If you’ve been invited to a party in the last ten years, chances are you received a virtual invitation. Thanks to the cost and expediency—including the ability to RSVP online to your host—electronic invitations are the most popular way to invite guests to your party or event.
“Beyond emailing invitations, close friends should consider a text invite, which you can customize as well,” says Mina Ebrahimi, president of Saint Germain Catering in Vienna. “Everyone is doing an e-vite these days. Even for formal events like weddings.”
Janice Choudhury of Honey Cotton Willow in Woodbridge agrees. “I don’t think you need to invest a lot of money in printed invitations. Some people will keep it, but most will throw it in the trash. With technology today, it’s easy to send a beautiful PDF version of your invite.” It’s different, says Choudhury, when your guests are older people who might not have a smartphone. “Then it’s nice to send a printed version to them.”
Plus, keep in mind that your invitation sets the tone for your event, says Necoya Tyson of All About You Management in Alexandria. “If you want your guests to dress formal,” she says, “then I would definitely mail out an invitation.”
They don’t have to break the bank, either. Decades ago, invitations were engraved and embossed on elegant paper, but digital printing has changed that, according to Sarah Burzio, owner and chief creative officer of Hitchcock Paper Co. in Occoquan. “People can actually get invitations for a holiday party for a lot less than they might think. In some cases, say less than 20 invitations for something basic, it can cost between $100 and $300, and it supports a small, local business.” Her full-service company can help you design customized cards, then address, stuff, and mail them, too.
Feature image, ©Anna/stock.adobe.com
This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
