Blank Wedding Invitation Templates: DIY Printable Blanks

Starting With Blank Wedding Invitation Templates

Okay so blank wedding invitation templates are basically your best friend if you want custom invites without spending like $800 at a stationer. I’m gonna be honest, I use them for clients who have tight budgets all the time, and sometimes the DIY ones turn out better than the expensive letterpress stuff because you have complete control.

The main thing to understand is that “blank” doesn’t mean totally empty. It means you’re getting a pre-designed template with placeholder text and design elements already positioned. You just swap in your information. Think of it like those Instagram story templates but for wedding invites.

Where to Actually Find Good Templates

You’ve got a few solid options here. Etsy is probably where I send most people because you can find templates for like $8-25 and they’re usually instant downloads. The sellers typically give you editable PDFs or files that work with Canva or Templett which are both super user-friendly platforms.

Creative Market is another one but it’s slightly pricier, usually $15-40 per template set. The quality is consistently good though. I bought this gorgeous minimalist template set there in spring 2023 for a client who wanted something really clean and modern, and it came with the invitation, RSVP card, details card, menu, and like six other pieces.

Then there’s Canva which has free templates built right into the platform. Some are actually decent. The paid Canva Pro templates are better obviously, but you can definitely work with the free ones if you’re creative about customizing them.

File Formats You’ll Encounter

This is where people get confused. Templates come in different formats and you gotta know what you’re working with:

• PDF editable templates – You open these in Adobe Acrobat (the free reader version works) and just click on the text fields to type in your info. Super easy but limited customization.
• Canva templates – These are links that open directly in Canva. You edit everything in your browser. No software downloads needed.
• Templett templates – Similar to Canva but Templett is specifically designed for DIY invitations. It’s actually really intuitive.
• PSD files – These require Adobe Photoshop. If you don’t already have Photoshop, don’t buy a template in this format because the learning curve is… yeah.
• Microsoft Word templates – Honestly these are kinda clunky but they work if you’re already comfortable with Word.

Customizing Your Template Without Making It Look Homemade

The biggest mistake I see is people thinking they need to change everything about the template. Like, you bought it because you liked the design, right? So don’t go swapping out all the fonts and colors unless you really know what you’re doing with design.

Here’s what you should actually customize:

Your names and wedding details – Obviously. But pay attention to capitalization. If the template uses all caps for names, keep it that way. If it uses title case, match that style. Consistency matters more than you think.

Colors – Most templates let you change accent colors. Stick to your wedding colors but don’t go crazy. If the template has gold accents and your wedding colors are navy and blush, you can probably swap the gold for blush. But don’t try to add like four different colors because it’ll look messy.

Maybe one font – If you absolutely hate a font, change it. But only change one, not all of them. And make sure your replacement font is the same style. Don’t replace an elegant script with something blocky and modern.

The Wording Part That Stresses Everyone Out

Template wording is usually pretty traditional, and you might need to adjust it based on who’s hosting the wedding. The template might say “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith request the honor of your presence” but if you’re hosting it yourself, that doesn’t work.

Some quick wording frameworks:

• If parents are hosting: “Mr. and Mrs. [Parents’ Names] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter [Name] to [Partner’s Name]”
• If you’re hosting together: “Together with their families, [Your Name] and [Partner’s Name] request the pleasure of your company”
• If it’s super casual: “Join us as we get married! [Your Names]”

I had this situation in summer 2021 where a bride spent three hours trying to figure out how to word the invitation because her parents were divorced and remarried and everyone wanted to be listed. We ended up going with “Together with their families” because honestly trying to list four sets of parents was gonna make the invitation look like a phone book.

Printing Your DIY Invitations

This is where things can go really wrong or really right. You’ve got options and they all have tradeoffs.

Home Printing

If you’re printing at home, you need a decent printer. Not like a $40 basic inkjet. Those produce prints that look washed out and the ink smears if it gets even slightly damp. I’d say you need at minimum a good quality inkjet that’s designed for photo printing, or better yet, a laser printer.

Get sample cardstock before you commit. Print one invitation on different paper weights and finishes. Standard cardstock is 80lb or 100lb cover weight. I usually recommend 110lb because it feels substantial without being impossible to cut.

Things that annoyed me SO MUCH when I first started doing this: printer margins. Your home printer probably can’t print edge to edge. There’s usually a quarter-inch margin on all sides that stays blank. So when you’re setting up your template, you need to account for that or you’ll end up with weird white borders.

Professional Printing Services

Catprint, Vistaprint, Minted, Staples, FedEx Office – they all do invitation printing. You upload your PDF and they print and ship to you.

Catprint is my go-to for quality. Their cardstock options are excellent and pricing is reasonable. For 100 invitations on nice cardstock you’re looking at maybe $60-80.

Vistaprint is cheaper but the quality is more hit or miss. Fine for save the dates or rehearsal dinner invites but I wouldn’t use them for the main invitation unless budget is really tight.

Local print shops are actually worth checking out. Sometimes they’re competitive with online prices and you can see paper samples in person which is huge.

Paper Types and What They Actually Mean

When you’re ordering paper or looking at printing options, here’s what the terms mean:

Matte cardstock – No shine, smooth finish. Prints look crisp. This is the most versatile option and works for basically any invitation style.

Glossy – Shiny finish. Makes colors pop but can look cheap if you’re going for an elegant vibe. Also shows fingerprints like crazy.

Linen or textured – Has a subtle texture that adds dimension. Really nice for traditional or formal invitations. The texture can sometimes make fine details look slightly fuzzy though.

Pearlescent or shimmer – Has a subtle sparkle or sheen. Pretty but doesn’t print as well at home because the shimmer can interfere with ink absorption.

Kraft paper – That brown rustic paper. Great for casual or outdoor weddings. Doesn’t work well with dark colors since there’s no white background.

Standard Invitation Sizes

Most templates come in standard sizes because those are cheapest to print and mail:

• 5×7 inches – The most common invitation size
• 4×6 inches – Good for save the dates or simpler invitations
• A7 (5.25 x 7.25 inches) – Slightly larger, elegant proportions
• Square sizes like 5.5×5.5 – Pretty but require extra postage which people forget about

Assembling Everything

Okay so you’ve printed your invitations, RSVP cards, and details cards. Now what? You need envelopes obviously, and this is where you decide how fancy to get.

Basic approach: Print everything, trim to size with a paper cutter (get a good one, the $15 ones from craft stores are terrible), stuff into envelopes, add stamps, mail. Done.

Fancier approach: Add belly bands, vellum overlays, wax seals, ribbon, envelope liners. You can buy all this stuff on Amazon or from invitation supply shops.

I usually tell people to do a few test assemblies before committing to extras. Make three complete invitations with all the bells and whistles you’re considering, then look at them the next day. Sometimes what seems elegant at 10pm looks kinda overdone in daylight.

Envelope Addressing

You can hand write addresses if your handwriting is decent and you only have like 30 invitations. Beyond that, consider:

• Printing addresses on labels – Functional but looks less formal
• Printing directly on envelopes – Your printer needs a straight-through feed path or this becomes a nightmare. Mine doesn’t and I’ve jammed it so many times trying to feed envelopes through…
• Hiring a calligrapher – Not as expensive as you’d think for just addressing. Usually $2-5 per envelope
• Using a addressing template – You can buy clear labels and print addresses in pretty fonts, then stick them on envelopes

Timeline for DIY Invitations

Don’t start this two weeks before you need to mail them. Just don’t. Here’s a realistic timeline:

6-8 weeks before mail date: Purchase template, start customizing, order paper samples

5-6 weeks before: Finalize design, order printing or buy supplies for home printing

3-4 weeks before: Print everything, order any assembly supplies you need

2 weeks before: Assemble invitations, address envelopes

1 week before mail date: Finish assembly, take a sample to the post office to get it weighed for correct postage

That post office step is important because if your invitation is thick or has a wax seal or is square shaped, you’ll need extra postage. Better to know before you put regular stamps on 150 envelopes.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

Colors look different when printed – This happens because screens show RGB colors and printers use CMYK. Print a test before doing your whole batch. You might need to adjust colors in your template to compensate.

Text is blurry – You’re probably working with a low-resolution template. Look for templates that are at least 300 DPI. Anything less will look fuzzy when printed.

Cuts are uneven – Get a proper paper cutter with a ruler guide. Those craft scissors with the fancy edges? Nah. You want straight clean cuts. A rotary trimmer works great for small batches.

Ink is smearing – Let prints dry for at least 15 minutes before handling. If you’re using an inkjet, consider a fixative spray.

My cat knocked over an entire stack of freshly printed invitations once and I had to reprint 40 of them because of paw prints, so maybe keep pets away from your workspace during this project.

Budget Breakdown

Here’s roughly what you’ll spend for 100 invitations doing it yourself:

• Template purchase: $10-30
• Professional printing: $60-150 depending on paper quality
• Envelopes: $20-40
• Postage: $70-100 (this is for regular stamps, more if you need extra postage)
• Assembly extras if wanted: $20-80

Total: Around $180-400 for 100 complete invitation suites. Compare that to ordering custom invitations from a stationer which would be like $500-1200 minimum for the same quantity.

Software Tips for Editing Templates

If you’re using Canva, learn these shortcuts: Ctrl+D duplicates elements, Ctrl+G groups things together, and holding Shift while resizing keeps proportions locked. Also the “position” tool is your friend for centering things perfectly.

For Templett, everything is pretty straightforward but remember to download the high-resolution version when you’re done editing. There’s usually a button that says “Download High-Res PDF” or something similar.

Adobe Acrobat for fillable PDFs is mostly just clicking and typing but sometimes the text boxes are too small for what you need to write. You can usually adjust font size within the field to make it fit, or break the text into two lines.

Fonts and Readability

Script fonts are gorgeous but if your venue name is “The Grand Estate at Willowbrook Gardens” and you use a super fancy script, half your guests won’t be able to read it. Make sure important information like addresses and times are in readable fonts. You can go fancy with names and decorative elements but keep essential details clear.

Also watch out for font licensing. Some fonts that come with templates are only licensed for personal use. If you’re doing invitations for someone else technically that might be commercial use, though honestly I’ve never heard of anyone getting in trouble for this with wedding invitations specifically, but… just be aware.

Proofreading Because You Will Miss Something

Print a physical copy and proofread it. Then have someone else proofread it. Then check it again the next day. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve caught errors only after printing that I somehow missed on screen.

Common mistakes: wrong date, misspelled venue name, forgot to change the year from the template’s placeholder, wrong time (especially AM vs PM), missing RSVP deadline, incorrect return address on RSVP envelopes.

That last one is sneaky because the RSVP envelope needs YOUR address since guests are mailing it back to you, but people sometimes put the venue address or forget to change it from whatever the template had.

Extra Suite Pieces You Might Want

Most template sets include more than just the invitation. You usually get:

• Main invitation
• RSVP card and envelope
• Details card (for hotel info, directions, website)
• Reception card (if ceremony and reception are separate)

Some fancier sets also include menus, programs, thank you cards, table numbers, and welcome signs. Think about what you actually need before printing everything. You might not need separate reception cards if you can fit that info on the main invitation or details card.

During one wedding in like late 2022, the couple printed every single item in their template set because they thought they had to, and they ended up with all these pieces they didn’t use. It’s a template SET but you don’t have to use every piece.