The NY Times interviewed me a few weeks ago concerning my thoughts on using QR Codes on invitations. You can read the article here. QR Codes are barcodes that can be scanned by certain smartphones and direct the user to a mobile web page. In an industry of elegance, class and tradition, I was not about to acquiesce to technology and go on record saying it was a good idea.
First of all, you receive an invitation in the mail. If you want to include a website, why not just list it on the invitation? Then the recipient can visit the website. In my opinion, the QR Codes are ugly and take away from the aesthetics of an invitation.
What I think along with my colleague, Alan Berg, is that the best place for a QR Code is on a direction card so it can serve as a functional tool to go to Google Maps or a GPS. One invitation brand that is doing this is Simply Personal.
However, Crane took an opposite viewpoint and will be designing invitations with QR Codes, feeling they have to anticipate where the market is going. Using QR Codes will surely be confusing to the older generation. Grandmothers, Grandfathers and other older family members are not all going to be up with the times. They will most likely be boggled by the QR Code and may even take it to the supermarket to have it scanned when they see it. I believe you should simply give guests the all the information they need about getting to the wedding on the actual invitation. Also, it certainly does not mean more revenue for the invitation retailer.
How do you feel about QR Codes on invitations?