Wedding Invitations and RSVP trackers
There is a world of options when it comes to wedding invitations and RSVP trackers. Some couples prefer paper while others prefer digital. Sometimes this choice is determined by budget, or by environmental beliefs, or just from an old-school love of the gorgeous paper invite. Whatever you like, here are some tips and options to help you navigate your choices.
Wedding invitation suite by Dahlia Press, Seattle
Save yourself some stress: use a RSVP tracking tool
Before we talk about the invites – let’s talk about how to manage your RSVPs, since that can affect the invite choice. Getting accurate RSVPs is really important – this affects your catering budget, room layout, etc. And there is potentially a lot of info to keep track of here – who is coming, how many in the party, if there are kids or not, menu selection, and maybe even if they are going to attend a rehearsal or welcome dinner. Phew! This calls for a spreadsheet! While there’s always google sheets or Excel (can you tell I’m not a Mac user?!), why not save yourself A TON of hassle, details, stress – and hey, even $$ – by using a free online RSVP tool, like RSVPify, RSVPnow, or anRSVP.com. No need for the little card and stamp, much less stress and hassle of inputting data, and a bonus is you’re saving trees!
Some of the wedding planning websites like The Knot, Wedding Wire, or MyWedding may offer an online RSVP tool as well.
Digital invites are ecoconscious and pretty as well!
Okay – so, digital vs. paper. Different strokes for different folks. As far as digital options go, they are getting lovelier by the day. Given their affordability and the eco-friendly benefits, I think digital is an option that is on trend and worth consideration. This post by the Knot has a great list of vendor options, so I won’t regurgitate. But I do want to give a special shout-out to a Seattle-based company called greenvelope. If I were shopping for online invites, I’d pick them – many beautiful choices. If you’re really dorked out on it, you can listen to a podcast interview with them on From Ring to Veil here.
These invites were designed by Chelsie Bowersox of How Lovely Paper on Etsy. The bride printed them and cut them out herself on paper she ordered from French Paper Co.
Don’t be over overwhelmed by choices!
If you really love paper… then you have some serious choosing to do! Probably the most budget-friendly, beyond DIY, is to go with something like minted or Wedding Paper Divas. You can also search Etsy for a printable design, like the set by How Lovely Paper in the photo above.
If you have the budget and a true lust for the pulp – then get ready for the wide world of beautiful choices out there! A few of my favorite custom wedding invite designers in Seattle area are Grey & Cake, la Happy, PaperFling, Libby Tipton, Dahlia Press, and Anchored Paper Company. A look at Instagram (try #weddinginvites or #weddingstationary) will also give you plenty of ideas and options. There is a ton of talent out there – have fun choosing!
One thing to watch for to help control costs: make sure the size of the envelope, and the weight of the package, conforms to the requirements for a regular postage stamp. Selecting a non-standard size could mean increased postage fees.
If you find this helpful, have an unanswered question, or have any other advice to share, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment below.
If you need more help with your wedding planning, contact me! And you can click these links for more info on calculating your guest count and when to send your wedding invites.
I found it interesting how you mentioned how digital wedding invitations are easy to use and are safe for the environment. My daughter is getting married to a man that she met while performing environmental service. She has found her true love through passionately making the earth a better place for her future kids. Because her reception will be environmentally friendly to commemorate how they met, I will keep this in mind as we search for designs for eco-friendly online wedding invitations!