In between all of the emails about sales, appointments, and work, it’s always a welcome surprise to receive a note from a friend or family member. And that excitement only multiplies when you spot a wedding invitation in your inbox! Although the traditional way to invite guests to your wedding day is by popping a paper invitation into the mail, that’s most certainly not the only way to ask family and friends to join you to celebrate your new union. A digital wedding invitation definitely works, too — after all, an invitation is an invitation!
From offering a budget-friendly alternative to being far more eco-friendly, there are plenty of reasons to love (and send) digital wedding invitations. So, today we’re breaking down all of the reasons why digital wedding invitations might just be the future and where you can find templates that look just as beautiful as print. Keep reading to learn why you should consider skipping postage in favor of email addresses to invite your guest list to your big day!
We would never want you to embrace something new without hearing about all of the benefits first! So, these are the top three reasons why we love digital wedding invitations.
1
Couples can spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars on wedding invitations, and that’s before they add in the cost to mail them! Before you nix sending invitations entirely, consider digital wedding invitations. The cost per piece is far less expensive, and designers create everything from simple to elaborate designs that you can email (no postage necessary). If you decide to go the digital wedding invitation route, plan to reallocate the money you would have spent on paper invitations to another area of your wedding that holds more value to you.
2
A wedding invitation has two distinct purposes. The first is to formally invite your family and friends to your wedding, and the second is to offer you a way to track the guests who will definitely be in attendance. Although guests can be asked to respond digitally when a paper wedding invitation is sent, it’s far more common for family and friends to mail back their RSVP, and the cards mailed back to the couple must be tracked. On the flip side, when an invitation is sent digitally, the reply will also be sent digitally. That means your tracking will go from a DIY project to a process that’s essentially done for you. What could be better?
3
Wedding invitations are most often designed with paper, and sometimes an invitation will have multiple layers and pieces. That can put a strain on the environment because not everyone will opt to recycle their invitation after your wedding (nor can every element be recycled). Plus, invitations must be mailed and transported. The alternative is digital wedding invitations, which are sent via email. Paper and fuel are suddenly removed from the equation, which is a wonderful positive for our world.
Just like printed wedding invitations, there are plenty of sources for digital wedding invitations. We’ve narrowed down our list of favorites to eight places to find online wedding invitations. Each site has eye-catching designs that deserve to be shared with your wedding guests!
B$B’s Top FREE Pick:
Pricing: FREE
If you choose to send your digital wedding invitations through Joy, you may also want to make your planning even more seamless by hosting your wedding website and registry through their site. Joy has a wide variety of digital wedding invitations to choose from. Their wedding stationery designs lean more in the direction of simplicity, which is ideal for couples hosting modern, boho, or even industrial-style weddings.
Your online wedding invites can match cohesively with your Joy wedding website, and with online RSVPs, you can skip the printed invitation and/or RSVP card for a seamlessly branded experience. Or, if you don’t want to utilize the online invites, you can just use your wedding website to collect RSVPs. Did we mention they also have an app and other various wedding tools? So savvy! Learn more about why we love Joy.
B$B’s Top Premium Pick:
Pricing: Single mailing for 100 guests for $99,
or unlimited mailings for up to 150 people per mailing for $225/year
If the type of event exists, Greenvelope has an invitation for you to invite guests. That definitely includes weddings! You can find anything from save the date cards to wedding invitation cards on Greenvelope. The biggest perk of using their site is the pricing structure– they offer unlimited mailings for a flat rate depending on the size of your guest list. Like other options, you can create, send, and track invitations within the site. Plus, the designs they have at-the-ready for you to customize are modern and beautiful. They look just like printed wedding invitations! Not to mention, their site is very user-friendly for couples and wedding guests.
You can even add customizations that make your digital invites look like the real deal, featuring add-ons typically only available via super high-end stationers. We’re talking beautiful envelope liners, die cut or engraving, or even the look of luxurious letterpress in digital form. If you want to recreate the feeling of premium designs via online invitations, Greenvelope is our top choice by a mile.
Pricing: Varies. Buy a template you like and create your own RSVP form for free!
Etsy is still the place to go for unique, handmade items, including digital wedding invitations. A search for digital wedding invitations elicits an incredible number of results, so we thought we would highlight three sources we like that also have plenty of reviews. Look to Viola Mirabilis Design for floral-adorned suites that are both classic and modern, Sunshine Wedding Party for modern suites, and Silver Moon Templates for straightforward, simple designs.
Essentially, you can customize the wedding invitation templates and then send them via email using a platform of your choice. Collect RSVPs via a simple Google Form or another form-building software for a DIY, budget-friendly digital invitation. If you choose a template that is editable in software like Canva, you could also customize further printed materials like menus or place cards yourself.
Pricing: Coins starting at .10c to .40c per coin.
Wedding invitations starting at 2 coins per send
Many of us know and love Paperless Post! The company has been around for years, and you’ve likely heard of them because the designers you know and love have collections available for you to send digitally through their platform. We’re talking Kate Spade New York, Oscar de la Renta, and Rifle Paper Co, to name a few.
On Paperless Post, prices are calculated by coins rather than actual money. So you will need to purchase the correct amount of coins to send the invitations (and embellishments) you select. Even with that technicality in mind, their designs are truly incredible, and many are completely customizable. Plus, if you do want printed copies, you can have them printed at Paper Source.
Pricing: Included in subscription
WedSites‘ goal is to create a wedding planning process that looks and feels easy! With that in mind, they offer checklists for planning, wedding websites, invitations, and wedding guest management all on their site. In order to have access to the site’s highlighted features, plan to pay a one-time fee of $99. If you want a more guided experience, the cost goes up to $199. Either option is totally worth it! The fee includes access to beautiful digital invitation templates that coordinate with their wedding website themes. We’re fans!
Minted
Pricing: Free
Minted is known for budget and design-friendly printed wedding invitations, and they also offer digital invitations for pre-wedding events. Although they don’t offer electronic wedding invitations, you will likely be hosting or attending other wedding events that you could utilize their options for! They have options that could work for an engagement party, bachelorette party, or a rehearsal dinner before reciting your vows on your special day.
Minted has digital invitations for all of those events (and more), which still represents a great way to save money and the environment! And, of course, the invitation design options are all sourced by the Minted community of designers, meaning there are a plethora of aesthetics to suit your personal style.
Shop MintedFrom vintage to modern, Evite has a digital wedding invitation to suit any wedding’s style. There are plenty of positives to choosing an invitation from this site’s library, and key among them is that you and your guests have likely received a digital invitation from Evite for another past event. The cost to send digital wedding invitations through Evite starts at $14.99 per month for Evite Pro, which sends invitations without advertisements. Once you choose your plan, the next step is to choose your design and color palette, which extends to the digital envelope and even the digital stamp.
Punchbowl asks users to pay a monthly fee for access to their site, services, and gallery of wedding invitations. The cost per month depends largely on how many guests you will be inviting to your wedding, but none of the packages exceed $8 per month. Once you choose your package, you can send online weddiinvites, track RSVPs, and send invitations to multiple wedding events. There are plenty of positives to this straightforward, budget-friendly site!
You don’t have to be hosting a virtual wedding to embrace digital wedding invitations! Whether you’re hosting a destination wedding far away or a ceremony and wedding reception locally, there are major benefits to the ease and convenience of using digital invites. We hope this post gets your wheels turning about embracing technology to save money and waste!
Are you thinking about sending digital wedding invitations? What else would you like to know about them? We can keep sharing in our community!
Sending your wedding invitations is one of the most exciting wedding planning milestones because it means your special day is fast approaching.
But before getting the word out to your loved ones, you’ll need to decide exactly what kind of invitations you want to send. Will you go traditional with paper invitations, or take the modern route with digital invites?
It’s no secret we’re big fans of digital invitations here at WedSites, but we understand they may not be the right choice for every couple. So, to help you make a decision, we’ve rounded up the pros and cons of sending digital wedding invitations below (plus, an alternative option you may not have considered!).
Photo by WedSitesIn today’s modern world, many couples are opting for digital invitations as opposed to their traditional paper counterparts. Here are a few reasons why online wedding invitations have become just so popular:
They’re Affordable
Traditional invitation suites can take a decent chunk out of your wedding budget. You’ll need to factor in costs for paper, printing and postage – not to mention additional features like insert cards and return envelopes. Repeat the process for your save the dates, and you can see how the average couple can spend anywhere from $750 to $1500+ on their wedding invitations!
Alternatively, digital wedding invitations can be designed and sent online for free or a small fraction of the cost. If you’re looking for an easy way to trim your wedding budget, switching to digital invites could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.
They’re Eco-Friendly
As well as being friendlier on your wallet, digital wedding invitations are also friendlier on the environment. Your invitations will be sent virtually to your loved ones, reducing unnecessary paper waste. If planning a sustainable wedding is important to you, this is definitely something to think about.
Photo by WedSitesThey Won’t Get Lost Or Damaged
When sending traditional invitations in the mail, there’s always a small chance they could be lost or damaged due to circumstances outside your control. On the other hand, digital invitations will be emailed directly to your guests – giving you one less thing to worry about.
You Can Track RSVPs Online
Some digital invitation platforms also include handy tracking features to streamline the RSVP process. Here at WedSites, our digital stationery is trackable so you can quickly see at a glance who’s received, who’s opened and who’s yet to respond.
You also won’t need to spend any extra time chasing down late RSVPs either. We’ll send automatic reminders to any overdue guests on your behalf!
It’s Convenient For Your Guests
Not only are digital invitations a breeze for you to organize, but they also make it easier for your guests to respond! Instead of making an extra trip to the post office, your loved ones can simply RSVP online at the click of a button. This usually means you’ll receive RSVPs much quicker, so you can begin finalizing your seating chart and confirming dietary requirements with your caterer.
Photo by The Happy BloomWhile digital wedding invitations are a fantastic option for many couples, there are a few things you’ll need to consider:
They’re Less Traditional
Digital wedding invitations are undoubtedly a less traditional option. If you love the idea of your guests receiving a physical invitation in the mail or want to set a more formal tone for your wedding, online invitations may not be the best option for you.
Certain Guests May Be Offline
Depending on your guest list, some of your loved ones may be offline – particularly when it comes to elderly guests. Certain guests may have more difficulty navigating digital invitations and the online RSVP process, so you’ll need to consider printing them an invitation or communicating with them over the phone.
You Won’t Have a Physical Keepsake
Because your invitations are being sent virtually, it means you won’t have a physical keepsake to hold on to. If you want to turn your invitations into a special memento (for example, framing your stationery suite or asking your photographer to capture a flat lay photo), traditional invitations may be a better option for you.
Photo by Tanya MenoniIf you’ve weighed up the pros and cons of digital invitations and can’t come to a decision, consider this alternative: the hybrid wedding invitation!
Using a mix of both digital and traditional stationery is the perfect way to get the best of both worlds. A happy medium could be sending digital save the dates, following this up with a traditional paper invitation, and directing guests to RSVP online via your wedding website.
A hybrid wedding invitation means you’ll still get the benefits of streamlining the RSVP process and keeping your guests’ details together in one place, but you’ll also have a physical keepsake that your photographer can capture, too.
Photo by WedSitesHere at WedSites, we have a beautiful range of digital stationery and online wedding planning tools for couples just like you. Sign up for your free account with WedSites to get started, or learn more about streamlining your wedding planning with digital stationery.