Digital vs paper wedding invitations: pros, costs and how to combine them
It's one of the first decisions you make: traditional paper invitations, or digital ones sent by message? There's no single right answer, but there are a few sums worth doing before you decide.
What each one costs
A well-made paper invitation (design, printing on good stock, envelope and maybe a wax seal or ribbon) usually costs between $4 and $10 per invitation. With 80 invitations, that's $320 to $800, plus postage.
A digital invitation costs the same for 20 guests as for 300. Ours, for example, is a one-off payment of $49 (€40 / £39) and includes the watercolour design, the schedule, maps and the RSVP form.
Pros of a digital invitation
- It arrives instantly and never gets lost in the post.
- It can be updated after sending, with no reprinting.
- RSVPs are collected automatically in a spreadsheet: who's coming, menus, allergies.
- Everything is in one link: maps, times, shuttles, hotels, gift list.
- It's more sustainable: no paper, ink or postage.
- It can have music, a countdown and two languages, ideal for families from two countries.
Pros of a paper invitation
- It's a keepsake many people hold on to.
- For grandparents and anyone without a smartphone, it's still the easiest option.
- It feels like an occasion: opening a beautiful envelope is a lovely moment.
The best of both worlds
What we see most is couples combining the two:
- A digital invitation for everyone, with the schedule and the RSVP form.
- A few paper invitations for grandparents, parents or anyone you want to make a special gesture for. They can be simple, with a QR code linking to the invitation website.
That way you save most of the printing and postage, receive every RSVP in one place, and nobody misses out on an envelope if it matters to them.
Is a digital invitation less elegant?
Only if it's badly made. A digital invitation with a careful design, good typography and a beautiful illustration can be as elegant as the finest stationery. What isn't elegant is a pixelated PDF forwarded ten times.
Our templates are hand-painted in watercolour and can be personalised with your colours, wording and photos. You can try any of them for free and see how it looks before deciding anything.
So which should we choose?
- Digital if you want to save money, have a long guest list, are getting married away from home or want effortless RSVPs.
- Paper if it's a small, very traditional wedding, or if the envelope is part of the experience for you.
- Both if you want the convenience of digital and a keepsake for your nearest and dearest.
If you go digital, our guide on how to make a digital wedding invitation has the step-by-step, and our wedding invitation wording guide has examples to help you write it.