The prevalence of email and the internet makes the thought of sending e-invitations alluring, especially with its implied simplicity and ease. When it comes to sending wedding invitations, however, should you choose e-wedding invitations or traditional?

Pros of Sending Traditional Wedding Invitations

Traditional wedding invitations are printed on beautiful paper and have the benefit of being a physical object to be held, admired, and possibly kept and even framed. The style of your wedding invitation will denote a theme, color scheme, and degree of formality, along with delivering the wedding ceremony and reception details.

No matter how casual your wedding might be, it is still one of the most important days of your life, and sending a physical wedding invitation conveys your special day to recipients. In addition, your guests can also have a physical memento for their scrapbooks, as well as a reminder for your upcoming wedding.

There is a traditional wedding invitation available for every budget and many ways to dress up less expensive invitations to resemble custom ones using color, monogram, or foil-lined envelopes.

Pros of Sending E-Wedding Invitations

E-wedding invitations have the particular advantage of being sent virtually, freeing up your budget and reducing paper waste that a traditional wedding invitation would create. Your wedding invitation will be delivered instantly upon the click of your mouse on the exact day you specify. You can easily upload a photo, type in your invitation information, and include extras like a map. Instead of collecting numerous RSVP envelopes, you can manage your guest list online any time of the day or night. If guests don’t respond accordingly, you simply resend your invitation and request they RSVP.

Cons of Sending Traditional Wedding Invitations

You always take a risk when sending important documents through the mail. A portion of your traditional wedding invitations could get lost in the mail, or the wedding invitations could get damaged or ripped while being processed. Although these instances don’t routinely occur, it is possible, which is why save the date announcements are helpful in case a guest doesn’t receive a wedding invitation and can inquire why. Also, if you are concerned about the environment, paper wedding invitations might not be the best format for you.

Cons of Sending E-Wedding Invitations

E-wedding invitations, while providing instant gratification, do present major problems. First, not everyone has an email account or internet access, particularly older guests. Also, your e-wedding invitation can easily be routed to a spam folder and never viewed by the recipient. Emails are easily discarded and forgotten, making your job more difficult as the date draws closer and you have to resend multiple invitations requesting a response. Finally, it is difficult to invite guests to a black tie affair through email, as receiving an e-wedding invitation sends a casual message while also implying that your wedding isn’t a top priority.

Although both traditional and e-wedding invitations have benefits and drawbacks, ultimately, paper wedding invitations denote the type of importance, sophistication, and specialness that is inherent in your wedding day.