The Five Biggest Reasons to Opt Out of Paper Wedding Invitations
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There are a lot of voices out there telling us to go paperless in this new digital world, and now with Paperless Post, you can even consider going paperless with your wedding invitations. In case you're on the fence about going paperless with this super important part of your wedding, here are five reasons why you should definitely consider it.
1. Save Big on Money & Time
Three years ago, I was newly engaged and I made the kind of poor decision to DIY my paper save the dates and wedding invitations. I had explored my local letterpress invitation shop, and even though I love letterpress something fierce, the cost for custom letterpress invitations was going to consume a forth of my overall wedding budget (which, by the way, was only $12,000). I then turned to Paper Source to look at their custom printed invitations, which were a much cheaper alternatives, but if I wanted a save the date card, an invitation, an information card, and an RSVP card I was looking at a minimum of $600.
So I decided, for the sake of my budget, to make my own. I thought, "hey! I'm crafty! I got this!" I designed a simple text layout on my computer, used my inkjet printer, and then embellished them with gold embossing powder. They looked pretty awesome if I'm being honest, but they took me FOREVER. I spent hours feeding cardstock into the printer and embossing. I Inhaled what I'm pretty sure is an unhealthy amount of said powder, went through two ink cartridges, and ended up with an embossing heat gun that I doubt I will ever touch again. At the end of the day, I had spent $400 on invitations, and lost years off my life.
After all that, I still had to drop $75 at the post office on stamps. Damn those RSVP card return envelopes! I came in at $475.
Paperless Post could have saved me from all of that. It took me about 15 minutes to put together a save the date, as well as a full invitation suite on Paperless Post. Paperless Post uses a coin system for payment, and even with the most expensive options, the average cost per guest was about 12 coins. I could buy enough coins to cover my 100 guests for $120. For the couple on a strict budget, this is absolutely the most affordable option.
2. Say Goodbye to "It Got Lost in the Mail" or "Returned to Sender"
Let's face it, with 100 guests, it's bound to happen with at least one invitation. Either your friend moved to a new apartment and failed to send you their new address or their mailman put it in the wrong mailbox and their neighbor never brought it over. Either way, they never got their invitation, but they HAVE been talking to all your mutual friends, so they know EVERYONE ELSE got their invite. They consider confronting you about it, but decide they must have just not made the cut. Finally, you call them once the RSVP deadline passes to see if they're coming. They tell you, in a slightly annoyed tone, that they already made plans for that weekend. Believe me. IT WILL HAPPEN.
With Paperless Post, you can leave this passive aggressive nightmare behind. They provide you with tracking, so you can know that every invitation has been delivered. You can also track who has or hasn't opened the invitation yet, so when your uncle doesn't RSVP by the deadline but has opened the invitation 7 times, you know he's just trying to weigh your wedding against his other plans for that weekend.
3. Save a Tree (or Two), But Don't Lose Out on Memories
Invitations are a lot of paper, and sadly not everyone is a sentimental paper lover like me who keeps every wedding invitation I've every received. It's a rough truth, but most of your wedding invitations are going to end up in your guest's recycling bin. With digital invitations from Paperless Post, you can feel good about your environmental impact. Paperless Post also partners with Paper Source on a number of designs so you can order a few paper invitations as keepsakes or to have to photograph on your wedding day.
4. Ditch Patriarchal Envelope Addressing Standards
Thankfully, we now live in a modern age when there is lots of great advice about how to address wedding invitations without falling into a sexist patriarchal and heteronormative trap. By sending via Paperless Post you can easily opt for names with no salutations, or, since each invite can be sent to a unique email address, you can send invites to each individual in a couple and address everyone individually by name.
5. Find Gorgeous Invitation Suites by Top Designers
When I am not working at Catalyst, I work at a small gift shop that sells AMAZING paper goods, so I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to stationery designers. Paperless Post has wedding invitation suites by my absolute favorites, so you don't have to lose great design by saving a few dollars.
JEN SIOMACCO
Jen Siomacco is the CEO and Creative Director of Catalyst Wedding Co. She works to mesh together her love of feminism, love stories, equality and design into the layout and brand of Catalyst while she sits on her couch and snuggles up with her SUPER lazy cats.
