How Many Wedding Invitations Should I Order?

“How many invitations will you need?” is one of the first questions I ask my clients when beginning the wedding invitation ordering process. It isn’t unusual to get a blank look in reply to this question (or blank answer on the questionnaire I use to determine pricing for a quote). It can be difficult to know exactly how many wedding invitations to order so early in the planning process. I’ve put together some tips on finalizing a number.

Count number of addresses rather than number of guests. Early in the planning process, clients request a quote for 200 invitations since they have a guest list of 200. Since many of your guests live with each other (couples, families, roommates) think of the number in terms of addresses rather than people. If sending save the dates, use this list as a test run to get an idea of the number of addresses on your wedding guest list. Typically, the number of invitations is 40%-60% of the number of guests.

Include a few for keepsakes. Did you realize that the invitation is one of the only things you can actually keep from your wedding day? Other than the wedding dress and photography, your invitation is something that remains after the vows have been said, the flowers have wilted, the food has been eaten, and the music has been played. When ordering wedding invitations, include some extras as keepsakes – at least one for yourself and for each set of parents.

Plan for extras. In the case of forgetting someone on your list, it is good to have extra invitations on hand. If you have more guests RSVP “no” that originally planned, this might leave open some spots for friends who weren’t on the original guest list and it’s a good idea to have extra invitations for this. Many wedding invitation companies require a minimum order, which can make it extremely expensive to order a few extras after the original order has been processed. Avoid any stress by adding 5-10 extra invitations with your order.

“How Many Wedding Invitations Should I Order?” Formula
Number of Addresses + Keepsakes (3-4) + Extras (5-10) = Final Quantity Needed