Having run a wedding stationery business for the last several years, there is something I've noticed about pocketfold invitations.
Many couples love them. And, many couples are also surprised at how much they cost after inquiring about them.
Why do they cost so much more than other invitations?
Consider your basic invitation. A flat 5x7 inch card, with an additional rsvp card. This combination can be done in less than $1 if you go with a fairly simple design. A "simple design" might be white card stock, a small graphic (like hearts, or a fleur-de-lis), and your wording/text.
In contrast, a pocketfold invitation...
1) You add the pocketfold itself, which immediately hikes up the price a quite a bit.
2) You don't just have the invitation and the rsvp cards anymore- typically, 2 more cards are added, as shown below.
3) The invitation also now requires assembly- attaching the main card to the pocketfold.
So now you have an invitation with 2 additional cards, folding, a pocket, and layered assembly.
That isn't all.
4) Often, people love the look of an additional layer behind the main invitation card. This can be any sort of patterned or textured paper, or just a solid color.
5) People also then will often go with some sort of sticker to hold the pocketfold closed. The sticker itself varies in size, shape, type (white matte, white gloss, or see-through), and printed design.
Is that all? Not really! By the time you go through all the possible options in the color and texture of pocketfold, color and texture of the envelopes, color and texture of the inserts, and, all the possible variation of the actual printed design... you are looking at highly personalized and unique wedding invitations. You can end up with many beautiful but costly combinations.
When people ask for quotes, it often does take a few questions to figure out their likely combination. Of course, quantity also factors in- these invitations, like any other, cost less per piece at higher quantities than at lower quantities.
If you are considering pocketfold invitations, know that they will typically cost 2.5-4 times as much as a simple 2 card invitation set.
Sometimes, my customers try to do some of the work themselves to reduce cost. This might be buying just the design print files from me. They might buy only the cards/inserts, and making their own pocketfolds. Instead, they might buy the pocketfold and make their own inserts. They might even buy the whole set from me, but attach the main invitation card to the pocketfold themselves.
A good way to reduce the cold of your pocketfold, if you are ordering the whole set, is just to go with a simple text design, and white card stock for the cards. You end up with a classic look, the uniqueness of the pocketfold, and less printing costs.
