Animated Video Invitations: What They Are and How to Send One
An animated video invitation is a short clip with music that carries your party details and is sent as a link. Guests open it on their phone, watch it, and reply on the same page. It sits between a paper card and a video you edit yourself: more alive than an e-card, far less work than editing. This page explains how they work, what they cost, where they fall short, and how to send one.
What makes it animated
The design is a moving scene, not a still picture: a dinosaur chase, a disco ball, falling confetti, a film-style title card. Your text is laid over the scene, so the guest of honor's name and the headline appear as part of the animation, timed to the music. The party details follow on the next screens, and the RSVP buttons come last.
Because the invitation is a web page rather than a video file, it stays sharp on any phone, never gets compressed by a messaging app, and can change after you send it. Fix the time or add the address, and every guest who taps the link sees the update.
Animated invitation, video file or e-card?
- Video file: you make it in an editor and send the file. It can't collect RSVPs, large files get compressed or refused by messaging apps, and a mistake means re-exporting and re-sending.
- E-card: a static image or a simple animation with a reply form. Easy, but it looks like every other e-card, and many services charge per invitation or per guest.
- Animated video invitation: a link to a page that plays a designed scene with music and your details, with RSVP built in. Edits apply after sending. The design is the service's, so you choose rather than create.
How guests RSVP
The reply lives on the invitation itself. A guest taps Going, Maybe or Can't, adds their name and the people coming with them, and can leave a note. No account, no app, no password. The host sees every reply on a private page, with a running count of who is coming, and gets an email for each new one.
What it costs
It depends on the service. Some charge per invitation, some per guest, some by subscription. Blast is free to create and send, with no limit on guests and nothing to subscribe to; the host confirms a mobile number with a one-time code at the send step, which keeps bots out and is the only step that takes longer than a tap.
How to send one with Blast
- Open getblast.video and pick the occasion: kids' birthday, teens, milestone birthday, baby shower or holidays.
- Choose a design. Each one has its own music, and you can swap the song.
- Add the name, the date and time, the place, and an optional note, registry link and reply settings.
- Watch the preview. This is what guests will see.
- Enter your email and mobile number and confirm the texted code.
- Copy your link and send it by text, WhatsApp or email, or share it straight from your phone.
Where it isn't the right choice
- A formal wedding or a printed keepsake. A video invite is for parties and gatherings.
- Guests without smartphones. The link works in any browser, but a grandparent who prefers paper still prefers paper.
- A design that must be yours alone. The scenes are made by the service; you personalize the words, the photo and the music, not the animation.
Tips for a better one
- Keep the headline short. The name and the occasion are enough; the details have their own screens.
- Pick the music last. Watch the preview with two or three songs before you choose.
- Put parking, drop-off or a gate code in the note, not in the headline.
- Set an RSVP deadline a week before the party and send one reminder a few days out.
- Send the link from your own phone number or email so guests recognize the sender.
Themes to start from
Browse themes
Related guides
Can guests watch an animated video invitation without an app?
Yes. It opens in the phone's browser from the link. Nothing is installed and nobody creates an account, including the guests who RSVP.
Can I change the invitation after I send it?
With Blast, yes. The host edits the details from the private page and the link updates for everyone. A video file can't do that, which is the main reason to send a link instead of a file.
How many guests can I invite?
With Blast there is no limit. One link covers a class of twenty or a company of three hundred, and the price is the same: nothing.
Why does Blast ask for my mobile number?
To confirm that a real person is sending the invitation, with a one-time code by text. It also lets you get back into your private page later. Guests are never asked for a number.