^{Illustration by Kitty N. Wong}

Last month’s issue of whether or not couples should be split at dinner parties proved to stir the pot of opinion and, this time, we asked a few of our Tatler friends what they think about using Facebook to send out invitations. While Esther Ma and Albert Wong battled it out in our April issue (turn to page 60 for the full debate), here event aficionados Shirley Hiranand and Arthur de Villepin share their views on the subject.

Shirley Hiranand

Co-founder of luxury PR firm Bonvivant & Bellavita

I like to use Facebook for large-scale events that require large-scale invites. I find that the power of six degrees of separation really works in your favour in those cases. For smaller and more private events, I always insist on traditional and personal invitations, which allow more privacy for both my clients and friends.

Arthur de Villepin

Co-founder of wine brand Pont des Arts, and Greater China Region Chairman of Yellow Korner photography gallery

While I believe that Facebook is an excellent social media platform, I still believe in inviting people with a more personal and individualised touch. The invitation sets the scene in the run-up to the event. Facebook invitations kill any emotion attached to the event and don’t really give guests a sense of ambience. While it’s a good tool to use daily, it’s not great for those more special and sentimental occasions.