So you’re about to start ordering wedding invites and you’re thinking to go digital? While I am a fan that is head over heels in love with paper products, I DO get that it may not be for everyone to order elaborate wedding invitations. And with the increased drive for online RSVP requests, one can wonder, why cant my invitation be online too?

Well, it can–under the right circumstances.

Here are 5 reasons why digital invites could be for you. Let’s get down to business.

1. You are trying to find extra room in your budget to book the photographer of your dreams.

You might be reading this and thinking what the heck do wedding invites have to do with a photographer, right? When you are budgeting for your wedding, there will always be one vendor category that is more important to you than another. And THAT category is where you will want to invest more money. If you are short $2k for the photographer you are in love with and trying to find a way to make more room in your budget, then nixing the luxe wedding invites just may be the solution for you. Think about it like this: the photos are for YOU. It is also one of the only things you get to take home after all is said and done on your wedding day. The invites are for your guests. You’ll order invites, plus RSVP and direction cards and when all is said and done you may keep only 1 or 2 for yourself.

2. Majority of your guests are a younger crowd .

If you have a lot of younger guests (50 and younger), they are pretty savvy with the smartphone. Thanks to this trait, they can easily navigate to a website or a group page to view your wedding details and confirm their attendance. In this case, you can use technology to your advantage to disseminate information on your big day without breaking the bank on invites. And online doesn’t mean bland. Think of any beautiful website you’ve ever come across. Your invites can absolutely have the same swoon-worthy effect as a paper invite with the right design graphics and tools – a lot of which are included with both paid and free wedding website builders from sources such as The Knot and Zola and the more mobile-response the better. Which basically means bonus points if it is easy to read and access on a cellphone. As for your older guests, you can make a small batch of invites just for them or call and personally invite them or have their closest family members that will also be in attendance to communicate details to them and keep them updated.

3. It’s much easier to track RSVPs. with digital wedding invites.

If you’re a boss bride and you’re reading this, you may not know what it’s like to have 50 envelopes show up in your mailbox at one time. While it is exciting to see that your guests are returning RSVP cards, you will still have to open each one individually, PRAY they filled it out correctly and you may still have to call them for clarification if their writing isn’t legible or they forgot to turn it in before your headcount is due. Digital invites coupled with online RSVPs means you can track all of your RSVPs without opening envelopes and loading data into a guest tracking spreadsheet. Online RSVPS allow you to track meal requests and headcount without having to count yourselves, simply refresh the page and boom, updates.

4. Postage add up.

When you are working with a designer whether you found them on Etsy, Minted, or they came highly recommended by your planner- it can be very easy to get caught up in the design aspect of your wedding invites. You may have even chosen a design that requires extensive packaging for it to safely reach its recipient (more on that later). The postage it may require to ship your wedding invitation can add up well beyond $1-$2 per household. Digital invites eliminate the need altogether.

5. Those beautiful wedding invitations can get beat up by the post office.

They don’t do it on purpose but…the USPS has a tendency to scrape and scratch up your outer envelop during processing. Your invites are running through scanners and those scanners may scratch up any labeling or design on your outer envelope and bend corners. With a digital invite, you won’t have to take any trips to the post office or worry that they may deform your envelopes.

If you’ve read this far I want to send you home with a juicy tip that is sure to have you re-thinking if digital invites could really out beat a beautiful paper invite. Imagine this. You turn your engagement photoshoot into a combined video shoot as well. Incorporated in your video reel, your cinematographer creates a dramatic engagement shoot video and incorporates the deets of the date and location of your nuptials and says to Save the Date. Then you upload your video to Vimeo or YouTube and email blast it to all of your guests. Now, THAT is an announcement that builds anticipation as much as any photo magnet you could send through the mail. You’re welcome.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of hard copy wedding invites. I do understand and can relate to all brides out there who are really considering their options for a variety of reasons. I’m here for you either way. If this is overwhelming you, no fear! Find out why a wedding planner should be in your corner and get back to being boss.

I hope these tips will help you make an informed decision about your invites for your big day. I’d love to hear what you decide.