Custom playing cards make one of the few wedding favors guests actually take home and use. A 50–100 deck order on 310gsm paper with a personalized tuck box runs $10.15 per deck at 50 decks and $7.69 at 100 before the tuck box add-on, with about two weeks of production — order 8–12 weeks before the wedding to leave room for design and a sample.
How many decks to order
The standard ratio is one deck per couple, plus 10–15% extra:
| Guests | Decks (couples) | With buffer |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 30 | 35 |
| 100 | 50 | 60 |
| 150 | 75 | 85 |
| 200 | 100 | 115 |
The buffer covers single guests bringing one home, vendor gifts, and keepsakes for both families.
What to put on the deck
The three brandable surfaces:
- Card backs — couple's monogram, wedding date, venue silhouette, or a shared illustration
- Tuck box — full color on all six panels; great place for the date, venue, and a thank-you line
- The Ace of Spades (and optionally all four Aces) — traditionally the most ornate card, perfect for a monogram or hidden detail
Keep the face cards (numbered cards, jacks, queens, kings) standard — guests still need to recognize the deck for actual gameplay.
Stock and finish
For wedding favors, use 310gsm black-core paper with an embossed linen finish. It feels premium, shuffles smoothly, and looks polished on a place setting. Skip 100% plastic unless your wedding is on a beach or by a pool.
Timeline
- 12+ weeks out: lock the design direction, gather assets (monogram, illustrations)
- 8–10 weeks out: submit files, run a digital proof, optionally order a single press-printed proof
- 5–6 weeks out: approve final proof, production starts
- 2–3 weeks before: decks arrive
- Week of: place at table settings or favor table
Premium upgrades worth considering
- foil stamping-stamped monogram on the tuck box and the Ace of Spades
- Rigid keepsake box instead of a tuck box (guests keep the box too)
- Custom card swapped into the deck (e.g., a 55th card with a wedding-day photo)
Start your wedding deck
Run a live quote at your guest count, or send us your project — we can also recommend a designer if you don't have one.
