A QR code wedding invitation links guests directly to your digital wedding website where they can RSVP, view venue details, and access day-of information. The QR code is printed on physical invitations or shared digitally — guests scan it with their phone camera.
A QR code on a wedding invitation is a small printed square that links guests directly to your wedding microsite. They scan it with their phone camera — no app required — and land on a personalised RSVP form, venue map, schedule, and your story. Here's how they work and how to use one well.
What is a QR code wedding invitation?
A QR code (Quick Response code) is a printed pattern that smartphones can scan to open a web page instantly. On a wedding invitation, the QR code links to your wedding microsite — a beautiful, personalised page that holds your RSVP form, venue map, accommodation list, gift registry, and any other information guests need.
The benefit is simple: guests can reach all of your wedding information from a single scan rather than typing a URL or searching for an email. It bridges your physical and digital stationery into one experience.
What guests see when they scan it
The first thing a guest sees after scanning is your wedding microsite cover — your names, your date, your venue, and a chosen theme that sets the tone for the day. From there they can:
- RSVP, including dietary requirements and plus-ones
- View the day's schedule
- Open an interactive map to the venue, accommodation, and parking
- Read your story — how you met, the proposal, milestones
- Browse your gift registry with direct links
- Request a song or leave you a message
The whole experience is on their phone — no app to install, no account to create. They scan, they explore, they RSVP.
How to create a QR code for your wedding
There are two routes.
Generate a QR code yourself. Free QR code generators online will take any URL and produce a printable square. This works if you have a custom wedding website URL and you just need the code itself. The downside is that you'll need to manage the QR code, the URL, and the printed design separately — and free generators sometimes expire links or add tracking.
Use a platform with a built-in print-ready QR code. Dear Delilah generates a high-resolution, print-ready QR code automatically for every wedding microsite. The code is permanent, embedded in your account, and downloads as a vector file ready for your printer. There's no expiration, no tracking layer, and no fiddling with conversion settings.
Whichever route you choose, the principle is the same: the QR code points to your wedding microsite, and guests reach everything from one scan.
Tips for printing your QR code
- Minimum size: 2cm x 2cm (about the size of a postage stamp). Smaller than this and phone cameras start to struggle, particularly in low light.
- Quiet zone: Leave at least 4mm of white space around all four sides of the code. This is required for reliable scanning.
- Contrast: Black on white is most reliable. Coloured QR codes work if the contrast ratio is high (dark navy on cream, deep burgundy on white) — pastels and gradients reduce scan reliability.
- Paper finish: Avoid glossy finishes under bright light — they can cause reflections that prevent scanning. Matte and uncoated stocks scan most reliably.
- Test before printing: Print a single proof and scan it with three different phones (different cameras) before signing off on the full run.
Common questions
Do guests need an app? No. Every smartphone camera from the last seven years scans QR codes natively. Guests open their camera, point it at the code, and tap the link that appears.
What if a guest can't scan it? Print the wedding website URL underneath the QR code as a fallback. Older relatives can type it into their phone or computer directly.
Where should the QR code sit on the invitation? Most couples print it on the back of the main invitation, on a separate details insert, or on the RSVP card. Anywhere as long as it doesn't compete with the main typography.
Does the QR code work overseas? Yes. QR codes are universal — they point to a URL, and any phone with an internet connection can scan and follow it.
If you'd like to see a QR code-ready wedding microsite, browse our theme library — every Dear Delilah plan includes a print-ready QR code as standard.