CopyKate #02

Invitations are the first thing your guests see for your wedding, unless you are having a Save the Date. You need to set the tone for your wedding through your invite - it helps guests decide if they are able to attend, what to wear, and what is expected of them (travel, costs, etc).

CopyKate #02: The Royal Wedding Invitation

I emailed my friend Sarah from Hip Ink to inquire about William & Kate's Royal Wedding invites, and how couples would be able to get the same look and feel of their invites for a whole lot less.


Here's what she had to say:

From photos I’ve seen, my guess would be that William and Kate’s invitation was likely printed on a 100% cotton, double-thick card, around 6×8 (which is oversize for standard invitations). I’m quite sure that the details were engraved, the royal crest stamped in gold foil and the edges of the card were gilded with actual gold. The invitation would have most certainly arrived in a double envelope.


$16-$20 per invite, plus optional personalization
The Royal Invite was an approx. 6x8 thick cotton card, engraved, with gilded edges and a foil stamped crest. You would probably expect to pay around $800-1000 for 50 invitations that were similar. The engraving - the most expensive printing method for invitations - and gilded edges are what really drive the cost up.

What was interesting about the Royal Wedding invites, at least to us in North America, was the lines where the guests names were written in (in this case it would have been the Royal Calligrapher who wrote them all). This is standard practice (personalizing invitations with guest names) in the UK and Australia, and adds a nice personal touch.

This is definitely something that you could incorporate if you're working with a custom designer. For example, I offer personalization on invitations or RSVP cards for around $.75-$1.00 each.

$9-$10 per invite
A mid-range but very similar invite that would look almost identical could be created using the same cardstock (a 100% cotton double-thick card), letterpress printing (still very chic and high-end) and a foil stamped gold crest (but skipping the gilded edging) for around $450-500 for 50 invitations.

$4-$6 per invite
The standout of this invite is the gold foil crest – keep that element and you’ve got the look. Combine a nice (but not super-thick) cardstock and digital printing, and you've got a more affordable item.

Did you notice that the RSVP information is printed in the lower left hand corner, asking guests to reply to the Lord Chamberlin’s office? As is traditional, and most formal, the reply is to be provided in writing – no email or phone calls here, no little mail back cards – old-school all the way. Also, no reception info. Separate invitations were mailed out for those invited to the afternoon reception held by the Queen, as well as the evening reception held by Prince Charles, and those invitations have not been made public.

So, there you have it. You can recreate Wills & Kate's invites at any price level and still get the same regal look. Contact Sarah for info on your wedding invites, or if you're working with us for Full Wedding Planning we will be able to refer you to vendors like Sarah that offer discounts to our clients.

Cheerio!