RSVPs: Is It Time To Take Everything Online?
The Internet age has left an indelible mark on weddings and the surrounding hullabaloo. As connectivity becomes a more attainable option, long distances covered by a quick click, so comes the big question: When is the Internet an appropriate option for sharing wedding details – like invites, dates and photos – and when should it be avoided?
When it comes to RSVPs, the web can be a great asset, making the process “more efficient and, for some, more cost effective,” says wedding-planning consultant Bláithín O’Reilly Murphy. “Email, personal wedding websites and even Facebook Events have allowed couples and guests to reply almost instantly to wedding invitations.”
George Watts, a U.K.-based wedding expert and author of “The Wedding Fairy’s Big Day Breakdown: Planning for an Unforgettable Celebration” (Oak Tree Press 2013), agrees with the efficiency of Facebook as a planning tool. “It’s a great way to instantly connect with friends and family through a page dedicated to your celebration, and also a brilliant way to build a bit of buzz in the lead up to your wedding,” he says.
Efficient though it may be, there’s still one major roadblock to online planning tools: not everyone uses the Internet.
“Keep in mind that most grandmas and older family members may not even own a computer,” says Diann Valentine, a wedding planner and event who’s designed weddings for stars like Usher, Martin Lawrence and Toni Braxton.
So where do you draw the line? When is an online invite or RSVP option OK and when is it a hindrance to your guests?
“Right now, I think it’s a good idea when hosting an informal celebration, but it’s important to be creative with the content,” says Watts. “Don’t just put an email together and zip it out to friends and family. Think about how you can use technology to get people enthused pre-wedding.”
O’Reilly Murphy says it all comes back to the couple. “The biggest change in weddings in the last 20 years is personalization,” she says. “Couples are doing what feels right for them.”
It’s also about tailoring the invites to the guests. If the expected crowd is full of active Internet users, online invites might be an impressive choice. But if comprised of mostly older relatives, it’s worthless to bother.
Like most things wedding, it all comes back to personal preference. Even the experts are torn on whether the trend towards online everything is positive or negative. While they acknowledge its relevance, most insiders are still keen on tradition.
“Personally, I’m a big fan of the invite arriving at your door,” says Watts. “It’s all part of the initial excitement and build up to the celebration.”
Adds Valentine: “Weddings are a big freaking deal, and you make it much less of a big deal by sending all of your guests an email invite.”
Preferred or not, some aspect of paperless wedding communication will continue to trend.
“Online RSVP-ing – I could see that becoming a widely acceptable norm,” says O’ Reilly Murphy.
“As younger brides grow up, they will be accustomed to the electronic efficiencies that technology offers,” says Valentine.
But Watts has a more positive outlook on the trend.
“In the wedding world, it often takes time for new trends to kick in, and I think the paperless route is no different,” he says. “Eventually it will really get going and I think we will start seeing some seriously fun videos popping up and going viral on YouTube. Bring it on, I say!”
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