There’s no denying that we now live in the digital age. Technology has made it easy to do nearly everything, from shopping and paying bills, to sending birthday invitations and messages to our loved ones, with just the click of a button. But at the same time, many people will agree that our obsession with all things digital means that there are things we’ve lost touch with along the way.
There’s something almost old fashioned about using paper these days, it can feel a bit like a luxury at times. But there has been a real resurgence lately, back towards all things paper, including cards and invitations over digital ones. People recognise that there’s nothing more special than a hand written card or a physical paper invite. It feels more personal, it can make you feel more in touch with people, more connected with them and your loved ones are much more likely to treasure it than they would something they simply received in their email inbox.
There’s just something more real and enjoyable about having a paper invitation, and with so many more creative options for every aspect of the invitation, it will leave a big impact on all who receive one.
Birthday invitations online: designs for any age
Birthday invitations are something that are so much better when done on paper instead of digitally. Digital invitations seem impersonal and are likely to get forgotten about once the new emails start rolling into your inbox.
There is such a great range of online birthday invitations, that you won’t struggle to find a beautifully unique design that you love and that matches any theme you have in mind. Whether you’re looking for 21st birthday invitations or 30th birthday invites, there are so many designs to choose from that you’ll be spoiled for choice. Why send a boring digital invite when you can send something truly special that has been created just for you by a talented designer? When choosing paper invites, you can choose everything from the paper type and colour palette through to the printing type. Just think about how personal and distinctive your birthday invitations will end up being.
There are plenty of people who still love and see the appeal in buying and receiving cards, writing letters and connecting with their loved ones through paper instead of a screen. And with so many stunning invitation designs available with features like foil stamping, lace detailing, letterpress and even invites made of wood, why would you want to go digital and miss out on those special finishing touches! These small details are what makes paper invites far superior to digital ones. No feature that digital invites can provide can outweigh the feel of embossed lettering, raised foil, or the texture of a unique wooden birthday invitation.
It’s the little things that count
For something as special as a 1st birthday invitation, it’s most likely to be kept by quite a few family members as a memento from the day. Parents especially, often keep the invite with other special pieces, to share with their child as they grow. If you create a digital 1st birthday invite you miss out on that, and it’s not likely that you’ll still have it to share 20 years later.
Birthday invitations often get placed somewhere in the home on display to sit as a reminder of the upcoming event, but when the invite is a unique and customised design many guests will choose to hold onto it as a keepsake that they can look back on, as a reminder of the special day.
Nothing beats the tactile experience of a paper invite. People love the personal touch of real paper, they love choosing colours and designs that reflect their personality and there’s nothing better than having the finished product in your hands. But also, when sending out paper invites there are a lot of other details that you just don’t get with digital invites. Here at Paperlust we’ve just introduced some stunning new envelope liners, with designs including watercolour, tropical and marble print, so that even your envelopes can stand out and complement the unique design of your birthday invitations. It’s these added details to your invitations that are what make an impact and that people will remember.
Some of the main downsides to digital invites
One of the main problems with digital invites is that they just don’t feel as special, you can’t feel the added feature of the texture of gold foiling or letterpress. When you receive an invitation with your name written on the front of an envelope that has floral or striped lining, it’s much more exciting, especially in an age when receiving personal mail has become rare.
There’s also the fact that a digital invite can get lost amongst all the other emails, you can’t put it out on display like you would with a paper invite. That 40th birthday invitation could literally get lost in your inbox, or accidently deleted. Nothing about it will stand out, and while yeah, sure, you can print it out, it’s just not quite the same thing.
One of the other major disadvantages of a digital invite is if you have family members who have not embraced technology (and there’s always a few in every family). Sending them a digital invite is just not an option. Many kids don’t have email, so if it’s for birthday party invites you’ll have to contact all the parents and get their email addresses; or if you’re inviting some older guests, or need to send out 50th birthday invites or 60th birthday invitations to elderly family members, some of them might not even have a computer. We all know that grandma or grandpa who just doesn’t get ‘that Google thing’, and most grandparents love nothing more than to receive mail from their loved ones.
If you have been considering sending out digital invites, it’s worth making sure that you really have looked at all the beautiful paper invitations out there, especially with so many stunning designs and added features available exclusively for paper invitations. Because, while, yes, digital invites might be more convenient in some ways, it also feels like you’re missing something special.
When you create a birthday invitation, it feels much more connected to real life when its printed out on card. When you hold it in your hands it’s tangible and memorable. At the end of the day it’s always more exciting to receive an invitation in your letterbox than your inbox.