Pros and Cons of Digital Wedding Invitations

Deciding between digital wedding invitations and traditional invites? Read on to see if you should go the digital route.

By Emily Forrest

gmail digital wedding invitations
Photo by Unsplash

In the midst of wedding planning, many couples come to a standstill at an important question—”Shall we go with a digital wedding invitation or a traditional wedding invitation?”

With the digital age upon us, many people are opting for digital wedding evites in place of their classic, paper counterpart.

If you’re battling between the two, it can be a tough question to answer. In this guide, the Zola team has put together some pros and cons of the increasingly popular wedding evite. We’ll also cover some companies who are doing cool things in the realm of wedding evites, as well as what we offer at Zola (such as recycled paper).

If you’re thinking of going the digital wedding invitation route, there’s a lot to consider, so we’re hoping that our handy, dandy guide can help organize your mind as you continue on with wedding preparations.

Pros of Digital Wedding Invitations

Digital wedding invitations come with a range of benefits. From the electronic invitation’s environmental impact to its budget-friendliness, here are a few of the top reasons why couples opt for wedding evites.

They’re an Eco-Friendly Alternative.

Digital wedding invitations are the greener alternative to traditional wedding invites. It’s no surprise that wedding invitations typically require the envelope, the invite, and, often, the wedding RSVP card, plus an insert with wedding weekend details. That’s a lot of paper, and even though there are greener alternatives (such as invites made with recycled paper) nothing is more eco-friendly than wedding evites.

You May Save Money.

Wedding evites are typically more cost-effective than printed evites (both because of the paper and the stamps). If the current forever stamp is $0.55, mailing 100 printed wedding invitations will cost you $55. Multiply that by 100 save-the-dates and 100 thank you cards, and your stamp budget is going to run you about $165 total. Keep in mind, if you’re sending an invitation that weighs over one ounce, it will require additional postage. Then, there are the invites themselves. Based on a study of over 27,000 newlyweds, The Knot found that the average cost of wedding invitations was about $590 total. Brides found that the average cost was a whopping $5,000 to $8,000, with paperless invitations costing no more than $100.

However you look at it, keep in mind that these costs can vary greatly. But, generally speaking, your wedding evites are going to be much less than a traditional wedding invitation.

You Can Avoid Printing Delays.

In some cases, printing delays can lead to frustration and a delay in getting out important information about your celebration. With a simple click, your digital wedding invitations are easily sent and, hopefully, land straight from your computer into your guest’s inbox (and not into the spam folder).

They Won’t Get Lost or Damaged in the Mail.

Some things in life can’t come with a 100 percent guarantee. There’s no way to know for sure if your wedding invite might end up getting lost or damaged in the mail. There is such a thing as the horror stories where a couple receives their own invitation back in the mail, tattered and already well-loved, to say the least. When you opt for an electronic invitation instead, you do eliminate the risk of receiving your beautiful invite straight back into your mailbox (just in a little different shape than you’d prefer to see).

Digital Wedding Invitations Photo Credit // Unsplash

RSVP With a Simple Click

Wedding evites allow your guests to respond with a simple click. Between school, work, kids, schedules, and everything in between, it’s easy for people to lose that little wedding RSVP card that comes with traditional wedding invitations. It’s also not unusual for people to forget to send the RSVP card, which means that you’ll have to do some following up. The sometimes necessary follow-up isn’t eliminated with digital wedding invitations, but it typically does make it a bit easier on your guests.

Cons of Digital Wedding Invitations

Along with the pros of wedding evites, there are also cons. From the keepsake aspect to offline guests, here are some reasons why couples choose to stay away from digital invites.

The Tangible Arrival

There’s nothing quite like the moment when your elegant wedding invitations arrive in the mail. Having something tangible where you can see the names of you and your spouse-to-be, the location where you’ll marry, and the date that will soon become your anniversary is truly special. Although the arrival of a digital invitation is exciting too, it’s hard to replace that feeling of physically holding on to the invite.

The Keepsake Aspect

Having your invitation as a keepsake is one of the best parts of a wedding scrapbook or a framed collage. Of course, you can print out your wedding evite, too, but the keepsake aspect of a traditional wedding invitation is a bit different. Often, couples will frame the envelope and the rest of the contents alongside the invite—such as the RSVP card or a special stamp they used. No matter how you look at it, this isn’t exactly possible with digital wedding invitations.

Some Guests Are Offline

Even though it’s hard to believe in the digital age, some guests may be offline. If your grandma or a great-great-uncle doesn’t have an email address, it can be tough to nail down exactly how to send them your wedding evite. There are certainly ways around this, such as sending it to a nearby family member or friend who can view it alongside them, or conveying the information to them on the phone. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s something to keep in mind if you plan on moving forward with digital wedding invitations.

Digital Wedding Invitations Photo Credit // Unsplash

The Fun Event of Mail

Whether it was your penpal in first grade, your college acceptance letter, or a love letter, we all have special memories of mail. Running to the mailbox and opening it to find something addressed to us is always fun (unless it’s a bill). When you’re getting married, guests love finding their invite in the mail and pinning it to the bulletin board or placing it under a magnet on the fridge. For a lot of people, a wedding offers the chance to take a break from their normal day-to-day lives to celebrate. As the days get closer, it’s exciting to have the physical invite as a reminder of the festivities to come.

Old Fashioned RSVPs

Although there’s something convenient about digital RSVPs, for the sender, it’s hard to beat the old fashioned way. It’s a good feeling to get a notification in your inbox that a friend from out-of-the-country or a family member you haven’t seen in awhile is coming to your wedding. But, there’s something extra invigorating about going to your mailbox and collecting the RSVPs as they come in every day.

Companies Specializing in Digital Wedding Invitations

If you have your heart set on digital wedding invitations, you’re in luck. Today, some incredible companies are producing beautiful wedding evites. Here are some of the most popular choices among couples:

Evite

Evite is a social planning website that’s used for everything from weddings to birthday parties. They offer an affordable option with nice wedding invitation template designs where you can select your envelope and “stamp.” Take a peek at this green evite, which is peaceful, simple, and eco-friendly.

Greenvelope

Greenvelope has a good selection of timeless wedding invitations. They make RSVP tracking easy and their designs are crafted by independent artists. Based on the season, color, or theme that you’re going for, you can fine-tune these wedding evites to give them your own unique style.

Paperless Post

Paperless Post lets you customize card invitations, flyers, and wedding invitations. You know that your wedding evites will be stylish, as they partner with fashion icons such as Kate Spade New York, Kelly Wearstler, and Oscar de la Renta. For the eco-friendly couple, check out their line up of stunning digital wedding invitations. We’re swooning over the digital greenery arrangement in the Herrgarde invitation.

What We Offer at Zola

If you do go the route of paper invitations, there are many ways that you can stay conscious of the environment, while also creating that physical invitation that you’ve always dreamt of.

For starters, you can print your invitation on our recycled paper. This thick, carbon-neutral paper has a subtle, but visual texture. It’s soft and 100 percent made of post-consumer waste. You can also opt for a mix of digital and traditional. Try doing your save the date postcards and thank you cards online, while sticking to the traditional route for wedding invitations.

At Zola, we’re big fans of digital wedding invitations. We love their ease, their eco-friendly nature, and their convenience. However, we have to admit, paper wedding invitations still steal our hearts.

Choosing whether you want to use wedding evites or traditional invites is a matter of preference. In the end, you’ll weigh the options of budget, style, and sentimentality, and you’ll make the perfect decision.

If you need any help along the way, feel free to reach out to us, so that we can discuss the options. We love working with our couples to help find the ideal blend of whatever it is they’re searching for.

From the Zola team to you, we’re wishing you the best of luck as you move forward with wedding invite preparations. We’re certain that whatever you create, in the end, will be just beautiful.

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