Are Paperless Invites Really The Way To Go?

The other day I was sitting at my computer putting the finishing touches on my 2012 Camp Stationery designs when my husband handed me an article from the New York Times about a company that offers invitations online or “evites”. In the past two years Just Label It has seen a drastic reduction in orders for kids invitations due to the internet and companies that offer invitations online.

The very next day I received my bi-monthly copy of BizBash, a magazine dedicated to the trends of the NY party scene. As I skimmed through the magazine I came across another article about paperless invitations. OK. I have to face facts - a lot of people are turning to the internet and these “evite” sites as a way to invite guests to their parties. So I started to research the whole phenomena. I can see some good reasons for sending invitations online. Besides the cost savings, the one thing I found appealing was that many of websites manage the responses for you. But, then I came across one article that made me realize the whole “evite” thing was really a sad, sad commentary on some of the changes the computer has inflicted on our way of life. In this particular article a woman was quoted as saying that she sent out her invitations from one of the online websites but one of the things she loved was that this company then sent her the actual invitation for her to open and have. I was stunned! She thought that was great? Doesn’t she realize that’s how her guests would feel if they got an invitation in the mail????

Do you know how many mothers tell me that they would love to get actual invitations again? Their children loved opening mail from their friends but on a practical side, despite how electronically savvy we are all suppose to be these days, it easier to get an invitation in the mail, open it and stick it to the fridge. How many emails do you get a day? Download it to my calendar?? Remember to print it out with directions and bring it to the kitchen? Believe it not, not everyone has a smart phones to send events to their phone calendar nor do we all know how to do it.

While I realize there is a higher cost involved with actually sending an invitations through the mail (and believe me I am the last person to spend someone else’s money) there are still great benefits. Do you want your guests to be excited about your party? Start the fun with letting them opening an actual invitation!