Digital or printed invitations for your wedding
Not long ago nobody asked the question. You printed the invitations, addressed the envelopes and handed them out one by one. Today many couples wonder whether a digital invitation does the same job better, especially when the wedding is in Greece and the guests are spread across several countries. The answer depends mostly on how many people you invite, how far away they live and how much time you have. Below we compare the two honestly, including where printed still wins.
How many invitations you actually need
Greek weddings tend to be large. A 2024 survey by the Greek wedding site wedmyway.gr put the average wedding in Greece at about 202 guests, and the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) recorded 36,649 weddings in Greece in 2024. Diaspora weddings are often smaller, but a guest list of 150 is not unusual once both families are counted.
Invitations go to households, not to individuals. For 150 to 200 guests you need noticeably fewer cards, though many couples print a few extra for keepsakes and mistakes. That is why the figures below assume 100 to 200 invitations.
Comparing the cost
Printed invitation prices vary widely by country, paper and printing method, so get two or three quotes. For a rough idea of what to add up:
- The cards: number of invitations × price per card. In Greece, a newspaper report (Ta Nea, January 2024) put printed invitations at about €0.50 to €1.50 each. Stationers in the UK, the US and Australia usually charge more, especially for letterpress or foil.
- Extras: envelopes, inserts for the RSVP, a map or accommodation details, envelope liners, labels.
- Postage: domestic and international, sometimes with a heavier card costing more than a standard letter.
- Your time: addressing, posting, and in Greece often delivering by hand.
A Day2Remember digital invitation costs €59 with Silver or €89 with Gold, however many guests you have. Atelier, designed from scratch, starts at €290. The price stays the same if you add 20 guests at the last minute or need to send it again.
Within a wedding budget, this difference rarely decides the matter. The real gain of digital shows up in time, organisation and replies.
The comparison in one table
| Criterion | Printed invitation | Digital invitation |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for 100 to 200 households | Printing plus envelopes, inserts and postage | €59 or €89 with Day2Remember, no guest limit |
| Preparation | Design, proof, printing, envelopes, posting or delivery | You send us the details and we build it |
| Corrections after sending | A reprint, or a second note to everyone | The page changes and everyone sees the updated version |
| RSVPs | Reply cards, calls and messages to track by hand | A form that sends each reply to your email |
| Maps for church and reception | A printed address | A map with one tap, from the Gold package |
| Guests abroad | International post, delays, the odd lost card | Arrives at once, in English and Greek if you wish |
| Keepsake value | Kept in a drawer or an album | Stays online after the wedding, from 5 days to 1 year depending on the package |
| Older guests | Often preferred | May need a hand to open it |
The time it takes to send printed invitations
Anyone who has sent printed invitations knows they are not done in an afternoon. You write names on envelopes, queue at the post office and chase the ones that need an international stamp. In Greece there is an extra custom: invitations are often delivered by hand, sometimes by the parents, and each visit comes with a coffee. In the last months before the wedding, your time counts for more than the money.
A digital invitation goes out in a few minutes, from your phone, personally to each guest and with your own message. To do it well, see how to send invitations on WhatsApp.
Guest replies
What tires couples most is the counting. With printed invitations, replies arrive scattered: a call to your mother, a message to the koumbaros, a "we will be there" in the street. Someone has to gather them into one list at the end, with the children and the allergies.
With an RSVP form, each guest says whether they are coming and how many they are, and the reply lands in your email. You give the venue a number without guessing.
Guests abroad
For friends and relatives in another country, post is slow and uncertain, and a card can take weeks to cross from Greece to Australia. Some guests may not read Greek comfortably, especially partners, colleagues or the second generation. A digital invitation arrives at once, and with the bilingual version everyone understands where and when to be. A section with bank details helps those who cannot come. For the wording, see how to put bank details on an invitation.
Paper, ink and post
Behind every printed invitation there is paper, ink, an envelope, transport and often an airmail journey. It is not a large footprint for one wedding, but for couples who care, it is one place where the day can leave less behind without any effort.
When printed is worth it
Printed invitations still have their place:
- When many guests are older and do not open links.
- When, for your family, handing over the invitation in person is a matter of respect.
- When you want a keepsake for the album or for your parents.
- When the wedding is in a small Greek village, where delivering invitations is part of the custom.
How many couples combine the two
You do not have to choose one. A practical mix:
- A few printed cards, perhaps 15 to 30, for grandparents, godparents and anyone the family wants to receive one in hand.
- A digital invitation for everyone, including those who got a card, so they have the map, the schedule and the RSVP on their phone.
- A QR code on the printed card that opens your page directly. If someone does not use a phone, a grandchild can reply for them.
This keeps tradition where it matters and makes everything else simple. The same works for a christening; if you are planning one, see the christening invitation wording. For when to send each piece, see the destination wedding invitation timeline.
Your wedding's digital invitation
With Day2Remember every couple has their own page, at an address such as maria-george.day2remember.gr, with a countdown and an RSVP form that sends replies to your email. From Gold up there are maps, the IBAN with a copy button and music. With the bilingual extra, the invitation is in English and Greek. There is no guest limit, and the page stays online after the wedding. See the wedding invitation designs, such as Cycladic island, Island gate and Gold leaves, and the prices, from €59.
Questions couples ask
Are digital wedding invitations acceptable? Yes, they are now common. Send them personally, with a few warm words, and print a handful for the relatives who prefer a card.
Are digital invitations cheaper than printed ones? Usually, yes, because the price does not grow with the number of guests and there is no postage. For a large Greek wedding the difference is clearest with guests abroad.
Can I send a digital invitation and a printed one together? Yes. Send both in the same week and put a QR code on the card, so every reply arrives in the same place.