We're bona fide stationery lovers around here. We love the weightiness of card stock, the luxury of envelope liners, and the feel of letterpress. But we also know that wedding stationery can be expensive, and that's before you buy the stamps. So some couples are opting for wedding websites and e-invites which is any form of digital invitation, in lieu of some, or all of their wedding stationery. To help you navigate digital invitations, we've put together a handy guide to e-invites for weddings, from where to make them, to who not to send them to!

Why Should You Send Online Invitation For Your Wedding?

There are several reasons why wedding e-invites are a good idea.

1. The first is of course, budget. Digital invitations are often free, or less expensive than paper invites. But having e-invites to save money doesn't have to mean foregoing paper stationery entirely. Many couples use digital invitations for just some elements of their stationery, like save the dates, information cards, or RSVP cards. This means you can allocate the budget you have for really beautiful invitations which direct people to your website for the rest of the information, or splash out on luxurious on-the-day stationery instead, when it's in the context of your wedding decor, rather than simply going on someone's fridge.
2. Couples are also increasingly aware of the waste created around weddings, and cutting back on stationery is one step you can take to make your wedding more sustainable if that's what matters to you.
3. More couples are also opting for e-invites and wedding websites as the options are as stylish, design-led and fit for the occasion as traditional stationery. If you want swirling calligraphy, ultra-minimalism, or something that feels rustic, you can still achieve that in an online invitation.
4. And finally etiquette-wise, e-invites have become increasingly acceptable as a form of invitation. While they might not work for a very formal black tie wedding, for most modern nuptials, and among the majority of your friends and family, e-invites are perfectly appropriate.
5. It allows people to respond with the click of a button and can automatically track your RSVPs in a spreadsheet. You can even ask questions such as dietary requirements etc.

Services That Offer E-Invites

There are lots of websites that offer e-invitations, some of these have standard templates, while others will let you design your own or make customisations. You can opt for ones with a full animated envelope-opening experience, while others are a lot more basic. Extras usually cost more per invite.

These are some of our favourite e-invite websites:

• Paperless Post
• Greenvelope
• Evite
• Minted
• Blackbird RSVP

Some wedding website builders offer e-invites as part of their service too, and as a way of saving on paper and keeping all the key information in one place, a wedding website makes the perfect accompaniment to an e-invite. Read our guide to wedding websites here.

Another thing to note, is if you want your e-invite to track RSVPs too (a big time-saver) make sure that service is provided, or provide a link in your e-invite to the RSVP.

How to Make Your Own E-Invite

As well as using a dedicated e-invite service, you can always design your own and send them to your guests as an image, by email or WhatsApp. These are particularly useful for less formal weddings or as an evening-only invitation.

Of course you can make your own on InDesign, Illustrator or a similar software, or for the more novice designer, sites like Canva have lots of free templates to get you started, all of which can be customised.

If you want a digital invitation that's really special, you can also talk to our recommended stationers about creating a bespoke digital design to email to your guests.

What To Do for Older Guests Who Don't Have Email

You may have some guests for whom an email invitation is not appropriate. Some older relatives for example, may not use the internet or have an email address, and will find it more accessible to respond to a traditional invitation. This doesn't mean you need to get a paper invitation designed just for them, a hand-written letter or card is just as nice, and will certainly be appreciated.

Passionate about paper like we are? Check out our recommended stationers in Ireland.