In an increasingly paperless world, online correspondence is rapidly replacing snail mail even for major events. Does evite ring a bell? But I haven’t lost my love for beautifully designed correspondence, whether offline or online, and the folks at pingg feel the same way.

This www invitation service features hundreds of gorgeous – and free – designs for all kinds of events that are infinitely more sophisticated and personal than the standard templates you’re used to. Even cooler, if you’re a budding artist/ photographer/control freak yourself, you can upload your own artwork or photos to create a custom invitation.

But it’s not all about the beauty; pingg does a nice job helping you manage rsvp’s, your guest list, and a homepage for the event. You can even add a google map for out-of-towners, link to a gift registry and all sorts of other good stuff. 

I’m still not yet ready to replace engraved wedding invitations with fleeting electronic alternatives made of bits and bytes. But my next set of party invitations will definitely be designed and sent via pingg. –Julie

[thanks kelcey

[Ed note: I just used Pingg for my own daughter’s 1st bday invites…two thumbs up. -Liz]