While the design of online invitations has evolved since Evite first launched nearly ten years ago, these invitations still don’t capture the same quality as fine stationery. Until now. MyPunchbowl, a start to finish party planning site, is unveiling a new Digital Invitation Studio that helps you create online invites and e-cards that look and feel like you created customized stationery from a store. The startup hasn’t opened the site up yet (it is expected to be rolled out to the public sometime over the summer), here’s a special preview site for TechCrunch readers.

MyPunchbowl Digital Invitation Studio offers hundreds of stylish and modern invitations and save the dates, each with companion customizable envelopes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. You can add envelope liners, customized postage stamps, and personal photos. The result is a sleek custom online invitation with a matching envelope that replicates the act of opening a traditional paper invitation.

Invitations can be emailed and guests can RSVP directly from the online invite. The studio also includes a number of compelling new features including suggestions for wording your invitation and the ability to upload and re-size multiple photos to your invitation. Powered by Flash, the technology is easy to use and intuitive.

The startup already had a compelling e-card creator, but this offering is impressive. And free. MyPunchbowl’s platform also provides tools that let you find supplies, organize an after party and even set a date, via an algorithm that recommends the best date for your party. The site also allows you to set up gift registries, save-the-dates, message boards, integrate Google Maps’ to display the location, and share comments, photos, and videos.

Launched in 2007, MyPunchbowl has turned into a all-in-one party planning site in a matter of two years. The site added birthday reminders, ecards, wedding planning tools, and also just acquired a local business directory to boost vendor listings. Competitors to MyPunchbowl include Socializr, Pingg, Someecards, Cocodot, and MySpace, Facebook and Evite.

Crunchbase

• PUNCHBOWL

Company: Punchbowl

Website: punchbowl.com

Launch Date: January 15, 2007

Funding: $2.68M

Massachusetts based Punchbowl Software is behind Punchbowl.com, the one-stop site that helps smart moms and savvy professionals plan a party from start to finish. The site guides a host through all of the steps of planing a party and solves common problems along the way. Party planning features include customizable digital invitations, potluck organization, gift registries, local vendor search, RSVP management, party supplies, photo/video sharing and much more. Punchbowl includes Digital Invitation Studio, which offers hundreds of...

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