It is time to ask the age old question….To Evite or not to Evite.
I am a huge fan of the electronic invitation, or evite, but there is a time and place for their use. Evites have the potential of being even more fun, beautiful and meaningful then printed invitations. But you can’t keep an evite as a keepsake. I guess you could print it out but unless you spent the additional cost of high quality printing, it just wouldn’t be the same.
So when should they be used? Can they be used for all events, only for casual events or not at all? Obviously, this is a matter of preference and depends on the type of event that is being planned. Some of my previous clients, have adamantly preferred evites so the cost can be used for other areas of the event. Depending on the event type, I agreed or pushed them to purchase printed invitations. I feel you just cannot send evites for a formal wedding! But with economy the way it is and the push to get the best bang for your buck, maybe evites are a way to help have that truly special event without breaking the bank.
There are several sites that offer electronic invitations; however, I typically stick with the tried and true leader, Evite.com. I am a fan of their site due to the variety of templates and options that are available. They also offer suggestions on themes, party games, décor, etc. Their blog features new themes and cool products as well which I am currently a follower.
I recently discovered a new site, Socializr.com, that is stated to be a bigger and better version of Evite.com for it offers customized electronic invitations without the need for guests to register with the site, the invitations will not be cluttered with advertisements, and Flash widgets can be added to the invitations, per the "learn more" section of the website. The invitations can be customized in such a way that videos, music, pictures, slideshows and chatrooms can be added. Plus you can import your evite.com address book to the site! (
http://www.socializr.com/learnmore) I haven’t tried this site out yet, but plan to the next time I am in need of evites.
So here is your chance to weigh in on your evite preferences! Do you think it is tacky to use electronic invitations at all or prefer to use them only when the event calls for it? Or do you feel they can be used for any event? Let me know your thoughts!