If you’ve been thinking about opening a wedding invitations business, let me say, “Go for it!” It’s very easy to do, and depending on the path you decide to take with your business, the initial cost can be as low as a few hundred dollars.
There are three types of wedding invitation businesses. The first type, where you work as a manufacturer’s representative, is probably the least expensive in terms of start-up costs and also probably the easiest way to get into business, especially if you’ve never owned your own business before.
In this business model, you simply sell the manufacturer’s prepared cards and act as their representative in your area. They provide you with samples and order forms, and there is usually some sort of training or support system to help you when you have questions. Although a small investment may be required to obtain sample books from manufacturers, you don’t have to invest in stock or supplies with this method.
If you’ve never sold wedding invitations before, this is a great way to start. All the work is done for you. The invitations are already printed and packaged, the order forms are already created, and the price is already set by the manufacturer. All you have to do is sell the invitations and you earn a commission on each sale from the manufacturer. This way, you can focus on learning how to run a business and the ins and outs of selling wedding invitations, without investing any of your own money.
Another option you have is to sell Bespoke. These are invitations that you create yourself from cardstock, pretty papers, and embellishments like ribbons, pearls, and flowers. This type of invitation business requires the largest investment of time and money, usually $1,000 to $3,000, but it also generates the most profit because you can set your own prices. And if you’re the artistic type, your creations can cost a pretty penny. This business model, however, requires you to have more than a basic understanding of the business because since you will be doing the invitations yourself, you will need to know how to control your costs and how much margin to include in order to run your business profitably.
The third type of wedding invitation business, which is the best method in my opinion, is the combination business. In this case, you sell pre-made blank wedding invitations and stationery, which you get from a vendor, and finish them on your home computer. With this method, you are not working for a manufacturer, you are purchasing the blank invitations from a vendor. The cards are already decorated on the outside, all you have to do is print the inserts for the invitations and other assorted cards, and then place the inserts inside the invitations.
Starting a wedding invitation business that focuses on selling the combo invitations is really the best way to go because you have very little initial investment, just the few blank cards you want to start carrying, and you can set your own prices. While not as cost effective as selling to order, this method is more cost effective than if you were a manufacturer’s agent.