Hootenanny
A playful event invitation web app inspired by Apple Invites. Spin up a beautiful invite in under a minute, share a link, and watch the RSVPs roll in — no accounts, no app store, no fuss.
Why I Built This
Apple Invites is beautiful, but it only works if every guest has an iPhone. I wanted to send an invite to my daughter's dance recital without worrying about who was on which platform. Most alternatives are bloated with ads and upsells, or make guests create an account just to say “yes, I'll be there.”
I wanted something tiny, warm, and personal. One link, one tap, done.
How It Works
Creating an event takes about a minute. I sign in with a PIN, pick a cover photo, and fill in the basics — date, venue, a short description — previewing the invite as I build it.
When it's ready, I get two shareable links: an RSVP link for the guests I want to hear back from, and a details-only link for casual announcements. Guests open either one on any device — no account, no download — and respond with their name and party size.
Every response lands on a host dashboard, where I can see who's coming, who's on the fence, and who can't make it, along with party sizes, notes, and contact info.
Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| No-account RSVPs | Guests just tap the link and respond. No signups, no downloads, no friction. |
| Two link types | Share an RSVP link for guests you want to hear back from, or a details-only link for casual announcements. |
| Cover photo editor | Upload any image and reposition or zoom it directly in the browser. Text always stays legible over the photo. |
| Live guest list | See who's going, with party sizes, notes, and contact info. Edit or remove RSVPs as needed. |
| Map embed | Venue addresses automatically embed a Google Map with a tap-to-open link. |
| Installable PWA | Add it to your home screen for a native-app feel, complete with offline support. |
| Rich link previews | Pasting the link in iMessage, Slack, or social media shows the cover photo and event title via Netlify edge functions. |
Design
The name came first. “Hootenanny” is an old-fashioned word for an informal gathering, and it begged for an owl mascot. The whole UI is built around a warm brown, cream, and tan palette that feels more like a handwritten note than a SaaS dashboard. The wordmark is set in Lily Script One, the body in Nunito, and little owl puns turn up in empty states and confirmation screens.
