Can Wedding Invitations Be Emailed?

The points in favor of email wedding invitations are numerous. And yet, they aren’t widespread because some people find digital invites tacky or rude.

Perhaps, that’s a matter of perception. You can never avoid naysayers entirely, but you can support your decision with valid arguments.

At the end of the day, it’s your wedding, and only you are to set the rules. However, consider all the pros and cons of digital wedding invitations before deciding.

Is Sending Invitations by Email Rude?

The main question that boggles the minds of couples considering alternative ways of inviting guests to a wedding is – is sending wedding invitations by email rude? The answer depends on your specific situation.

For a traditional, formal black-tie wedding, sending invitations by email may be odd. It isn’t rude, but emails don’t align with the sophisticated tone of the event.

However, in most scenarios, sending invitations by email is perfectly normal. Emails have numerous advantages compared with invitations sent over the post, so why not embrace technological development?

The appropriateness of emailing wedding invitations also depends on the guests. Younger guests likely wouldn’t mind getting invitations over email. Some young people don’t even check their mailboxes.

In contrast, elderly guests will likely expect to receive traditional, formal paper invitations. Of course, it depends – some older people are tech-savvy, and others don’t know what an email is.

Consider your grandparent’s and other elderly guests’ attitudes towards technology. If they’re old-fashioned, you may send them traditional paper invites and stick with emails for other guests.

Reduced Costs

One of the most apparent advantages of email wedding invitations is reduced costs.

One may think that printing a few dozens of cards shouldn’t cost much, but they would be surprised to find out the average price of wedding invitations.

Data shows that most couples spend about $250 on wedding invitations and additional stationery such as envelopes and RSVP response cards. And couples who also want to send save-the-dates can pay about $150 extra.

The wedding invitation cost consists of designer’s fees, printing, cost of paper and other materials, stamps, hand-canceling fees, and actual mailing.

Solid $400 for stationery isn’t pocket money. Weddings are expensive as is, and being concerned about the budget is normal.

If your budget is limited (and in most cases, it is), saving money on stationery is better than sparing on the food, venue, photographer, or bridal attire.

You can invite your friends and family to the wedding for free with an email. However, note that your email invitations may get into the spam folder, or your guests may miss them if they have a lot of emails.

Here’s where email wedding invitation services offering tracking and RSVP collection come in handy. They typically aren’t free, but the costs are significantly lower than $400.

Remember that you still may need to pay a pro designer to ensure your invitations are beautiful, readable, and aligned with your big day’s theme.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Nowadays, many people are concerned about the environment and our contribution to global waste. Eco-friendly and rustic weddings are becoming increasingly popular.

A traditional wedding invitation consists of save-the-date, at least two envelopes, the main invitation card, the reception card, an RSVP response card, and tissue paper. That’s the bare minimum for a formal invitation.

Using so much paper and ink only to send a message is wasteful, to say the least. Of course, holding a paper invitation in your hands gives a sense of formality and luxury, but is it worth the environmental impact?

Furthermore, sending invitations over post requires a lot of fuel if your guests live in a different state or overseas. You can significantly reduce your wedding’s carbon footprint with email wedding invitations.

Improved Accessibility

Accessibility is an essential point in favor of digital wedding invitations. If some of your wedding guests are visually impaired, they may have trouble reading your invitation unless you emboss it in Braille font or they ask someone to help.

On the other hand, with an email invitation, your visually impaired guests can listen to your message with a single click. Professional designers can even ensure that a screen reader can describe the card design or complex fonts.

More Possibilities

Digital wedding invitation services offer benefits impossible with traditional paper invites. You can add music, videos, maps, quizzes, links to gift registries, and so much more.

In other words, digital invitations can be significantly more fun and impressive than formal paper invitations.

Furthermore, they’re more functional because you can insert interactive elements that provide the guests with a better understanding than printed equivalents.

Better Tracking & RSVPs

The main problem with paper invitations sent by post is that you can’t be sure your guests have received and read the invitation. Sure, you can pay extra for tracking and get an update when the envelope reaches its recipient.

However, you can’t be sure the recipient will open their mailbox and read your invitation. Some people don’t get a lot of important correspondence and only check their mailbox once a month or rarer.

It isn’t uncommon for people to miss the RSVP deadline only because they were late to read the invite. Digital wedding invitations eliminate the issue, offering improved tracking and RSVPs.

You can see who and when has opened your invitations and who has replied to your RSVP. You can even send reminders if you notice that someone has read the invite but doesn’t respond for long – but don’t get spammy!

Furthermore, your guests don’t need to head to the post office to send their RSVP response cards – they can reply at any time from the comfort of their homes.

Sending and receiving updates is also easier with email wedding invites. If you change the venue, time, or menu, you must send another email instead of printing new invitations and mailing them or calling every guest individually.

Furthermore, if your guests forget to answer some of the RSVP questions, you can communicate with them via email instead of guessing their food choices or calling them.

In fact, you may even prevent the email system from collecting RSVPs if any of the requested information is missing.

Cut Times

The wedding invitations timeline is tricky. Your guests should get their invites about six weeks before the wedding.

However, you can’t predict how long the post will take to deliver your invitations, especially if the guests are scattered across the U.S.

Sending invitations overseas is even less predictable. Numerous circumstances can hinder the delivery, leading to planning issues.

Digital wedding invites reach any recipient within a couple of minutes. It doesn’t matter how far your guests live; you’re only a few clicks away.

Your guests don’t have to estimate the RSVP delivery times either. Many miss the RSVP deadline only because they forget to consider the delivery times. With an email, this isn’t a problem.

Email Invitations Are Convenient

Printing, assembling, addressing, and mailing wedding invitations is a lot of hassle. Of course, it’s also exciting, but only if you have enough time for all these extra steps unnecessary with email invites.

You can send email invites directly from your home while you’re having morning coffee or from work during your lunch break. You skip the printing, addressing, and mailing stages entirely.

Furthermore, you can send your invitations at different times depending on the guest’s residence.

Some email invitation services offer scheduled sending, so you can set the timer for 12 weeks before the event for international guests and six weeks for local guests.

The Invitations Won’t Get Lost

Post workers lose wedding invitations more often than you may think. Even if you request hand canceling, pay for first-class delivery, and make it clear that your invitations should reach the recipients safely, unpredicted circumstances happen.

The guests may also lose their invitations. Leaving a small envelope on an office table crowded with papers and never finding it again is simple. In this case, the guests will have to call you.

On the other hand, losing an email invite is rare. A quick search in the inbox folder instantly brings up the invitation, regardless of how long ago the guest received it.

Most importantly, email invites will undoubtedly reach the recipient unless you add a spammy subject or use low-quality service.

The Importance of Design & Phrasing

Design is a crucial element of the impression your email invitations will leave on your guests. Don’t invite people to your wedding with simple text emails because this is way too low effort and may be seen as rude.

Email wedding invitation design should align with your wedding theme. You may hire a pro designer for custom invitations or use digital wedding invitations templates.

The wording also matters. Although emails feel less formal than paper invites, you should remain respectful.

Address your guests by their full names and include all the necessary information like the location, time, date, dress code, and meal choices.