Traditions & Superstitions~The Invitation
Today on Traditions & Superstitions we are going to talk about why there are so many rules to do with the invitations and where they came from.
- In the Middle Ages, invitations were written in calligraphy by monks, for the nobility.
- They were considered a luxury. Most people couldn't read or write
- Before then the town crier would announce to all the impending marriage.
- The envelope was usually sealed with a wax impression of the host's coat of arms.
- The printing press was invented in 1447 by Gutenberg.
- In 1642, the invention of metal plate engraving printing brought wedding invitation printing to the middle class.
- Engraving is done by handwriting on metal in reverse and then printing on the paper.
- Tissue paper was put on top of the invitation to prevent smudging, in case you were wondering what to do with it.
- Each guests name was also engraved on the invitation.
- During the 17th century people started announcing their weddings in the paper.
- Lithography was introduced in 1798. This method uses chemicals to produce an image.
- Lithography made it possible to mass-produce wedding invitations.
- During the Victorian times invitations were made by lithography or handwritten.
- They also usually sent them out only about two weeks before the event, instead of the six to eight weeks now.
- The invitations were delivered by foot or horseback. The post service wasn't reliable.
- The invitation was put into two envelopes since the outer envelope could be soiled en route.
- The outer envelope was thrown away by the butler before it reached the guest.
- The inner one was presented to the invited guest clean and pretty. It is the one without a seal.
- The wording is from the nobility and society mavens.
- Traditional invitation wording is the most formal of English, from Victorian times.
- For ceremonies taking place in a house of worship, use request the honour of your presence.
- For ceremonies taking place in a non-religious setting should say, request the pleasure of your company.
- Traditionally, invitations are written in black ink on white or cream paper.
- They were printed in a script font.
- Using titles for everybody on the invitation makes it formal.
- If you are getting married in an untraditional way you can be a lot more creative with the wording.
- The names on your wedding invitations should be the same as on your birth certificate.
- In 1973, the US Postal service started issuing their LOVE stamp.
- You can now order personalized stamps through the USPS at Stamps.com, Zazzle or a few other companies.
- You can have the post office hand stamp the invitation.
- It is not proper to put no gifts, the gift registry or give to a charity instead of gifts on the invitation, no matter what kind of wedding you are having.
- Today's letterpress invitations are made on antique machines.
- According to Wedding Paper Divas, the top invitation trends for 2009 are birds, peacock feathers, flowers, dandelions, and branches.
Happy Reading,