Blank Marriage Invitation Card: Design & Ordering Guide

Starting With Blank Invitation Cards Is Actually Smart

Okay so blank marriage invitation cards are like this secret weapon that most couples don’t even think about until they’re totally overwhelmed by catalog options that all look the same. I had this client back in spring 2023 who came to me literally crying because she’d ordered 150 invitations from one of those big online places and they arrived with the wrong shade of blue and she hated the font but hadn’t realized until they were printed. That’s when I started really pushing blank cards as an option for people who want control without going fully custom.

Blank cards basically give you the canvas but you fill in everything else. You can buy them pre-cut, pre-scored, sometimes with envelopes included, and then you handle the actual invitation details yourself through printing services or even DIY printing if you’re brave enough.

Why You’d Actually Want Blank Cards

The biggest reason is flexibility. You’re not locked into a design package where everything has to match their templates. I’ve seen couples save like $300-600 going the blank card route instead of fully designed invitations from boutique stationers. You can change your wording up until the last minute, you can print exactly how many you need without ordering minimums that force you to buy 25 extra, and if Aunt Susan suddenly gets a plus-one two weeks before the wedding (this happens way more than it should), you can just print one more.

Also you can mix and match. Buy blanks in one color, print in another ink color, add your own embellishments. I had a couple who bought cream cardstock blanks and then hand-stamped little gold leaves on each corner while watching Netflix. Took them like three weekends but they loved it and it cost maybe $80 total for 100 invitations.

The Annoying Part Nobody Tells You

Here’s what drives me kinda crazy though—blank cards seem simple but then you realize you need to make actual design decisions and suddenly you’re spending four hours choosing between two nearly identical fonts. Without a template guiding you, some people just freeze up. I’ve watched couples argue about kerning. KERNING. That’s the space between letters and honestly unless it’s really bad nobody notices.

Types of Blank Cards You Can Buy

There’s way more variety than you’d think. You’ve got your basic cardstock sheets that you cut yourself (nah, don’t do this unless you have a really good paper cutter and patience). Then there are pre-cut flat cards which are the easiest—just print and go. Folded cards give you that traditional look, they’re usually scored so they fold cleanly.

Pocketfold invitations are these fancy ones with a pocket that holds all your enclosure cards. You can buy those blank too, just the pocket piece without any printing. They look expensive but you can find them for like $2-3 per invite if you shop around.

Specialty papers are where it gets fun—cotton paper, linen texture, recycled paper with flower petals in it, vellum overlays. I ordered vellum blanks once for my own anniversary party invites and my cat immediately tried to eat one, so just… watch out for that I guess.

Size Matters More Than You Think

Standard invitation size is 5×7 inches. This is important because envelopes are standardized and postage is based on size. If you go with a weird size like 6×9 or something square, you’re gonna pay extra postage and need to special order envelopes. I learned this the hard way in summer 2021 when a groom insisted on 8×8 square invites and then freaked out about the postage being like 80 cents per invite instead of the regular stamp price.

A7 envelopes fit 5×7 cards perfectly. A6 envelopes fit 4.5×6.25 cards. Just… stick with standard sizes unless you have a really good reason not to.

Where To Actually Buy Blank Cards

Cards & Pockets is my go-to website for clients who want options. They have literally hundreds of colors and textures, their prices are reasonable, and they sell envelopes separately so you can mix and match. I’m not sponsored or anything, I just order from them a lot.

Paper Source has beautiful options if you want to see and feel the paper in person before buying. Their staff actually knows about paper weight and can help you figure out what works for your printer.

Amazon has bulk packs of blank cards that are super cheap—like you can get 50 cards with envelopes for $25. The quality is fine for casual weddings or if you’re on a tight budget. They’re not gonna wow anyone but they’re not embarrassing either.

Etsy sellers often have unique handmade blank cards, like deckle edge paper or cards with embedded dried flowers. These run more expensive, maybe $3-5 per card, but if you want something really special it’s worth looking.

Paper Weight You Actually Need To Know About

This is where people’s eyes glaze over but it matters. Paper weight is measured in pounds (lb) or sometimes GSM. For invitation cards you want at least 80 lb cardstock, preferably 100-110 lb. Anything lighter feels flimsy and cheap. I’ve seen 65 lb invitations that you could practically see through and they just… no.

Cover stock is thicker than text weight. Cover stock is what you want for the actual invitation card. Text weight is fine for enclosure cards (like reception details or accommodation info).

If you’re printing at home, check your printer specs. Most home printers can handle up to 110 lb cardstock but start struggling with anything heavier. Professional printers can handle much thicker stock.

Design Software Options That Won’t Make You Cry

Canva is where most of my DIY couples end up. It’s free for basic features, has tons of wedding invitation templates you can customize, and you can design everything to the exact dimensions you need. The paid version ($13/month) gives you more fonts and the ability to resize designs easily which is actually super helpful.

Microsoft Word works fine if you’re doing something simple and text-heavy. Just set up your page size correctly and use text boxes for positioning. It’s not fancy but it gets the job done.

Adobe Illustrator or InDesign are professional options if you actually know how to use them or have a designer friend who does. Don’t try to learn these programs from scratch just for your invitations unless you have like six months and enjoy frustration.

PicMonkey is sorta between Canva and Photoshop in terms of complexity. Some people love it, I find it a bit clunky but that might just be me.

Design Tips From Someone Who’s Seen A Lot Of Mistakes

Leave margins. At least 0.25 inches on all sides, preferably 0.5 inches. Home printers especially can’t print to the edge of the paper.

Pick two fonts maximum. One for headers, one for body text. Three fonts starts looking messy. I’ve seen invitations with five different fonts and they looked like ransom notes.

Make sure there’s enough contrast between your text and background. Light gray text on white paper might look elegant on your screen but prints basically invisible. This drives me crazy because I see it constantly.

Include all the actual information people need—full names, date, time, location with actual address, RSVP details. You’d be surprised how many people forget to put the year or the street address.

Printing Your Blank Cards

You’ve got three main options here and they’re all valid depending on your situation and budget.

Home Printing

This is the cheapest option if you already own a decent printer. Inkjet printers generally handle cardstock better than laser printers. You’ll want to do test prints on regular paper first to make sure everything lines up correctly.

Buy good quality ink cartridges—the cheap refills can smudge or fade. Do a test print, let it dry for like 10 minutes, then touch it to make sure the ink doesn’t smear.

Print a few extras because you WILL mess some up. Paper jams happen, prints come out crooked, you spill coffee on one (hypothetically speaking from personal experience).

The downside is it’s time consuming. Printing 100 invitations at home will take you several hours spread across multiple days because you can’t just feed 100 sheets through without checking quality.

Local Print Shop

FedEx Office, Staples, local printers—they can all print on cardstock you bring in. You’ll need to provide your design as a PDF, usually high resolution (300 DPI minimum). Cost runs maybe $0.50-1.50 per print depending on whether you want color or just black ink.

The benefit is professional quality without professional prices. They have commercial printers that handle thick cardstock easily and produce crisp text. You can usually get everything printed in a day or two.

Some local print shops will even let you watch the first few prints to make sure they’re coming out how you want. I always recommend this because sometimes colors look different printed than on screen.

Online Printing Services

Catprint, PSPrint, GotPrint—these services let you upload your design and they’ll print and ship to you. They’re more expensive than doing it yourself but less than custom invitations from a stationer. Usually runs $1-3 per invitation depending on paper quality and quantity.

The quality is generally excellent because they’re using professional equipment. Turnaround time is usually 3-5 business days plus shipping.

Downside is you don’t see anything until it arrives, so if there’s an error in your file, you won’t know until you’ve already paid. Always order a proof or a small batch first before printing your full quantity.

Assembly And Extras

Once your cards are printed you might want to add some finishing touches. Ribbon tied around the invitation, vellum overlays, wax seals, envelope liners—these are all things you can add yourself.

Envelope liners are these decorative paper pieces that go inside your envelope. You can buy them pre-cut or make them yourself with a template. They add a nice surprise element when someone opens the envelope and honestly they’re easier to add than you’d think.

Wax seals look fancy but be careful because they add weight and thickness to your envelope which can affect postage. Also the post office sometimes runs envelopes through machines that can crack wax seals, so you might want to hand-cancel your invitations at the post office (which means asking them to hand-stamp instead of machine process).

Addressing Envelopes Without Losing Your Mind

You can hand-write addresses if you have nice handwriting and only like 50 invitations. Beyond that it gets tedious real fast.

Print address labels on clear or white sticker paper. Not as elegant as calligraphy but it’s readable and fast.

Print directly on envelopes if your printer can handle it—most can but you need to feed them one at a time through the bypass tray. Test this first because envelopes can jam easily and there’s nothing worse than ruining 20 envelopes because you didn’t test the setup.

Hire a calligrapher if budget allows. This runs anywhere from $2-5 per envelope but it looks absolutely beautiful. There are also calligraphy services that print digitally in calligraphy fonts which is cheaper, maybe $1 per envelope.

Timeline For Ordering And Printing

Order your blank cards at least 3 months before you need to mail invitations. This gives you time for the cards to arrive, for you to design everything, do test prints, make changes, and actually print without rushing.

Invitations should be mailed 6-8 weeks before the wedding. So work backwards from there. If your wedding is in October, you want to mail invites in late August/early September, which means you need everything printed by mid-August, which means you should order blanks by May or June at the latest.

I’ve had couples try to do this whole process in two weeks and it’s just… stressful for everyone involved. Give yourself time to mess up and fix things.

Budget Breakdown Example

Here’s what 100 invitations might actually cost going the blank card route:

• Blank cards (5×7, 110 lb cardstock): $50-80
• Envelopes (A7 size): $30-50
• Printing at local print shop: $100-150
• Postage (assuming standard weight): $73 for forever stamps
• Optional extras like ribbon or seals: $20-50

Total: roughly $273-403 for 100 invitations. Compare that to $500-800 for the same quantity from most online invitation retailers and you can see the savings.

Common Mistakes I See All The Time

Not ordering enough cards. Order at least 10-15 extra. You’ll make mistakes, addresses will change, you’ll want to keep some as mementos.

Forgetting about enclosure cards. If you need separate reception cards or accommodation info or RSVP cards, you need to design and print those too. They don’t magically appear.

Using a font that’s too small or too decorative. If your grandma can’t read it easily, pick a different font. I’m talking like 11-12 point minimum for body text.

Not weighing a finished invitation before buying stamps. Once you’ve got the card, enclosures, envelope, and any embellishments assembled, weigh it. If it’s over 1 ounce you need extra postage. Take one to the post office and have them weigh it to be sure.

Waiting until the last minute to test print. Test early and often because troubleshooting printer issues at 11pm the night before you need to mail invitations is a special kind of hell.

When Blank Cards Maybe Aren’t The Best Choice

If you want foil stamping, letterpress, or fancy printing techniques, you can’t really do that with blank cards at home or through basic print services. You’d need to work with a specialty printer who probably won’t use your blank cards anyway.

If you have zero design skills and no one to help you, the amount of time you’ll spend trying to figure out Canva might not be worth the money you save. Sometimes paying for a pre-designed template or working with a stationer is actually the better choice for your sanity.

If you’re having a super formal black-tie wedding, blank cards printed at FedEx might feel a bit… budget? Not that there’s anything wrong with that but like, know your audience and your wedding vibe.

Quick Thing About Colors

Colors on your screen will not match colors when printed. This is just reality. Blues tend to print darker, reds can look orange-ish, purples are unpredictable. Always do a test print in color before committing to 100 invitations.

If you’re trying to match wedding colors exactly, bring a swatch of your bridesmaid dress or whatever to the print shop and ask them to help you adjust colors. Most places are pretty good about this.

Black ink on white or cream paper is foolproof and always looks elegant if you’re worried about color matching issues.

Actually Placing Your Order

When you’re ready to order blank cards, you’ll need to know exactly what you want—size, paper type, color, finish (matte or glossy), and quantity. Most websites let you order sample packs for like $5-10 so you can feel the paper quality before buying bulk.

I always tell couples to order samples. What looks good online might feel weird in person or be way darker or lighter than you expected.

Read reviews if you’re ordering from somewhere new. Some companies have inconsistent quality or terrible customer service and you don’t wanna find out after you’ve placed a $200 order.

Check return policies too. Most paper products can’t be returned once you’ve opened them but some companies are more flexible than others.

Shipping times vary wildly—could be 3 days or 3 weeks depending on where you order from and whether stuff is in stock. Don’t assume Amazon Prime speeds for specialty paper products because you’ll be disappointed.