How much do party invitations cost?

Printed invitations cost £0.50-£2 each for standard designs. Premium letterpress invitations run £3-£8 each. Handmade invitations cost £2-£10 depending on complexity. Digital e-invites are free or up to £30 for a design template. Bulk printing reduces per-unit cost significantly.

How much is UK postage for invitations?

Royal Mail rates from 7 April 2026: a 2nd class standard letter stamp is 91p and 1st class is £1.80. Many invitations are oversized or embellished, so they fall into the large letter band — 1st class large letter is £3.30 and 2nd class large letter is £1.55. International Standard letters start from around £3.60. Weight and size affect the rate, so always weigh and gauge a complete invitation (with RSVP card and inserts) before buying stamps. (Rates verified April 2026.)

Should I include RSVP cards?

Physical RSVP cards add a nice touch for formal events and weddings but add cost (printing + return postage). For casual parties, a phone number or email address on the invite works fine. Digital RSVPs via a website or WhatsApp group are increasingly popular and free.

How many spare invitations should I order?

Order 10-15% extra invitations. This covers mistakes, last-minute additions to the guest list, and keepsakes. For weddings, order 15-20% extra as you may want to frame one and send to anyone you forgot.

Invitation Budget Calculator — Stationery Costs

Calculate the cost of invitations, postage, and stationery for your event.

Invitation TypeSets the style for your reference — enter your own per-invite cost below

Number of Invitations

One invite per household, not per guest

Cost per Invitation

Printed £0.50–£2, premium/letterpress £3–£8, handmade £2–£10 each

Envelope Cost Each

Plain envelopes ~£0.10, lined or coloured ~£0.30 each

Postage per Invite

UK 2nd class letter 91p, 1st class £1.80, large letter from £1.55 (April 2026)

RSVP Card Cost Each

Include return postage if you supply a stamped RSVP envelope

Spare Percentage

10–15% extra covers mistakes, late additions and keepsakes

How We Calculate This

This calculator estimates the full cost of sending out event invitations.

Formula

Total invites = invite count × (1 + spare %)
Print cost = total invites × cost per invite
Envelopes, RSVP cards, inserts and seals = total invites × each unit cost (spares get the full set)
Postage = invite count × postage cost (spares are kept, not posted)
Grand total = printing + envelopes + postage + RSVP cards + any inserts, seals and one-off design fee from Advanced Options

Per-invite costs depend on the style you choose: printed cards run £0.50–£2 each, premium/letterpress £3–£8, and handmade £2–£10. Postage is based on Royal Mail rates (verified April 2026) — weigh and gauge a finished invitation, as anything oversized or padded jumps to the large-letter band.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: June 2026

All calculations are estimates. Adjust quantities based on your guests and event type.