Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about designing invitations, sending digitally, tracking RSVPs, and more with SimchaMaker.
Getting Started
What is SimchaMaker?
SimchaMaker is a complete wedding invitation platform built for the Orthodox Jewish community. Design beautiful bilingual Hebrew and English invitations, send them digitally via email or SMS, track RSVPs, manage your guest list, and download print-ready files - all in one place.
Do I need an account to use SimchaMaker?
Yes. You’ll need to create a free account to get started. You can sign up with your email or Google account - it only takes a moment. Every new account comes with 10 free credits.
How does the process work?
Create an event, design your invitation by picking a style and entering your wedding details, then choose how to share it - send digital invitations via email or SMS, download print-ready files, or both. You can manage your guest list and track RSVPs from your event dashboard.
How is SimchaMaker different from Paperless Post or other invitation platforms?
SimchaMaker is purpose-built for frum weddings. Our invitation builder understands Orthodox conventions out of the box - Hebrew and English side by side with proper RTL support, automatic Hebrew date and parsha calculation, traditional “Kol Sasson” text, and parent/grandparent honorifics. Event parts like chuppah and reception are native concepts, so guests can RSVP for exactly which parts they’re attending and you get accurate meal counts per part. Generic platforms treat these as afterthoughts; for us, they’re the foundation.
Design & Customization
What languages are supported?
You can create invitations in Hebrew only, English only, or switch between both languages by flipping the digital card. Our editor handles right-to-left Hebrew text and traditional font ligatures automatically.
Can I customize the text on my invitation?
Yes. Every section of text can be customized - from the “Kol Sasson” header to parent names, venue details, and event times. We provide smart defaults based on Orthodox wedding conventions, but you can edit anything.
Can I change colors and fonts?
Yes. You can customize the primary color, accent color, background color, and choose from a selection of Hebrew and English fonts for both body text and names.
Can I upload a monogram or custom image?
Yes. You can upload a monogram image (PNG, JPEG, WebP, or SVG, up to 512KB) to personalize your invitation.
How does the Hebrew date work?
When you enter your wedding date, SimchaMaker automatically calculates the corresponding Hebrew date, day of the week in Hebrew, and the weekly Torah portion (parsha). You can review and edit these if needed.
Can I fine-tune the position of text on my invitation?
Yes. On the preview page, hold Shift and click any text field to select it for nudging. Then use the arrow keys to move it 1 pixel at a time, or hold Shift while pressing arrow keys to move 5 pixels at a time. Alignment guides will appear to help you line things up with other fields. Press Escape to reset a field back to its original position. Your adjustments save automatically.
Credits & Pricing
How does pricing work?
SimchaMaker uses a simple credit system. You buy credits and spend them as you go - no subscriptions. Downloading a print-ready invitation costs 10 credits, sending an email invitation costs 1 credit, and sending an SMS costs 1 credit. You get 10 free credits when you sign up, enough to download your first invitation.
How much do credits cost?
Credits are available in bundles starting at $8 for 25 credits ($0.32 each). Larger bundles offer better value - our most popular bundle is 100 credits for $20 ($0.20 each), and the best value is 1,000 credits for $100 ($0.10 each).
What can I spend credits on?
Sending digital invitations via email costs 1 credit per recipient, and SMS invitations cost 1 credit per recipient. If you also want print-ready files (PDF and PNG), downloading those costs 10 credits. Creating events, designing invitations, and managing your guest list are all free.
Do I need to download print files to send digital invitations?
No. Digital invitations are completely independent of print downloads. You can send beautiful invitations via email and SMS, collect RSVPs, and manage your entire event without ever downloading a print file. The 10-credit download is only for people who want physical printed copies.
Can I try before I pay?
Absolutely. You can create events, design your invitation, preview it in different styles, and manage your guest list - all for free. You only spend credits when you download print files or send digital invitations. Plus, every new account gets 10 free credits to start.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe, our secure payment processor. Your card details are handled entirely by Stripe and never touch our servers.
Digital Invitations
Can I send invitations digitally?
Yes. Once your invitation is designed, you can send it directly to your guest list via email or SMS - no printing required. Each recipient gets a personalized link to view the invitation and RSVP.
How much does it cost to send digital invitations?
Sending an email invitation costs 1 credit per recipient, and SMS invitations cost 1 credit per recipient. You can see exactly how many credits you’ll need before sending.
Can I send invitations in batches?
Yes. You can send to your entire guest list at once or in smaller batches. You can also resend to specific guests who haven’t responded yet.
RSVPs & Guest Management
How do I collect guest email addresses and mailing addresses?
SimchaMaker lets you create a shareable guest form, no Google Forms needed. Customize which fields to collect (name, email, phone, mailing address, party size), add a personal welcome message, and share the link via WhatsApp, text, or email. You can also generate a QR code to print on save-the-dates. Submissions go to a staging list where you can review them and import into your event’s guest list with one click.
How does RSVP tracking work?
Every digital invitation includes a personalized RSVP link. Guests can respond with attending, declined, or maybe, and you’ll see all responses on your event dashboard in real time, including attendance counts, response rates, and a filterable guest table.
Can guests bring a plus-one?
You control the plus-one settings per event. When enabled, guests can indicate how many people are in their party, up to the maximum you set.
Can I collect meal preferences?
Yes. You can configure meal options for your event (e.g. chicken, fish, vegetarian), and guests will select their preference when they RSVP. If they’re bringing additional guests, each person can choose their own meal. You’ll see a full meal count summary on your dashboard.
Can I set an RSVP deadline?
Yes. You can set an RSVP deadline for your event. Once the deadline passes, the RSVP form will automatically close and guests will see a message that RSVPs are no longer being accepted.
Can I add custom questions to the RSVP form?
Yes. You can add custom text or multiple-choice questions to your RSVP form, for example asking about dietary restrictions, transportation needs, or song requests.
Can I export my guest list and RSVP data?
Yes. You can export all RSVP data as a CSV spreadsheet from your event dashboard, including names, contact info, attendance status, meal selections, and any custom question responses.
What if my event has multiple parts (ceremony, reception, etc.)?
SimchaMaker supports multi-part events. You can configure separate parts (like chuppah, reception, or dinner), and guests can indicate which parts they’ll attend so someone coming just for the chuppah can say so. You can also mark which parts require a meal, so you know exactly how many plates to tell your caterer to prepare. Per-part attendance breakdowns are all visible on your dashboard.
Gift Registries
Can I add my gift registries to my invitation?
Yes. Paste the share link from each registry on your event dashboard under Gift Registries, and your guests get one page with everything on it instead of a list of store names to hunt through. You can add as many registries as you like, in any order you want them shown.
How the gift registry works →Which stores fill in automatically?
Amazon, Bloomingdale’s, Crate & Barrel, Eichlers, On The Table and Waterdale Collection bring in each item on their own - the photo, the price, and how many are still needed. Stores running their registry through Shopify or MyRegistry fill in too. Any other store is welcome as well; it simply shows as a link for guests to follow rather than a list of items.
See every store that syncs →Do my guests see what has already been bought?
Yes, and that’s the point. Each item shows how many are still needed, and once someone buys a gift it stops showing as needed, so two people don’t purchase the same thing. Guests can also sort by price or filter to one store to find something in their range.
How does a gift get marked as bought?
Your guests buy on the store’s own registry, the same as they would anywhere else, and the store records it. Your page keeps itself up to date from there, so there is nothing for you to tick off.
Does my registry need to be public?
It needs to be the shareable link, the one you would send a guest yourself. That is usually how registries come out of the box. If a registry is private we cannot read its items, and we will tell you so on the registry rather than leaving you guessing.
Can I add Zelle details or a note instead of a store registry?
Yes. Alongside store registries you can add plain text, like Zelle details or how you would prefer a check. It appears right on your invitation page where guests will see it, without sending them anywhere.
Do gift registries cost credits?
No. Adding registries, syncing items, and your guests browsing them are all free. Credits are only ever used for sending emails and texts.
Does SimchaMaker earn anything from my registry links?
Sometimes, and we say so on the page. Some store links carry a referral tag, which may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you or your guests. It never changes what your guests pay, and it never affects which of your registries we show or the order they appear in.
Thank-You Cards & Gifts
Can I send thank-you cards after my wedding?
Yes. SimchaMaker has a built-in thank-you workflow: record what each guest gave, write a message once, and send personalized thank-you cards by email or text. It works whenever you’re ready - days or weeks after the simcha. You’ll find it on your event dashboard under Thank-You Cards.
How do I keep track of gifts?
As gifts come in, record them against each guest - either from the Thank-You Cards page or right in the guest’s side panel. A gift can be money (with the amount) or an item (with a short description), and a guest can have multiple gifts. You can also add a private note, like where the gift is stored, that is never sent to anyone. The gift list is searchable and shows who has been thanked at a glance.
How are thank-you messages personalized?
You write one message template, and SimchaMaker personalizes it for each guest - their name and a mention of their gift are filled in automatically. You see a live preview for any guest before sending, and you can email yourself a test first. Each guest receives an elegant card-style email, or a text if they don’t have an email address.
Will guests see the exact gift or dollar amount in their card?
Not unless you want them to. By default, messages use warm general phrases - “your generous gift” for money and “your thoughtful gift” for items. If you prefer to mention the specific amount or item, that’s a one-click change in the template.
Can I send different messages to different guests?
Yes. You can save multiple templates - for example a warmer one for family and a shorter one for acquaintances - then check off a group of guests and send with one template, and send to another group with a different one. SimchaMaker makes sure each guest only ever receives one thank-you card, so there’s no risk of double-sending.
What do thank-you cards cost?
The same as invitations: 1 credit per email and 1 credit per text. Recording gifts and writing templates is free. If a card fails to deliver, the credit is refunded automatically, and resending after a failed delivery is free.
Collaboration
Can someone else help me manage my event?
Yes. You can invite anyone to collaborate on your event - a spouse, parent, wedding planner, or anyone else. Go to your event’s Settings page, scroll to the Collaborators section, and enter their email. They’ll receive an email invitation and can accept with an existing account or by creating a new one.
What can a collaborator do?
Collaborators can view and manage the guest list, add and import guests, send invitations and reminders, track RSVPs and delivery status, and receive RSVP notifications. They cannot edit the invitation design, envelope styling, or delete the event.
Whose credits are used when a collaborator sends invitations?
The collaborator chooses each time they send. By default sends come out of your (the host’s) credit balance, but a collaborator can choose to use their own credits instead. This is useful when, for example, the bride’s and groom’s sides each want to fund their own share of a shared guest list. Reminders are always free.
Can I control what a collaborator can do?
Yes. When inviting a collaborator you can configure three permissions: whether they can edit any guest (or only guests they added), whether they can delete any guest (or only their own), and whether they receive RSVP notifications for all guests or just the ones they added. You can change these at any time from the Collaborators section in Settings.
Can I remove a collaborator?
Yes. You can remove a collaborator at any time from the Collaborators section in your event Settings. They’ll immediately lose access to the event. Collaborators can also choose to leave an event themselves.
Downloads & Printing
What file formats do I get?
You receive both a high-resolution PDF and PNG file, rendered at 300 DPI - suitable for professional printing including foil stamping, embossing, and letterpress. Each download costs 10 credits.
How many times can I download my invitation?
You can download your invitation as many times as you need. The initial download costs 10 credits; subsequent downloads of the same design are free.
Do you print the invitations?
SimchaMaker provides the digital design files. You can take the print-ready PDF or PNG to any printer of your choice - local print shops, online services, or fine-art printers.
Account & Privacy
How is my data protected?
We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and secure session management. Payment information is handled entirely by Stripe. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Can I delete my account?
Yes. Contact us at support@simchamaker.com and we’ll permanently delete your account and all associated invitation data.
Do you share my information with third parties?
We never sell your data. We share limited information only with the services needed to operate - Stripe for payments and Google for sign-in and analytics. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Still have questions?