YOUR WEDDING INVITATION SETS THE TONE FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY
Your invitation is not just a piece of paper with information printed on it. It is the title page of your story and should reflect who you are as a couple. When guests receive your wedding invitation in the mail, they should be able to envision what your wedding day will be like and get excited for your wedding!
If you have an extravagant celebration in a grand ballroom or country club, an engraved invitation suite on fancy stock paper, tied with a ribbon, would let your guests know to arrive in formal attire, and to expect an elegant wedding. If you opt for a more casual event in a barn or garden, a less formal invitation set would be expected.
Traditionally, wedding invitations are printed on special card stock with beautiful designs and mailed to your wedding guests. However, some couples have started opting for digital wedding invitations instead. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each option.
Electronic invitations are easier to design and less expensive. You don’t have to pay for the paper or the postage on the invitation and the RSVP envelopes. Online invitations are a greener, more eco-friendly choice. You eliminate the need for paper invites, save the dates, envelopes, and inserts. Using electronic, digital invitations ensures that all of your invites get delivered. It also helps you avoid any delays with the printing company you’re using. When you send your wedding invitations electronically, people can also respond digitally, so you can track your RSVPs automatically.
There are plenty of reasons to opt for digital invitations for your wedding, but there are some cons you need to be aware of as well.
Tradition has its place when it comes to weddings. Paper invitations delivered by mail are a timeless tradition that some people love. They enjoy getting special mail sent to them that isn’t a bill or junk mail. Many couples like to hold onto their wedding invitation as a keepsake. Even if your guests don’t keep them, you can take one and put it in a scrapbook or a picture frame as a memory.
A lot of couples believe that wedding invitations just get thrown away, but in reality, your close friends and family will probably keep them. Your wedding day is extra special to parents and grandparents, so they will want to keep and cherish your wedding invitation. Guests will often throw away cheap invitations that show there was no thought or effort put into them. No one expects a guest to keep something that the bride and groom don’t care about themselves.
Some guests may not be tech-savvy. Think about your grandmother, your great-aunt, or even your parents. Are they tech-savvy? Do they even use email? These are fair considerations, as some of your older guests may not know how to navigate a digital invitation. You can never go wrong with a proper paper invitation. There is a certain elegance to mailing formal wedding invitations.
Your wedding photographer needs your invitation too!! The invitation plays a big role in the bridal detail shots, especially if the invites are neutral in color and have a beautiful script or serif fonts! If I am your wedding photographer, I don’t need the invitation just because I want to document what it looked like, I need the invitation to use as a connection to the other details! I usually use my bride’s invitations for the large suite shot, earrings, and multiple ring shots.
Thinking through the paperless invitations pros and cons can help you make a concrete decision on the issue of whether or not you should print paper invitations for your wedding. The best route is to work with a professional stationery designer that can craft a design that is unique to you. They are called pros for a reason and have a gift for designing, choosing colors and styles, and even assembling the invitations for you.
