The Invitation Versus the Evite
By Natalie T.
December 16, 2011
Love the convenience of the evite, but afraid that it's rude or cheap? Here's our rundown of the pros and cons of invitations and evites or the wedding website. On one hand, there is the traditional paper invite that has been around forever.
The Pros of Traditional Invitations
Etiquette. The paper invitation is still the preferred method of inviting someone to your wedding.
It's pretty. The paper invitation is a constantly evolving form and the best can function as a keepsake for sentimental types.
It's classy. There is undeniably something special about receiving a wedding invitation in the mail. Maybe it's because I mostly get bills and advertisements.
The Cons of Traditional Invitations
Price. The cost of paper invitations can run over a thousand dollars if you choose to use acid free paper and letterpress. The postage can also add up.
Waste. If you're like me, I'll look at the wedding invitation once, input it into my online calendar, and then lose it.
It's time consuming. Even if you choose a pre-made template, you still have go through the agony of correctly writing the invitation and hand addressing each envelope.
The Pros of E-mail Invitation
Convenience. You can include links to maps and directions. Having wedding details laid out for guests to avoid the bother of answering the same questions over and over. Include important links so guests can find the information they need on such things as local attractions, accommodations, and travel (particularly useful for destination weddings).
It's Original. There is still no formal etiquette regarding e-mail invitations so you can really go outside the box. If you're planning a non-traditional wedding, an e-mail invitation can communicate your goals.
Multimedia. You can incorporate other mediums into the e-mail like sound and video. For creative couples, this might be an even more interesting medium to work with than paper.
The Cons of E-mail Invitations
Oh. Technology. This invitation may prove baffling for your less tech-savvy guests. From viewing the image properly to RSVPing via online poll, it might just be too much for Grandma. To increase the possibility that your images will display correctly, you can create a separate landing page on your wedding website with all the correct information.
The Dreaded Spam Folder. You will still have to follow up with many of your guests with phonecalls to determine your status.
Not everyone is online. Unless you know for sure that you can get your email invitation to everyone who should receive one, this is not a good option. You never want to offend family and friends when planning a wedding.Compiling all of your guests' current email addresses can be a daunting task.
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