Digital Wedding Invitation Etiquette: 10 Rules for Email and Text
By the PixerInvite team · 5 min read · Updated 9 November 2026
Digital wedding invitations follow the same manners as paper ones: address each household by name, send them six to eight weeks before the wedding, say exactly who is invited, and look after guests who aren’t online. Below are ten rules, the words to send with your link, and what to do in the awkward cases.
What are the rules for digital wedding invitations?
Ten rules cover nearly every situation.
- Send each household its own message, not one blast to everyone.
- Greet people by name.
- Say who is invited, including children and plus-ones.
- Send everything on the same day, so nobody hears about it second-hand.
- Send six to eight weeks before the wedding, the same as paper.
- Keep your wording as formal as the wedding.
- Give one clear RSVP date.
- Call, or post a card to, anyone who doesn’t use email or WhatsApp.
- Don’t post the link publicly.
- Tell guests directly if the date or venue changes.
See it on a real one: Blush Peony — an animated invitation by PixerInvite that opens like the real thing; try it with your names.
How do you address a digital wedding invitation?
The same way you’d address an envelope. Greenvelope’s digital invitation etiquette guide advises listing every invited person for a household, naming children when they’re included, and writing “and Guest” only where a plus-one is offered. If a name isn’t on the message, guests will assume that person isn’t invited.
What should you write with the link?
Two or three warm sentences are enough, because the invitation does the rest. These work for text, WhatsApp and email:
Dear Aunt Linda and Uncle Tom, we’re getting married! We’d love you to be there on June 19. Your invitation is here, and you can reply right on it: [link]. With love, Emma and James
Hi Sarah and Mike! It’s official, and we can’t celebrate without you. Here’s your invitation: [link]. Please let us know by May 1!
For email, use a subject line that can’t be mistaken for spam, such as Emma & James’s wedding: your invitation.
When should digital invitations go out?
Six to eight weeks before the wedding, as with paper, and all on the same day. Digital doesn’t mean later, because guests still need time to book travel and arrange time off. Our wedding invitation timeline has the full schedule, and when to send save the dates covers the earlier step.
What about guests who aren’t online?
Give them something personal. The Emily Post Institute says it’s preferable to send a printed invitation because a wedding invitation is such a personal thing, so a printed card or a phone call for grandparents and older relatives is a kind compromise. Many couples send digital to most guests and print a handful.
How do you handle the awkward cases?
Most awkward moments have a simple answer.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A very formal or black-tie wedding | Use formal wording, write out the date and state the dress code |
| Grandparents who don’t use phones | Post a card, or call and read them the details |
| Children aren’t invited | Name only the adults, and see our adults-only wording |
| Someone asks to bring a guest | Reply privately and kindly, and don’t change the invitation for everyone |
| A guest hasn’t opened it | Send a personal note, using our RSVP reminder messages |
| The date or venue changes | Update the invitation and tell every guest directly |
Can you share a wedding invitation on social media?
Not the invitation link itself. A public post invites people who aren’t on your list and can hurt the feelings of those who aren’t. Send the link privately, and keep public posts to a photo or a “we’re engaged” announcement.
How does this work on PixerInvite?
PixerInvite gives you one link for each invitation, with RSVPs collected in one list. You can create personal links with a family’s name, send them by WhatsApp, text or email, and see who has replied. Designing and previewing is free, and you pay only to send. See the wedding designs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it rude to send a wedding invitation by text?
Not if it's personal. A message addressed by name with a warm line and the invitation link feels thoughtful. A group text or a mass message is what feels careless.
Should a digital wedding invitation be formal?
It should match the wedding. A black-tie wedding calls for formal wording and a written-out date, and a backyard wedding can sound relaxed.
When should you send digital wedding invitations?
Six to eight weeks before the wedding, the same as paper invitations, and to everyone on the same day.
Do you still need paper invitations?
Not for most guests. Many couples print a few cards for grandparents and older relatives and send the rest digitally.
Are digital save the dates okay?
Yes. Save the dates are less formal than invitations, so email, text and WhatsApp are widely used for them.
Can I send each family a personal link on PixerInvite?
Yes. PixerInvite lets you create personal links with a family's name, and every reply arrives in one RSVP list.
About PixerInvite. PixerInvite (sometimes written Pixer Invite) makes animated digital invitations for weddings, engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, baby showers, housewarmings and festival greetings for Diwali, Christmas, New Year, Holi, Eid and Lohri. Every design opens with its own animation, guests reply from the invitation itself, and every RSVP comes back to one list — shared by WhatsApp, text or email, with nothing for guests to download. See the designs at pixerinvite.com.
See wedding invitation designs →