When is it okay to send electronic invitations and thank you notes?

In today's age of e-mailing fellow moms to arrange play dates, sending electronic invitations and thank you notes is tempting. And with good reason. It's super convenient. (I mean, seriously, do you have the physical addresses of all of your friends? But I bet you know how to contact them all electronically one way or another, right?) But is it socially acceptable?

Of course it's acceptable. Some of the time. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to send invitations electronically or via snail mail:

• What is the tone of the event? Are your guests going to be buying an expensive gift? Are you expecting them to get dressed up? A paper invitation might be a nice touch.
• How much time do you have before the event? If it's two days from now, e-mail may be your only option.
• Do you consider yourself a formal or a casual person? What about the majority of your guests?
• Is this a once-in-a-lifetime event, like a wedding? If so, paper probably rules.

As a general rule of thumb, electronic thank you notes are okay if the invitation itself was electronic. Dying to follow paper invites with electronic thank you notes? If it's for a casual event that follows the general guidelines above, go ahead. I doubt anyone will bat an eyelash.

Sending electronic invites and thank you notes is easier than ever before. Here are some great services with free options you may want to check out:

• evite
• Smilebox
• PurpleTrail

Happy partying!