QR code wedding invitations: how they work and how to print them right
A QR code on the invitation takes guests straight to your wedding website or their own RSVP page. What the code should open, personal codes versus one shared code, the printing rules that make it scan every time, and the wording to put next to it.
QR codes went from restaurant menus to wedding stationery for a simple reason: they connect a beautiful piece of paper with everything that doesn't fit on it. Guests point their phone at the invitation and land on your schedule, the map, the hotel block and the RSVP. Here is how to do it so it works for every guest, including Grandpa.
In short
- Modern iPhones and Android phones read QR codes straight from the camera app. No extra app needed.
- The best destination is a personal RSVP page for each household; the next best is your wedding website.
- Print the code at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 inch), dark on a light background, with a clear margin around it.
- Always add a fallback: a short link or a code guests can type.
- Test a printed proof on an iPhone and an Android phone before printing the whole batch.
What the QR code should open
- A personal RSVP page (best). The code opens a page for that household: their names, the schedule, their RSVP. No searching, no typing, no mix-ups between two guests called Michael Brown.
- Your wedding website (good). One code for everyone, opening the site with all the details and an RSVP form.
- Not a PDF or a spreadsheet form. PDFs are hard to read on a phone, and generic forms can't tell who has already replied.
One shared code or personal codes?
| One shared code | Personal codes | |
|---|---|---|
| Printing | The same on every card, any printer can do it | Each card is different (variable data printing), or a personal sticker or insert |
| What guests see | The wedding website | A page with their own names and RSVP |
| Who can RSVP | Anyone with the link | Only the invited household |
| Who hasn't replied | You work it out by hand | One list, by name |
| Best for | Save-the-dates, welcome signs | Invitations |
Personal codes on classic invitations
Want the front of the invitation to stay traditional? Put the personal QR code on the details card or on a small printed sticker on the back. Nobody needs to see it until they want to RSVP.
Printing rules that make it scan every time
- Size. At least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 × 0.8 inch). Go to 2.5 cm (1 inch) or more if the link is long or the design is busy.
- A clear margin. Leave empty space around the code, at least the width of four of its small squares. Don't let the border or a floral illustration touch it.
- Contrast. Dark code on a light background. Light gold foil on white, glitter or a photo behind the code are the usual reasons it won't scan. Light codes on dark paper work on many phones, but not all of them.
- Short links. The shorter the address, the simpler the pattern and the easier it scans at a small size.
- No stretching. Keep it perfectly square, and don't round or redesign the corner squares.
- Matte beats glossy. Glossy paper and foil reflect light into the camera.
- Test a proof. Scan the printed proof with an iPhone and an Android phone, in dim light, from about 30 cm (a foot) away. Then print the batch.
What to write next to it
Scan to RSVP by August 15
Scan for the schedule, travel details and to RSVP
No camera handy? Go to only.wedding/code
and enter K7M-4QX-P2T
A short instruction matters: some guests won't know what the code is for unless you tell them. The typed fallback matters too, for anyone whose camera won't cooperate. More wording ideas are in Wedding invitation wording.
Other places a QR code helps
- Save-the-dates: one code to your website, so guests can book the hotel block early.
- A welcome sign: the day's schedule and the Wi-Fi password.
- Table cards: the shared photo album, so every guest's photos end up in one place.
- Thank-you cards: a link to the professional photos.
Privacy and reliability
- A personal code is a key. Anyone who scans it reaches that guest's page. Ask guests not to post a photo of their invitation with the code visible.
- Watch out for free generators. Some free QR generators create “dynamic” codes that route through their servers and can stop working when a free trial ends. A code that points straight to your own link can't expire that way.
- Keep the link alive from the save-the-date until the thank-you cards. Guests will scan it again to find photos.
Isn't it a bit impersonal?
Not anymore. Most guests are relieved not to have to fill in and mail a reply card. The trick is to keep both: a printed invitation for the people who will treasure it, and a QR code for everything practical. If you want to see how paper and digital fit together, read Online wedding RSVP.
How it works in only.wedding
Every invitation automatically gets its own QR code and a 9-character code guests can type at only.wedding/code. Both open that household's personal page with their names, the schedule, the map, the gift registry and their RSVP. You can design the invitations in the app and print them: each copy comes out with the right names and that household's QR code already on it. The same printing tools make table cards with a QR code for your shared photo album.