For your next fete—from graduations to BBQs—there are fun, modern options for inviting guests to your party.
You won’t spend a minute addressing an envelope, and you’ll set your party apart from the all-too-common evite invite.
Acid Imaging
Invitations are custom-tailored to evoke the mood and ambiance of your event. So if you’re hosting a sweet 16, you could pair a video of your daughter with the vocal stylings of Taylor Swift for an edgy allure. You supply the video, photos, music and text you like. Then creative geniuses meld the assets together to create a one-of-a-kind invitation that can be disseminated through email, YouTube and Facebook.
Good for: Women who want to add some flair to their next fete.
Bonus: Invitations can be burned to a DVD, played live at the celebration—or even broadcast on TV.
Price: $400 to $800
Site: acidimaging.com
Paperless Post
This is where the timeless elegance of hand-crafted invitations meets the modern-day convenience of digital communication. Choose from hundreds of templates that range from playful designs to sophisticated black and white photos. You can also include a personal logo with each creation. Your guest will receive an invitation that’s automatically animated to appear as if she’s pulling the paper out of the envelope.
Good for: The girl who loves snail mail … but not enough to make a trip to the post office.
Bonus: Not an ad in sight.
Price: First 25 stamps are free; 30 stamps for $5; 150 stamps for $12 (the more stamps you buy, the more you save).
Site: paperlesspost.com
Punchbowl
Welcome to the one-stop shop for party planning. This site lets you create invitations and search for local vendors, like bakeries, venues and DJs. You can also sift through a list of popular party themes, complete with advice on ways to make the celebration as fun (and stress-free) as possible.
Good for: Busy moms.
Bonus: After the event, you can log on and send thank you cards.
Price: Free with the option to upgrade your membership for extra features, like the ability to poll your guests
Site: punchbowl.com
Pingg
Artists, photographers and illustrators contribute to this bevy of invitations, giving you one more way to become the hostess with the mostess. Better yet, you don’t have to choose between targeting someone’s inbox or mailbox. Pingg will print and mail hard copies of your invitation to guests while still letting you manage your event online.
Good for: Ladies with an eye for design.
Bonus: Choose from 4 million images when you upgrade to Pingg Plus. Designers are paid every time their work is selected.
Price: Free; $10 for Pingg Plus.
Site: pingg.com
