When planning a wedding there are many things to consider.  The stationery, for example, is just one thing.  Typically the announcements, invitations and thank you cards are all made of the same type of stationery, even the bridal shower invitations can match.  But deciding on a style can be overwhelming.  Once you determine the type of wedding you are going to have will help to determine what type of stationery you will want to use.  If you are going with a more formal theme, then you will want to follow that trend in your invitations and other stationery.   All these things will determine what your stationery will look like.  Also, taking into consideration the location of the actual wedding can determine the type of stationery.  For example if you are having an outdoor wedding or a traditional church wedding can influence the style of invitations you may choose.
The type of lettering you choose can greatly impact the price of your stationery.  Formal wedding invitations are traditionally engraved which is the most expensive option. Thermography is a less expensive but popular alternative that provides almost the same look. Calligraphy can also be used, either computerized or by hand, but may be best for smaller guest lists.  Since it is proper etiquette to address all of the invitations by hand you will want to ensure to order extra envelopes to account for mistakes.  These three types of lettering are likely to be higher priced that others.  Most wedding stationery suppliers have a wide variety of styles and prices to go along with all budgets.
A traditional wedding will lend itself to choosing a heavy card stock for your invitations.  The color would be either a cream, ivory, off-white, white, or ecru color paper since these are the traditional colors of choice.  Other options would be vellum which is a lightweight paper that appears to be frosted. While it can be used as just an overlay on the invitation, the wording can also be printed on the paper. It adds a soft touch to the invitation.  Parchment paper is another option.  It is very traditional for wedding stationery but because it is made from animal skin, some couples may be less than thrilled with using it.  Linen paper is another option, but one of the most expensive ones. This paper emits a sense of elegance and formality for very traditional, elaborate weddings.
Most couples look for contemporary invitations which allows for more paper possibilities.  If you have a large budget for your invitations you might choose cotton paper for your invitations. A great benefit of cotton is that it is durable. Cotton invitations will last for decades.  For the environmentally conscious couples using recycled paper for their invitations may be an option. Recycled paper is available through many paper suppliers.  Some might think that recycled invitations wouldn’t be very attractive for wedding stationery, but there are actually many different colors and styles available and you should look into it before you reject the idea.