Beautiful wedding invitations for less

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The cost of a wedding can really add up.

Since most guests just throw the invitation away, the professionals even admitted this might not be a part of the wedding budget where you want to splurge. But that doesn't mean you have to get a cheap-looking invitation.

"We have inexpensive invitations. We have a lot of brides who are on budgets," said Rhonda Dragonette of Calling Cards Unlimited.

Dragonette says splurging on invitations isn't necessary. Sometimes invitations can look identical, but there's a big price difference.

Experts say brides can avoid expensive paper, and extra costs like bows, seals, engraved writing and envelope liners.

"This is very big, the past couple years the pockets are very big," said Dragonette.

Pocket invitations are big in popularity, but also big literally. Oversized, heavy, bulky, or square invitations will add to the cost of postage. Another thing to keep in mind.

Printing can also be pricey. While stores can save you time by printing guests names on the envelopes, you can save money by doing it yourself.

Many brides also choose to purchase invitation kits.

Dragonette said, "The customer will come and grab them and take them home and do them."

Brides on a budget who are tech savvy have another option. They can go online and do it themselves, and it can save a lot of money.

But remember the professionals are willing to work within your budget, so feel free to negotiate.

"We do try to match prices and we do try to help the bride all we can," Dragonette said.

Lesson here, don't assume you need to do the invitations yourself or online to get a good deal. Professionals can help a bride on any budget make her invitations look beautiful and be free of spelling and grammatical errors.