How to make your wedding invitations look expensive

DIY wedding invitations are a great way to save money while still adding a personal touch to your big day. Let’s be honest, sometimes it feels like adding the word “wedding” to anything instantly triples the price. Cutting costs where you can is nothing to be ashamed of, and the invites are a good place to start. 

The challenge, of course, is making sure your invitations still look elegant and thoughtfully designed and not like your usual shopping list. Even if they’re affordable to create, you want them to feel special when your guests open the envelope. 

Here at Paperbox, we consider ourselves experts when it comes to creating wedding invitations with real wow factor. Below are our top tips for making DIY wedding invitations look expensive – without blowing your budget.

DIY stamps for wedding invites

If you’re making hundreds of invitations by hand, spending hours painting each one probably isn’t appealing (although we won’t judge if it is). Creating a custom stamp with your initials or wedding date is a quick, repeatable way to add a premium detail while keeping everything consistent across your invitations.

Yes, that’s all you need to do. Sometimes the simplest touches make the biggest difference. Adding a ribbon, twine or even a thin velvet tie instantly makes your invitation feel more like a gift. It’s easy to do, budget-friendly, and adds an extra layer of excitement for your guests before they’ve even read the invite. Bonus, if your RSVPs and menu choices are on separate pieces of paper, a tie keeps them all neatly together when guests pull them out of the envelope.

Practise your calligraphy

This one isn’t quite as fun, but it’s worth the effort. Unless you already have flawless handwriting, spending some time practising calligraphy can completely transform the look of your invitations. It’s time to remember what you were taught in primary school and practise for a few hours before writing the real invites. A flowing, handwritten script adds character and charm, even if it takes a few practice runs to get right.

Gild the edges with gold leaf

This is one of the more fiddly options, but the results are worth it. Gold leaf is surprisingly affordable and adds a beautiful, elegant shine to your invitations. With glue, a paintbrush and a bit of patience, gilded edges can instantly elevate even the simplest card design and give them a shine guests will remember.

Use an embosser

Much like a stamp, an embosser creates a subtle but luxurious finish. Whether used on the envelope or the invitation itself, embossing adds texture and visual interest. It’s a small detail, but these are often the touches that take an invitation from “nice” to truly memorable.

Seal your wedding envelopes with wax

Wax seals remain a firm favourite for a reason. They’re surprisingly easy to use and make your wedding invitations look expensive before they’ve even been opened. Choose a wax colour that complements your wedding theme, and keep costs down with a simple seal (or even something circular and metal that you have lying around the house) or go bespoke with your initials for an extra-special finish.

Choose high-quality paper

Yes, we may be a little biased here – but paper choice really does matter. Thick cardstock, cotton finishes and textured or deckle-edge paper all help your invitations look and feel luxurious. Whatever you do, avoid standard printer paper.

At The Paperbox, we offer samples of our cardstock, paper and envelopes, allowing you to preview our products before you make a final purchase decision. 

With the right materials and a few thoughtful details, DIY wedding invitations can look just as beautiful as professionally printed designs – and feel even more meaningful because you made them yourself.