It used to be that you got what you paid for with paperless invitations — they were free and they looked like it. While there are still some excellent totally free options, for much less than the cost of a postage stamp, you can send a beautiful invitation that not only feature the benefits listed above but they are a environmentally friendly, to boot! Here are some of my favorites:
Paperless Post
Paperless Post is the gold standard of paperless invitations. The "stationery" and motifs are so gorgeous and realistic; you can almost feel them in your hands. 30 "stamps" (required to send the cards) costs $5, but buying more results in savings. Though the tracking options are basic, the aesthetic superiority of the cards makes Paperless Post my top pick
Pingg
The Etsy of the online invitation world, Pingg allows artists and designers to upload their original card designs and gain recognition for their talent. You can also set up an event web page, upload post-event photos and videos, link gift registries (helpful if you're planning a shower) and it has a place where your guests can sign up if the party is a pot-luck. Amazingly all of this is free, but guests are subjected to ads when they receive an invite. If you prefer an ad-free invitation, a $10 membership will allow you to send up to 2,500 ad-free invites at a time.
Evite
It has literally been years since I've used Evite, but I thought I'd take a look and see if anything had changed. Well, suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Evite has indeed been updated with some very nice invitation designs! The tracking options are the same, but they now have party planning suggestions and a party supply store. It's still free and, therefore, definitely worth a second look.
Punchbowl
A one-stop party planning shop, Punchbowl will help you select a date for your party (with input from your pals), suggest local vendors, and print up event T-shirts! The organizing is free, but if you want ad-free invitations, you'll have to upgrade to a Premium Account for $49 a year or $7.99 a month (you can cancel at any time).
Do you know of any other fabulous online invitation sites? Are you pro-online invitations or do you prefer doing things the old fashioned way?
Images: 1. Paperless Post, 2. Cocodot, 3. Pingg, 4. Evite, 5. Punchbowl
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good post! i would love to see the same type of round up, but for online services that will email, for instance, holiday cards instead of invites. as working parents we don't have time to print and send cards. plus, we don't have everyone's home address, so email is so much more efficient.
Over half the people I know don't check their email on a daily basis, so the few times I do have any kind of gathering I'd still need to send an invitation or at least place a call to let the person know.
Here's a paperless invite I created a couple of years ago. Any simple blogger would do. Simply add photos and some text. http://whitenightienight.blogspot.com/
Here's an invitation I created a couple years ago using a free blog. Choose a template, add photos and text and have endless fun playing with all the design options. FREE. (http://whitenightienight.blogspot.com/)
I've used Cocodot for 3 parties this year and each time I have been able to find a promo code online and order for free.
I have used all of these services except Cocodot, and they are all great, but I'll always be the biggest fan of Punchbowl, cause of their handy potluck feature.
I used to use evite a lot, but ever since the advent of facebook, I've pretty much resorted to using its events almost exclusively. The aesthetic appeal may be lacking somewhat, but it's super easy & that counts for a lot!
i'm so exhausted of the not-so-awesome designs of evite -- this is great!
There is a great site, www.rsvpinstyle.com, that offers not only invitations but photo cards for all occasions. Even better, you can try it for FREE.
paperless post is an elegant choice, they are fun to create, and many of their offerings are free--the best part is how the invitations spin in space like a real hard copy card. friends have said it is the least virtual (most virtual?) of all the the virtual card experiences out there. I use them for almost all online greetings and invites now. love them!
If you are looking for invite/RSVP solution without the fancy layouts try http://www.whoozin.com
It's targeted more for clubs and groups. Free to use without all the ads.I use it for my Poker night... works like a charm.