What a digital save the date is
A digital save the date is a save the date you send by email, text, social media, or a dedicated invitation tool — instead of mailing it on cardstock. It's the same announcement, just delivered through screens instead of mailboxes.
Most couples now send digital save the dates and printed invitations, getting the speed and zero cost of digital while reserving the paper for the formal step. You don't have to choose one or the other.
Ways to send a digital save the date
- Email. A custom HTML email or an image attached to a message. Best for guests who check email regularly.
- Text message (SMS or iMessage). Fast, casual, and almost always opened. Great for younger guests and close friends.
- Social media. A post or story on Instagram, Facebook, or wherever your friend group lives. Best for casual events.
- Dedicated tools. Paperless Post, Punchbowl, Greenvelope, and similar services design and send the digital card for you.
Pros and cons vs printed save the dates
Digital pros: free or close to it, instant delivery, easy to update if details change, easy to forward, eco-friendly.
Digital cons: easier to overlook in a crowded inbox, harder to display on a fridge or memory board, less ceremonial.
Printed pros: tangible, formal, harder to lose track of, doubles as a keepsake.
Printed cons: costs $1-3 per recipient, takes weeks to design and ship, can't be updated after sending.
Bridging digital and printed with a QR code
The best of both worlds: send a digital save the date by email or text for speed, then mail the formal printed invitation later — and put a QR code on the printed invitation so guests can RSVP with one tap from their phone.
This is exactly the workflow ScanRSVP is built for. You set up your event, get a unique QR code and shareable link, and:
- Drop the link into your digital save the date email or text.
- Print the QR code on your formal invitation, RSVP card, or save the date card.
- Both routes lead the guest to the same RSVP page and the same dashboard for you.