How Much Do Wedding Stationers Charge

Let’s start with the first critical question. What is a stationer? A stationer is an individual or business specializing in paper products. Sometimes this means that they make and design their own paper products. Often they simply sell products created and designed by others as sort of a marketing partnership.

Truly great stationer businesses, especially as they relate to your business success, are those that will not only provide a wide variety of papers to their clients, but will provide customized printing, ink and typeface options, and will provide custom design services to each customer, along with a large selection of pre-prepared stationery options.

Stationers come in many shapes and sizes. Some of these businesses have physical storefronts where they sell an assortment of different stationery pieces already designed and pre-packaged. Some businesses choose to only offer their products online, where they can all be purchased from a website, and finally some stationers choose to offer both physical and online sites for their customers. About half, if not less, of these businesses also offer custom designing services.

Regardless of the type of business, every stationer should have a good number of samples of their work in sample books to hand over during initial consultations, or online, available to be sent of free or for a small fee to requesting customers. Anyone that does custom-designed work though, will likely go and sit down to meet with their potential clients in person.

Finally, before doing business together, a stationer will likely need a contract signed ahead of time, and most will require a 50% upfront deposit. If they are doing custom-designed work for your couple, you can expect to get a proof for them to approve and make changes soon after the deposit. From that point, final pieces will be created and either delivered or can be picked up. Let’s look now at what stationers are charging for their products and services.

Creating a Custom Monogram – From traditional to modern, monograms can be any customized to your personality and unique vision. Between vintage lettering, custom illustrations and hand-rendered fonts, we have the ability to create truly one-of-a-kind monograms for use on stationery, invitations, giftware, acrylic items, party accessories and embroidery. Couture monograms may be designed a la carte for $300 or as part of your invitation or stationery wardrobe.

Coordinating All Stationery Items – Quality stationers have the ability to coordinate all of your materials together with the style and theme of a wedding. I’m not talking about putting a butterfly on each of the different pieces either. They truly can create a work of art to accurately portray the formality, colors and overall feel of the event for guests before the event has even taken place. Sometimes the stationery becomes the ultimate guide for the rest of the event. This usually does not come at any extra charge other than for the products being purchased. In fact, stationers may even give a nice discount to customers that purchase all of their stationery pieces together, rather than just one or two pieces.

Envelope Addressing - They can professionally print envelopes with guests' names and addresses as well as the return address for the couple. All couples have to do is choose their font, create their guest list in an excel (.xls) or comma delimited file (.csv) and upload! Customers can usually preview and adjust each envelope too! This will come at an additional cost of .50 cents to $2.00 an envelope, depending on printing, personalization and the need for label creation.

Invitation Assembly - Assembly Services are another fabulous time-saver for the busy bride-to-be. These businesses will tie bows and ribbons, hand fold cards and wraps, assemble pocket invitations, insert invitations and cards, and even seal the deal (envelopes that is). Addressing prices for envelopes typically runs about $1.00 per envelope.

Stamping and Mailing All Invitations – Not many, but a few stationers will even stamp and mail invitations for their customers. Of course, this comes with an extra charge just like everything else, but it really can come in handy for the busy bride that simply doesn’t have the time to do it herself. This service typically comes with an extra charge of about $30 to $60.

Here are most of the products that these professionals are offering clients, and the range of prices within each.

• Save the Dates: $0.50 to $2.50 each
• Party Invitations: $0.50 to $5.00 each (bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette, engagement, rehearsal dinner, post-wedding brunch)
• Wedding Invitations: $1.50 to $20.00 each
• Ceremony Programs: $1.00 to $5.00 each
• Escort Cards: $0.50 to $1.50 each
• Place Cards: $0.50 to $1.50 each
• Table Numbers: $1.00 to $10.00 each
• Menus: $1.50 to $5.50 each
• Favors: $0.15 to $10.00 each (tags, boxes, ribbons, organza bags, water bottle labels, memo boards, etc.)
• Napkins: $15.00 to $50.00 for 50 napkins
• Thank You Cards: $0.50 to $3.50 each
• Announcements: $0.50 to $5.00 each
• Stamps: $30.00 to $120.00 each
• Embossers: $50.00 to $85.00 each

Although many stationers may offer other products and services not named, those that remained unmentioned may be so rare, or just specific to that stationer. It’s impossible to know everything that any stationer might provide their customers. This should be a good collection of what you will find when searching for a wedding stationer.

Keep in mind that this is just one option for those brides and grooms searching for wedding stationery. There’s no rule stating that couples must go with a professional stationer for all of their wedding paper items. They are just extremely helpful in choosing, designing, purchasing, ordering, and delivering these items without much effort from you.

You could also make your own items from materials found around your home or at craft stores, you can order premade invites (and other stationery items) from a dealer that provide a magazine or catalog of items you can purchase, or you can forgo these items altogether by emailing your invites, using old windows, blackboards, and other materials to display your information for guests.

However, wedding stationers can give you something that no one else can; a wedding stationery experience that involves unique, personalized stationery items created just for you, an easy no nonsense way to purchase, order and get your items delivered, and they will even be there to fix any problems you might have with them. To tell you the truth, short of giving them your names and addresses, along with wedding and guest info, you don’t have to lift another finger if you don’t want to. They will even stuff and deliver your invites for you. Hand off all other stationery items to your wedding planner and voila! The easiest shopping experience ever!