Questions to ask a wedding stationer
Not just what to ask — what a good answer sounds like, and what should worry you.
Stationery is the one vendor whose mistakes are permanent, public and printed a hundred times. Nearly every question here is about proofing, quantity and the thing nobody checks: postage.
These are specific to invitations & stationery. The questions worth asking every vendor — contracts, deposits, cancellation, insurance and referral fees — are on the main questions page, and you should ask those too.
Getting it right before it prints
Who is responsible for proofreading, and what happens if an error prints?
What to listen forAlmost every contract makes the client responsible for the final proof. That is standard, and it means you must read it as though it costs $800 to be wrong, because it does.
Can you send a sample addressed and stamped, exactly as guests will receive it?
What to listen forThis catches two things at once: how the finished suite feels in the hand, and what it actually weighs for postage. A stationer who offers this unprompted has been caught by postage before and does not intend to be again.
How many rounds of proofs are included?
What to listen forTwo or three is typical, with charges beyond. Ask what counts as a round - a typo fix and a layout change may be priced differently.
Quantity and postage
How many should I order for my guest list?
What to listen forBy household, not guest - roughly 60% of your count - plus 10-15% extra. A stationer who asks for your household count rather than your guest count is doing it right.
What will a finished suite weigh, and what postage does it need?
What to listen forSquare, thick or oversized suites need extra postage, sometimes double. Ask them to weigh a complete assembled sample. This is the most common unbudgeted cost in the category.
What does a small reprint cost?
What to listen forDisproportionate, because it is a new press setup. This is why extras are cheap insurance and why the number matters now.
Timeline and the rest of the paper
What is the last date I can change the guest list without it costing me?
What to listen forPrinting is a fixed run. Ask when the quantity locks, what a late addition costs, and whether they hold blanks for stragglers - which is the cheap answer most couples never hear about.
Do you do day-of paper too, and should I order it now?
What to listen forMenus, programmes, place cards, signage and thank-you cards are a second order most couples forget to budget. Ordering together often saves setup fees.
Do you offer printed addressing, and what does calligraphy cost?
What to listen forCalligraphy is commonly $2-$6 per envelope, which at 100 households can exceed the invitations. Printed addressing looks excellent at a fraction.
Common questions
What should I ask a wedding stationer?
Ask who is responsible for proofreading and what happens if an error prints, to see a physical sample of the stock and printing method, how many proof rounds are included, what a finished suite weighs for postage, and what a small reprint would cost.
How many wedding invitations should I order?
By household rather than by guest - roughly 60% of your guest count - plus 10-15% extra for addressing mistakes and keepsakes. Reprint runs are disproportionately expensive because they require a new press setup.
Why do wedding invitations sometimes need extra postage?
Square, thick, rigid or oversized suites exceed standard letter parameters and can require double postage. Have your stationer weigh a complete assembled sample before you buy stamps - it is the most commonly unbudgeted cost in the category.
Why we can publish this
Most wedding sites are paid by the vendors they list, which makes a page about spotting a vendor who is managing you a difficult thing to write. Lazo charges nothing per lead and nothing per booking, and rankings can't be bought at any price — so we have no reason to soften any of the above. If a stationer gives you one of the answers we've flagged, that is worth knowing before you pay a deposit.
Invitations & Stationery on Lazo
We index 9,000+ invitations & stationery across 108 markets. Every review comes from a couple who proved they actually got married with that vendor.