Digital vs paper wedding invitations: how to choose
Are digital wedding invitations acceptable? The pros and cons of digital and paper invitations, when to use both, and a quick picker that recommends one for you.
Digital wedding invitations are widely accepted and suit most weddings: they cost less, arrive instantly and link straight to a website for replies. Paper still suits a formal or traditional wedding, or relatives who would treasure a card. Many couples use both. Answer four questions below for a recommendation.
Digital or paper: what fits your wedding?
Answer four questions to get a recommendation and the reason for it.
Are digital wedding invitations acceptable?
Yes, for most weddings. Guests are used to them, and a well-designed digital invitation with classic wording can feel just as considered as a printed card. The exceptions are very formal weddings, and guests who rarely use email or messages. For them, a few printed copies solve it.
Digital and paper compared
| Digital | Paper | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Low, and no postage | Printing, envelopes and postage add up |
| Speed | Arrives in seconds | Allow weeks to print and post |
| Replies | Links straight to an online reply form | Reply cards to post back, or a website address |
| Changes | Easy to update | Reprint, or send a separate note |
| Keepsake | Can be saved or printed | A card people keep |
| Guests abroad | Same speed as everyone else | Slow and costly post |
When should you send both?
When the day is formal but guests are spread out: send a digital save the date early so people can book travel, then a printed invitation for the occasion, with a website address for replies. Or go digital for everyone and post a few printed cards to grandparents.
How to make a digital invitation feel special
- Use the same design as your website, so the invitation and the site look like one thing.
- Keep classic wording if the day is formal; the medium does not change the manners. See wedding invitation samples.
- Send it personally, from your own address, with each guest's name.
- Give a reply-by date and a link to reply. See the RSVP deadline guide.
When to send each
The timing is the same either way: save the dates six to eight months before, invitations six to ten weeks before. The invitation timeline works out every date. Paper needs extra weeks for printing and posting.
Questions
Are digital wedding invitations acceptable?
Yes. They are common and accepted for most weddings. For a very formal wedding, or relatives who prefer paper, print a few copies too.
Are digital invitations cheaper?
Usually, yes. There is no printing or postage, and replies come in online.
Can I send paper invitations and collect replies online?
Yes. Print your website address and reply-by date on the card, and let guests reply on the site.
Do digital invitations look less formal?
Not if the design and wording are formal. A classic layout with traditional wording reads as formal on any screen.