By Elisha J. I received this week an invitation to a Simcha, via email. I said to myself, ‘this is brilliant’, and should definitely become the new style. In today’s world, nobody has patience, many don’t care and many don’t have money, so why are people still spending upwards of two dollars on a raised-lettered, fancy designed and monogrammed cardboard invitation to be looked at for about 15 seconds and thrown out?
Besides, how many people do you know who actually take the invitation and pin it on a home-bulletin bpard until the Simcah? I know I just write it down in my phone’s calendar, and so does my wife, as done with all events we need to attend.
And in case the standard invitation wasn’t enough, you should see the ones people send out to impress.
More than once, I’ve gotten invitations in a double envelope, with a 3-d look, and draped in ribbons. For a second I thought I was being invited to a Presidential event. It was just a wedding. If you ask me, It’s a bit out of hand.
The saying ‘people buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t know’, is somewhat applicable here too, I believe.
I know if I were to be making a Simcha now, I would definitely opt to invite my guests electronically, and use the extra few thousands dollars either towards the actual Simcha, or perhaps just leave it in my bank account.
“I know if I were to be making a Simcha now, I would definitely opt to invite my guests electronically, and use the extra few thousands dollars either towards the actual Simcha, or perhaps just leave it in my bank account.” OR NOT TO HAVE TO BORROW IT!!!
good luck when you click the wrong button and it sends it to your entire contact list!!
I dont have email at home. And am not always in my office to check? What now. BTW my parents and inlaws both dont use email.
There are many frum people in the business of printing invitations. Though I am not one of them, I am aware that printing invitations does not cost a few thousand dollars, as it states in the information above. Let’s try to keep those in the printing business to remain in business.
I think this would work better in non-Jewish circles where everyone has the internet. Many frum people don’t have it. Also, there is something to having a physical invitation as opposed to an e-mail. It shows the chashivus of the event, and is more personal. Not a bad idea though.
Well, i just post my events in facebook….
I would still send the invitations, but keep them as as simple as possible, but I would not put in an answer card with an envelope and stamp, but, rather a phone number and e mail address to r.s.v.p. (I’ve done so in the past). It works better, because more people will call rather than send back the return card.
I would just yell out the kitchen window a la Mrs. Hymie Himmelstein.
Like others mentioned, it depends what type of crowd you’re from, not everyone has an email address. I do agree with what you wrote though.
Dude,
Invitations are not that expensive and it’s much more personable than a cold email.
Nobody’s stopping you from doing it by email, but there are a lot of other things that need more attention than this topic.
(P.S. Al Gore would love you)
Your article proves yet again how technology is destroying our once socially friendly world! Sending an invitation to a joyous once in a lifetime occasion via email is the most impersonal thing I have ever heard of!
On a side note: It cracks me up when such things are referred to as “social media”. It should be called the “anti-social media”.
Gave me a great idea! WebWedding® Save bigtime on everything. Do your event with a video conference! Guests eat what they want, drink what they want, wear what they want, choose the flowers, invite the kids, pick the music, don’t have to talk to anyone they don’t want to, no traveling, start on time…
this is non sense!! how will you send back with a check?
Maybe the way to invite to personal Simchos should still be by invitation. What about all the Mosdos that have a much larger mailing list and would actually save thousands of dollars by inviting electronically. How many of those invitations don’t even get opened and just end up directly in the trash. Especially, as they all seem to send numerous reminder cards and letters in the mail.
To # 10 thank you for putting a smile on my face, bravo
I wouldn’t stop just at an electronic invitation. I would even encourage an electronic wedding. Where u can just tap into the virtual hall via skype and watch everything from your couch at home while your in your pajamas.
You don’t need internet to have email
I get leshana tova cards by email and even yeshiva dinners invitation by email so why not a wedding invitation too.
There are many other things that can be eliminated to save money before a few hundred dollars on invitations. I saw an ad the other day from Jewelry store regarding a “special” sale on a chosun and kallah package.
The choson package has the “required” Becher, Watch, Menorah, Esrog Box, only $4999. The Kallah Package has the “required” Ring, Leichter, Necklace, Watch and Bracelet, “only” $3999.
So before they are even sadlled with a rediculous wedding bill, a new couple is expcted to spend nearly $10,000 on the things you “HAVE” to do.
I bought my wife a gorgeous pewter leichter. She got me a nice $200 watch and $100 becher. We used the $9000 that we saved as a downpayment on a house.
We can’t hide from what’s coming
We can’t afford to hide from the future
We can’t lie to ourselves….
We are all on this site
Except for Yechidim everyone who has a real use for the internet uses it JUST NOT FOR ENTERTAINMENT
This is a great way to save money….Borders is going out of business….newspapers are scrambling…. the future is upon us let’s not get caught holding the….invitation!
To Jake says:
Quote “On a side note: It cracks me up when such things are referred to as “social media”. It should be called the “anti-social media”.
why so negative? I realiaze some have a hard time accepting change and change is not always good but in this case I feel you just have something against the new way of staying in touch with others .
to # 4
there are those that say the tractor was a bad invention cause all the farmers lost their jobs and that is simply not true as there are now jobs in the manufacturing of the tractor! So to all those that print invitations time to move on to some digitaly based business or we’d still be digging with our shovels
There was a time when printed invitations was considered to be impersonal and cold. This was when invitations were hand-written with personal notes. Change is just that; it it something different, but not necessarily something worse. It takes a while to adjust to any change. Before you know it, people won’t even think twice about sending and receiving invitations via e-mail. This would save about $1000 which is not an inconsequential amount; that is just for the printing and does no include the cost of two stamps. While it is true that there are many other places to save money, this is definitely one of them. It is a very good start.
There is no bigger pleasure that to get a wedding or bar mizvah invitation among all the bills and junk mail. Let’s keep it up, and yes, not everybody has email, lots of eldery people have no computers. So here you go.
What about all those that don’t have email. How will you invite your Rav? Once on the topic why don’t we just send it via text message! I don’t think it will work out for everyone so keep to the nice beutiful invitation and give another jew some parnassah.
you dont have to send such a fancy invite. A plain one will do the trick. Invites are hardly the biggest expense of the wedding. what about the new trend of hiring a singer?
I am sure that costs $$. and all the jewelry… and the long invitation list…
if you cut out the vort, you can save a couple of thousand right there, and also not inconvenience everyone you know to get dressed, get a babysitter, go out, hang around, admire the fancy flowers and cakes, admire the kallahs gown (yes, new trend kallah wearing a gown to vort) say mazel tov and go home. and if it was in brooklyn, add $60 to the costs of going to this inane useless event.
You can call them and say mazel tov on the phone. and spend the $60 on a better gift for the couple.
My PET PEEVE. the stupidity of VORTS.
What ya gonnna do call everyone to get their emails? Get a job dude!