Where can I get wedding invitation paper?
There are a variety of places where you can get wedding invitation paper. Before you even start looking for paper though, you need to determine how thick of a paper the printer in which you are going to print the invitations can handle.
Can you print on thick card stock on your home printer?
Maybe, but most likely not. Most commercial wedding invitations are printed on thick paper which falls under the paper category of coverstock or index paper. The paper weight range for these types of paper will typically be 60-110 lbs. Usually, this is much thicker than a home printer can handle.
You need to check your printers manual or specs before purchasing your paper. Most printer manuals and/or specs can be found online and should give you a paper poundage or thickness that it can handle. The printer spec for which you are looking may say something like recommended paper weight or media weight range. It should display a number range such as 16 lb. – 24 lb. Unless otherwise specified, this weight range should be talking about text, bond, or writing paper.
The higher the poundage of the paper, the thicker the paper will be. 24 lb. paper is still pretty thin, but much less flimsy than 16 lb. paper. If you a seeking a do-it-yourself, home printed invitation, and want a nice thick look and feel, we recommend considering doing a backing. You print your wording on at thin paper your printer can handle but then paste it onto a thicker 80lb coverstock paper. Check out our backing page for examples.
Now that I know what thickness of paper my home printer can handle, where can I buy wedding invitation paper?
Below are some links to stores that carry a variety of fancy paper that can be used for wedding invitations. Unless your printer specifies that you can print on coverstock, you will need to search for text, writing, or bond paper and make sure the weight of the paper fits your printer’s media weight range. If you are planning on doing backings, you will need to search for a bond, writing, or text paper to print on as well as a coverstock paper (we recommend 80 lb) for your backing.
The Paper Mill Store
One of our favorite stores in The Paper Mill Store. In their search bar, you can type in “wedding” and you should get a wide range of fancy paper. You will most likely need to narrow the search a bit and can do so on the left sidebar. The Basis Weight filter is very helpful. If your printer can only print in the range of 16 lb to 24 lb., you will want to check only the basis weights that fall within your range. Another great filter is Sheet Size. Most likely, you will want to check the 8 1/2 x 11 box.
If you don’t see anything you like under their wedding category, you can always do a more specific search. For example, if you really want red wedding invitation paper, type “red paper” in their search bar. Again, filter the results under the Basis Weight filter to what is appropriate for your printer.
The other great thing about The Paper Mill Store is that once you select a paper you like, generally, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, it will have the matching envelopes displayed.
Sometimes, the paper you want will only come in what is called a “carton.” A carton is usually 5,000 sheets of paper and generally sold to a printer. If the paper you are desiring is only sold as a carton, you may have to find the paper elsewhere unless you want a lot of extra paper!
Kelly Paper or Xpedx
Kelly Paper and Xpedx are warehouse type stores that are full of paper. It is these type of stores, that a lot of local printers purchase their paper. You can search for paper on their websites. Even better, if a store is local to you, you can go to their warehouse when they are open to the public and talk to their sales staff. Just tell them what you are looking for and they should be able to show you what they have in stock. You will actually get to look at and feel the paper before you buy it. These type of stores also sell envelopes and the sales representative can also assist you with finding a paper/envelope match.
Neenah Paper
This is a popular paper manufacture that you can purchase paper directly from their website. You can search for paper and envelopes on their website using their search bar. If you are looking for blue paper, type in the word “blue” into their search bar. Then on the left sidebar, you can filter for paper size and weight.
One great thing about Neenah paper is that you can order samples of paper, generally for free – although you do have to pay for the shipping. The samples are a great way to make sure you like the look and feel of the paper before ordering an entire pack.
Your Local Printer
Your local printer may have books full of paper at which you can look. If you find a paper you like, they can order that paper for you and assist you in finding envelopes that match. Local printers are a good resource and may be able to get you your wedding invitation paper for cheaper than ordering online.
Hobby / Craft Stores
Popular hobby and crafts stores such as Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores generally carry a stock of blank paper and wedding invitation kits. The wedding invitation kits, in particular, can be great for the person who wants to make their wedding invitation themselves. In general, the kits come pre-cut with some sort of embellishment on them. They also come with the matching envelopes. Before purchasing the kit though, make sure your printer can handle the thickness of the paper and size of the invitation.