Modern Wedding Invitations Solution: Paperless Post

Paperless Post invitation options by photographer Mikkel Paige Photography. It's an eco-friendly, cost effective way to invite guests to your event. #weddinginvitations #eventplanning #stationery

I absolutely adore photographing stationery. “Lay flat” photos, as they’re called, is one of my specialties. One of the reasons I love it so much is because I appreciate the artistry that goes into making these products. Talented artists work to create little works of graphic design art, down to chosen fonts, hand lettering or calligraphy, floral motifs and the like. Another reason I love them is because they’re really the first glimpse into your wedding a guest may get. What’s the look and feel of the wedding? What vibe will it have? Will it be a whimsical affair with cocktail attire or a winter wedding with a more formal setting and black tie dress code? For couples desiring a slew of options online for modern wedding invitations solutions we have a great one for you to consider: Paperless Post.

I’ve photographed all sorts of stationery suites. Some have run the full breadth of what a wedding paper suite can bring, including matching table numbers and escort cards. Others are simply an invitation and reply card. Once I photographed a computer screen because the couple got married on the beach and did a Facebook event invite, only!

Sometimes people want to do something a little more economical in terms of budget and eco-friendliness! Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think paperless is going to replace printed invitations. But if you’re looking for another options for stationery for your day, no matter your taste or budget, Paperless Post is a GREAT option. I’ve used it many times for a variety of events, from cocktail parties, to holidays I’ve hosted.

The benefits of using Paperless post

Here’s some benefits of using Paperless Post:

International weddings: you can simply email the invitation across continents!
Postage: save on postage!
Eco-friendly: not only are you saving paper and trees, but you’re also saving the environment from the gas on delivery trucks needed to deliver paper invites.
Gone are the days of having to call your guests who didn’t pay attention to the RSVP date. Paperless Post will remind your guests the RSVP is near (as well as the event).
You can add a gift registry to the invitation. Not only are you providing important information to your guests who will likely want to know what to buy you but it’s all provided online so it’s extra simple for them to find the link online!

One of the sweetest couples I’ve had the pleasure of working with were both from other countries. The bride, Diana, was from Russia and the groom, Jie, from China. Their summer wedding at Crabtree’s Kittle House was perfection and her peach wedding dress made me smile from ear to ear. The way they invited their international guests to their wedding venue in Chappaqua, New York was with a Paperless Post invitation. As their photographer, I saw an opportunity for me to photograph a digital item in print form, somehow. Thus I printed it out for a photoshoot!

Mikkel Paige Photography photos of a wedding at Crabtree Kittle's House. Picture of their Paperless Post floral wedding invitation.

Mikkel Paige Photography photos of a wedding at Crabtree Kittle's House. Picture of the bride and groom. She wore a blush gown and he wore a grey suit.

I did something similar for the 30th birthday of one of my close friends, Anna. Her milestone summer fȇte needed an invitation as bright and bubbly as the birthday girl. The party planner, Michelle from Magnolia and Grace Events, picked the perfect Paperless Post invitation for the party. I printed it out and backed it on several pieces of cardstock that matched it. I stitched it together with gold thread on my sewing machine for a photo; I love the result.

Paperless Post also has designers you’re familiar with and already adore, including Kate Spade, Rifle Paper Co., Jonathan Adler, Mr. Boddington’s Studio, Anthropologie, Crane & Co., Create & Barrel, Marimekko, Paper + Cup, Vera Wang and more.

Two more perks? You can upload a photo to their online designs! And you can even get them printed as a result of Paperless Post’s partnership with Paper Source.

Paperless Post invitations aren’t just for the main event

They’re not just for the main event for a wedding either. Let’s say you want to stick to more traditional paper invitations you mail. Well there’s a slew of other wedding events you’ll want to consider Paperless Post invitations for. Events you want to keep classy or on-trend but still want really nice invitations for. Here’s other wedding events they offer invitations for (and damn good designs too!):

Engagement Party
Save the Dates
Wedding Party Asks (like “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” or “Flower Girl?”)
Bridal Shower
Bachelorette Party
Wedding Brunch
Wedding Weekend
Thank You Notes

Event management

It’s really easy to manage your event online in your Paperless Post account.
Here’s the simple steps to creating your invitations:

Create an account or log in to your existing account.
Choose the perfect invitation for your event. Browse by color, style, shape of card, etc.
Customize your invitation. Not only can you customize wording but you can customize the background your guests will view the invitation on, you can add names to the envelopes, an address that will populate a map on the RSVP page and more!
Upload a CSV file with your guest information (names and emails are key) or simply input it by hand.
Invite your guests! You can buy coins to do so or if the design’s free there’s no cost! (If it’s free and you find it’s charging you coins, try removing your custom envelope or liner, changing the “stamp”, etc. Stamps are purely for fun online but they do add a bit of cuteness and nostalgia!)
Sit back, relax and await RSVPs! It’s fun to see the comments on RSVPs if guests choose to add them too.
Export your guest list if desired. How cool is that?

Are the modern wedding invitations free or do they cost money?

Paperless Post is at the top of its class in online invitations. There’s a reason for it: they’ve built a sustainable business model. As such, they do need to make money! Thus, some cards and features cost money and other cards and invitations are free. You’ll know the difference as you start designing. A card will either say “Free” or something like “Starting at: 2 coins”. The variables for how many coins an invitation cost are what you add to the invitation, or how many customizations from envelope liners to page backgrounds, you add.

Coins are very affordable. Here’s some price examples:

25 coins for $10.00
200 coins for $30.00
400 coins for $50.00

If you order an engagement party invitation that costs 4 coins, for example, including the invitation and envelope, and you send out 50 invitations, the cost is ONLY $30.00. For FIFTY invitations! That’s incredible.