Nick Gray.

Evite is fine for a lot of things. A wedding usually isn’t one of them. The free tier shows ads next to your ceremony details. The templates lean toward “generic party invite” rather than “this is the biggest day of our lives.” And if you want the ad-free version, Evite Premium runs up to $99.99 […]

Christmas in July party ideas sound like a joke until you actually throw one. I hosted my first one on a 94-degree Saturday in Arizona. I strung lights across the patio, put a plastic Christmas tree next to the cooler, and told guests to show up in the ugliest holiday sweater they owned. Half the […]

Every wedding site says “free digital wedding invitations” somewhere on the homepage. Almost none of them mean it the way you’re hoping. Some cap you at 10 guests. Some slap ads next to your ceremony details. Some call themselves free and then charge you the moment you want RSVP tracking — the one feature you […]

It’s July. You said you’d host more events this year. More dinners. More get-togethers. More intentional time with the people who matter. Building community — real community, not just a big once-a-year party — was the plan. So. How’s that going? I ask because I’ve made that same promise for years. And for years I […]

A picnic party is one of the lowest-cost, highest-reward ways to host this summer. No venue rental, no catering bill, no cleanup beyond folding a blanket. Just food, friends, and open air. I’ve hosted dozens of outdoor gatherings, and the picnic format is consistently a guest favorite. There’s something about eating outside on the ground […]

Planning a backyard BBQ is supposed to be fun. But somehow it always comes with a few surprise headaches: not enough food, no idea who’s coming, and a propane tank that runs dry right as the burgers hit the grill. I’ve hosted backyard BBQs for years — from a 10-person dinner in my apartment courtyard […]

A complete step-by-step guide to using Mixily for your wedding — from creating your event page and importing your guest list to sending invitations, tracking RSVPs, and managing reminders. Includes an honest pricing breakdown and a true cost comparison against Paperless Post, Joy, Greenvelope, and Evite for a 100-guest wedding.

Beach parties are the rare event that sells itself. Say “beach party Saturday” and people are in before you finish the sentence. But they’re also the events that unravel fastest. I’ve been to beach parties where nobody could find parking, the food turned into a sandy mess by noon, and the only shade was a […]

An estimated 10–15% of wedding guests never respond at all. This guide gives you a week-by-week follow-up timeline, word-for-word scripts for text, email, and phone, and a practical framework for finalizing headcount when some guests simply won’t reply.

Your summer party invitation does one job: get people to say yes. Too vague and guests ghost you. Too stiff and it feels like a corporate memo. The wording sets expectations — what to wear, what to bring, how much fun they’ll have. I’ve thrown a lot of summer parties. Backyard BBQs with 30 people, […]

Every wording guide online is written for paper — but digital invitations have their own rules. This guide covers exactly how to phrase the save-the-date, main invitation, and RSVP prompt, with four complete template sets (formal, casual, modern, humorous) and clear guidance on URLs, QR codes, and fallbacks for older guests.

The Fourth of July falls on a Saturday in 2026 — which means a long weekend and a lot of competing plans. Backyard cookouts, neighborhood block parties, trips out of town. Your guests are choosing between multiple invitations. The right 4th of July invitation wording is what makes your party the obvious choice. I’ve hosted […]