Emailing Invitations: 5 Things to Consider
With technology moving rapidly, it’s not uncommon to think email invitations would be more convenient so you can get the word out.
Before doing this, I recommend taking a step back to think about this decision, as with every other decision you must make when planning a wedding. Is this something you want to do?
No matter how trendy or high-speed the latest means of communication might be, nothing outshines the timelessness and sincerity of a well-thought-out printed correspondence. This is especially true for wedding invitations. It is truly an art that shouldn’t be overlooked (in my opinion) as it relates to inviting a special group of people to share in your day. We’re not emailing coworkers here; it’s a wedding invitation.
A well-presented wedding invitation speaks to the matter at hand and to you as a person. It demonstrates sincerity and commitment to the individual you’re corresponding with. To help you weigh in on your thoughts, I want to share five mistakes most couples make when emailing invitations. I will list the main points and further expand on each.
5 Mistakes most couples make when emailing invitations:
You (and your immediate family) will not have keepsakes to cherish or photograph.
Most guests will not receive the email you send out; it goes into spam, so there will be a significant amount of follow-up.
Not realizing you will eventually need some stationery on the day of the event.
Not considering the real reason for emailing wedding invitations.
Not considering your guests the way you tell your story of what guests can expect can make all the difference.
Confusion as to who is invited.
You (and your immediate family) will not have keepsakes to cherish or photograph.
Every moment for your wedding day should be documented and curated to tell your love story. It inspires others (believe it or not) that there is hope to find love. You can feel the love and time put into beautifully printed stationery when your guests hold it in their hands. If you opt out of printed wedding invitations, consider that you will not have a keepsake to cherish for yourself, your family, or your children. Additionally, you will not have a set for your photographer to gather pictures of on the wedding day for your photo album. The pretty lettering and script printed on beautiful cotton paper, then photographed, will be missed entirely.
Most guests will not receive them.
Guest commitment is a scarce commodity these days. For a wedding that is deemed to be quite the investment, the email inbox is simply an unreliable source filled with lackluster commitments from your guests. The better impact is through the mail. Studies show that direct mail has an 80% open rate; for this statistic, we’re talking about mail of all kinds. Therefore, a very pretty wedding invitation has a 98% percent open rate; the small percentage are the guests who don’t check their mailbox, travel very often, or have a full mailbox.
Regarding emails, our inboxes are already exploding with information; it is also very common for event emails to go to the spam folder of Gmail (what most people use) 80% of the time. The bottom line is that emailing invitations is not considered a reliable communication system for sending very important details regarding your wedding day. When using emailed invites, especially the free version, be aware that some free services include advertisements, which we consider a social faux pas.
Not realizing you will eventually need some stationery.
If you’re having a wedding, you’ll eventually need something printed. First, you want to find out your printed needs regarding the ceremony and reception venue before emailing invitations. You want to paint the entire picture of all the paper you would need before deciding to omit wedding invitations.
Whether it’s signage (big or small), programs, menus, place cards for seating assignments, and meal choices, if your guests need to choose options, don’t forget table numbers and directional cards.
If none of those, indeed thank you cards if you expect to receive gifts of any kind. Thank you notes for wedding gifts sent via email or text are improper etiquette. Period. Beautiful prints provided by hand are something that guests find very helpful and much more appreciated. Many stationers offer these above-listed supplemental items at a reasonable price with wedding invitation orders.
Not considering the true reason for emailing wedding invitations?
Take the time to consider why the decision was made to email wedding invitations. Are you short on time? Collecting mailing addresses seems cumbersome? Combine digital and paper. Email your Save the Dates and add a line or link requesting guests to respond with their mailing address so they can receive a formal wedding invitation. Are you emailing wedding invitations to save on cost? Instead of a 4-piece suite, consider scaling it down to a 1-2 piece suite or an “all-in-one” and have RSVPs online. There are so many beautiful and creative options for using paper; your wedding day is the perfect time to show your personality.
Possible Confusion on Who is Invited
Finally, you could encounter possible confusion from your guests as to who has been invited to your wedding. Online invitations are addressed to a single profile or email address, so even if you want to extend the invite to spouses, children, or unknown “plus ones” (or don’t want to extend invites to certain guests), there’s no easy way to clarify that. There are not many options other than getting the email address of every guest invited. You can spell out who is invited to the wedding with printed stationery and envelopes with guest addresses. Having an unknown guest show up to your wedding day is an expense of its own that I am sure you’d much rather want to put towards “crystal clear” printed, fully addressed, and mailed wedding invitations.
While these are all mistakes couples have made or would want to consider, there’s no right or wrong choice for the way you invite your guests to your wedding. Decide what’s important to you and best for your guest list, then determine if online or paper invites better fit the planning and style of your wedding day. What’s important, in the end, is that you celebrate with the people you love, and everybody is happy, well-fed… and knows how to show up, where to be, and when.
Do you need more insight on your wedding invitation planning? Schedule a consultation
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about the author
Ruby Brewer-Watkins, is a Certified Wedding Planner who specializes in wedding stationery. Her guest list planning and creative process have created efficiency within her client projects, which allowed her to effectively collaborate, design and create beautiful wedding invitations and “day of” stationery for countless couples since 2015. 
Hi, I’m Ruby, your creative wedding professional. FINALLY, you made it! You can catch a glimpse into a few things I love, specifically how I passionately create wedding invitations and details for the “day of” for couples. I hope that that my blog posts and articles contained within this beautiful space truly inspire you. I offer unfiltered advice and space to give yourself permission to be creative and explore options, and ideas that are available to you to celebrate life's greatest moments.
