1-ply paper will always be more affordable than 2-ply. Often times people will use 1-ply on inserts or reply cards and have their main invitation be a 2-ply.
Stick to one process and one color if you're choosing letterpress or foil. Flat printing, versus letterpress or foil stamp, is the most affordable option especially if you want to use a background print. Choosing flat print for inserts or reply cards, while using a letterpress or foil on the main invitation, is very standard.
Choose flat print for your reply address on both outer and reply envelopes. Be sure to select one of the lighter envelope colors to ensure that your text will be legible. We can not flat print on dark colors like black, navy, bordeaux and more. If you have questions about your envelope selection, we'd be happy to answer them for you and find a great solution.
Forgo the envelope liner all together. While they make a great impact, no one will notice that it's missing. You may want to choose a square flap envelope vs. a euro flap so that there is less flap real estate.
Send out online save the dates and put that budget towards your invitation suite.
You may also want to consider skipping a printed reply card and envelope and instead, ask your guests to RSVP online. Our wedding websites offer RSVP capabilites with highly customizable form options. Check them out here!