night!
I had a lingerie party for my bridal shower, and somehow ended up with $600 of free underwear! There are lots of other options for these kind of product parties and you could end up with free underwear, clothing, cleaning products, personal hygiene products, make-up and hair products for nothing.
The Wedding Dress
The Bridesmaid Dresses, The Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire
Hair, Makeup & Jewellery, Shoes
The Ceremony & Music
The Reception Venue, Catering & Drinks
The Flowers, Cake & Bonbonniere (Favors)
The Photos
The Transport
Invitations, The Bridal Shower, Hen’s Night & Buck’s Night
The Gifts & The Honeymoon
How to Change Name After Getting Married (Australia)
