With Christmas only 46 days away, I’ve started thinking about all the details I need to check off my list in preparation for the holidays. One thing that’s taken a regular spot on my “to-do’s” is mailing Christmas cards to close family and friends.
While sending a hand signed card in the mail is more personal, it can become costly if you have a large group of recipients. Paperless cards are free, and for more premium designs, they cost less then purchasing cards and paying for postage (especially if you live in Canada), and they are more environmentally friendly.
E-cards have a come a long way from what they used to be and definitely have more “pretty” appeal than when they first hit the scene. Here are a handful of my favourite e-greeting card sites:
Pingg is a one stop shop. Here you can select between sending an invitation and keeping track of rsvp’s, sell tickets to an event, send and e-card or choose a design to send by mail. Pingg works with a community of over 250 designers (they are like Etsy for online greeting and invitations) to bring you the most stylish and eco-friendly greeting cards and invitations. There are various membership tiers available ranging from free to $70USD per year.
Although Evite is primarily for sending out party invitations and managing rsvp’s, it’s still a great option to sending out physical invites in the mail or by regular email. Evite also has thank you card designs to thank your guests after your party. They have free and premium designs to choose from, and if you don’t like anything, you can create your own.
Downside to sending paperless cards
May end up in junk mail
Could be accidentally deleted (I do it all the time!)
You send it to the wrong email address
Not as personal as a mailed card
Um. DROOL. Greenvelope is a whole other kind of eye-candy! This site leaves me speechless from their site layout, their story, and their designs. I could look at this site all day just because or for creative influence. They are a one stop site for sending invitations and managing rsvp’s, including details such as meal selections. The only downside is that it’s a fully paid service, there are no free options. However, I really like that with the more cards you send you get a bulk discount.
Image | Colin Cowie card design, Greevelope.com
Upside to sending paperless cards
Saves time + trees!
Can send to multiple recipients at once
Zero or low cost
Last minute “fix”
Good option for international friends and family.
Canva isn’t specifically for sending e-cards but it’s a great site for finding templates which you can customize to make your own greeting cards. It does also have an iPad app you can use to create your cards on the go. It has both free and paid options.
If you prefer animated greeting cards and invitations, this is the site for you. You can also create and share slideshows and collages. It’s a free service, but you will need to download the software to use it.
Paperless post is an online stationary shop which allows you to send greetings and invitations, free or for a cost depending on the design. It lets you easily track rsvp’s and keep multiple events organized. My only dislikes about the service is the “coin” currency used to purchase premium cards and that it’s a bit tricky to navigate when you want to remove the paid features from your card or invitation design.
How do you feel about paperless greetings and invitations? Are there any noteworthy sites you use to send e-greetings not mentioned above?
