New trends in invitation card business

A paperless invite – the recent trend among environment-conscious Indians

When it comes to weddings, Indians cannot help but hyperventilate. Apart from the traditional invites, evites are the new thing in the card industry, and with the growing demand for themed weddings, couples are more interested in sending out unique wedding invitations which somehow have the essence of their wedding theme.

We just love weddings, don’t we? And as the first step to any Indian wedding is to send out the invitations, there is a new trend in sending customised wedding invitations.

Indian wedding industry has rarely seen a downfall and along with it, the invitation card sector has also seen a boost in the last few years. “Unlike earlier, customers now look for tailor-made cards based on their wedding themes,” said Prabuddha Kothari of Regal Cards, a manufacturer of Indian wedding cards. “Currently, the laser cut cards are in high demand.” Though this business is seasonal, demand for invitation cards has increased in the last five years. Customers ask for options to make their cards unique, for example, by adding a personalised chocolate box or a potli (small pouch) to the card.

Internet, the game changer

Digitalisation has surely proved to be a boon for the card market. It has helped industry’s businessmen to reach customers overseas and expand their business. “We have a wide range of invitation cards for all occasions, but we mainly focus on wedding invitations of all kinds. Our cards can be delivered to most parts of the world,” mentioned Yogesh, a senior executive at Parekh Card, a manufacturer of Indian wedding cards.

These companies reach out to cater to the global demands and use courier services to deliver their products to almost all corners of the world. Further, some companies like Parekh Cards also have a 24×7 live chat portal where any customer can clarify doubts on any given product. “This is especially in regard to the customers who live outside the country,” Yogesh added.

Going paperless

For those who think that sending out physical invitations is a complete wastage of paper and refrain from doing so for any event in the year, you can send digital invites! Several companies have launched the service of e-invites which are also called e-vites. This is a new trend in the market and is a positive step towards conservation of the environment. Now customers can send eco-friendly invites in the form of digital invites and contribute their bit to the environment. Geeta Maheswari, a chartered accountant based in Kolkata, is also planning to send out digital invites for her wedding in December this year. She said, “I don’t like the idea of wasting so much paper for just one occasion, instead I prefer a digital mode of invitation, which saves paper, as well as a lot of delivery time. I think everyone should start sending digital invites.”