Digital Wedding Invitations - the way forward!
Throughout the pandemic, we all felt for the couples who had to postpone numerous times, and I can only imagine how stressful it would have been realising that your beautiful invitations that had been sent to your guests were no longer correct. Whilst we all experienced a significant switch to a digital age, so did our wedding invitations. Couples instantly recognised how much easier it was to go digital, even if it wasn’t their first preference.
With that in mind, I have invited the beautiful Penelope from DesigningLove to talk through the benefits of going digital, and why it is something every couple in this crazy, tech savvy modern age should be considering!
If you’re not aware of Penelope’s work at DesigningLove, she specialises in creating stunning minimalist digital invitations that are beautifully designed and bespoke for each couple, and we are thrilled to have her on our Vendor Marketplace.
Why online wedding invitations?
Yay! You’ve said yes to your best friend, your soulmate and your forever person.
You have pinned down the details of your day and you are ready to tackle your wedding invitations, but seeing the large number of postponed weddings throughout 2020 has you questioning whether it’s time to go digital.
If you are a stationery lover (like me) it can be hard to imagine going digital, however, for some, it just makes sense! Whilst digital invitations haven’t typically been the preferred option in the past, we are certainly seeing a trend of couples embracing the digital age, especially through this unprecedented pandemic.
Digital invitations are the perfect blend of modern life while providing a welcome nod towards tradition. There are so many advantages in choosing a digital option for your wedding invitations (e-vites) aside from being a fantastic option for environmentally conscious wedding couples.
So with that in mind, let’s explore some of the advantages of going digital, how to go about sending your invites digitally, and a few helpful etiquette tips to keep in mind.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a key trend in the wedding invitation world! You can either consider printing on recycled paper and plantable seed invitations, or approach this concept from a digital perspective and go completely paper free! More and more couples are recognising the unnecessary production of goods, so they can be a simple way to feel like you are doing your bit taking pressure off the environment.
Easily Edited
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we no longer have the luxury of knowing weddings will occur on the day they are planned for. With many couples rescheduling three times through 2020 and 2021, it highlighted the importance of having adaptable wedding invitations.
Making changes due to COVID is easy and quick.
With digital invitations, you don’t incur the stress and cost of having new invites and change the dates designed, printed and resent to guests in the event your wedding plans need to change at the last (or any) moment. At DesigningLove any extra design changes that need to be made to your invitation suite due to COVID are done free of charge. This adds that peace of mind and you know that there are no hidden costs.
Saves Money
Going digital allows you to save a great deal of money on paper and postage – those costs can really add up! The beauty of a digital invitation is that your design options are endless, whereas paper invitations are bound by the size of the envelope (which obviously increases the cost if you go with a larger design). It also allows you to add multiple pages which can be really helpful if you have a lot of information you need to convey about the day.
All DesigningLove invitation suites are designed to go both digital or paper and can be sent out quickly and easily via whatsapp, sms, messenger or your chosen online service. You can also get animated versions which takes your invitations to a whole new level!
Saves Time
There is so much to do when planning a wedding that anything you can do to save yourself time is a bonus. Digital invitations save time – they are efficient and quick. Like tap of a button quick, – no trips to the post shop or the print store, no appointments with the stationer to view the paper, no selecting of wax seal samples, no need to worry about GSM…there really are so many benefits! All of your effort and decisions are reduced, but your invitations can still appear just as striking, with noticeable impact.
Simplified RSVP’s
Instead of waiting by your letterbox for the mailman to deliver your guest RSVP cards (that they may have sent a few weeks ago), you can find out instantly! As soon as your guest replies at the tap or click of a button you get notified and can begin to plan forward, knowing who is attending
Sending your invitations online is easy, efficient, and quick. For most of us technology like text messages and email is second nature. Almost all of us have a mobile number and email address that we check regularly. Most stationers and invitation designers are happy to provide a digital copy of your invitation suite so that you can send them to guests via your preferred online method such as: SMS, Whatsapp, messenger or email.
There are also many online options available that specialise in digital invites such as Paperless Post or Greenvelope – both of which you have the option to upload your own design. Prices vary across online invitation websites, and it is worth reading the fine print. Some services that include RSVP functions may require a small fee to be paid so that you don’t have advertisements displayed on your e-vites. You may also want to be able to change privacy options.
Are online wedding invitations acceptable?
In short, yes! it is ok if it suits your style. While paper invitations are much more formal, traditional, and often the preferred option. The wedding scene is evolving and changing all the time. Traditionally weddings were hosted and paid for by the bride’s family, so it was customary to see the brides’ parent’s names in full across the top of the invitation. Nowadays it is more common for the wedding couple to host and organise the wedding themselves, so the line for the host does not always appear.
A few things to note
There are a few things to keep in mind when sending your wedding invitations online – not everyone has a mobile number/email address that they check regularly, but this is likely to be limited to just the older generation. You may want to consider printing a copy of your digital invite or composing a small handwritten note for them. Digital invites can also get lost in spam or junk – but then snail mail can get lost too, so you will identify the ones that have gone astray will be found when you do your RSVP follow ups.
Online wedding invitations can be gorgeous and the perfect option, but they are not for everyone as they can be regarded as less formal. Often couples choose to go digital for their Save the Dates and then print for their wedding invitations – this way you can totally mix it up to fit your budget. It’s your wedding day and all about your style, your dreams, and your wishes!