Long, long ago, a Town Crier used to walk through towns and villages loudly announcing the news of the week. They would broadcast council meetings, births and wedding announcements. Anyone in earshot could attend these celebrations and events, unless there was rivalry between the families. Thankfully (for my sake) those days are gone, as I’m a bit hard of hearing.
During the Middle Ages, many people were illiterate, so the Coat of Arms, which was a personal seal of identification, was used on many invitations and documents, so people who could not read were able to know whom the request came from. It was also used in much the same manner as a signature is used today. Even now there are certain families that continue to utilise their traditional Coat of Arms while others have decided to devise their own emblems.
In the 1700s, the masses would publish wedding invitations in the newspapers. It was only the aristocracy that issued handwritten invitations to high-ranking members of society. Of course they would not write the invitations themselves, rather they employed monks known for their beautiful calligraphy. It was a costly practice but it was a sign of high society, education and means. The calligraphy was an art form enjoyed by those who had access to it, namely the nobility.
Even today with the advent of modern printing methods, many people still opt for hand written invites as they still have a luxurious and personal feel about them. With the thickness and thinness of calligraphy pens, a diverse range of looks can be created in any language.
You may have noticed a thin film of tissue paper on wedding invitations. This became common practice during the period when printing methods became more industrialised and the upper class began to issue printed invites. Due to the fact that printing methods were still primitive, the ink use to rub off on the envelopes and other contents, therefore tissue paper was inserted to protect the delicate invitations and to this day, is still used.
There are other such oddities ever present today such as the enveloped invitation, enveloped in another envelope of the same size and thought. Rest assured, double envelopes are not a mistake and indeed they are quite intentional. The origins of this practice date back to the time when invitations were delivered by olden-day ‘drivers’ who distributed the envelopes by foot or on horseback; once they arrived to the household, they handed the envelope (which had a simply written name on the front) to the staff or butler who removed the first envelope and presented the invitation on a silver platter in the second envelope (which had a full, elaborated name on it).
Traditionally, invitations were written or printed on parchment paper, which was made from animal skin, an updated version is currently used and is most commonly translucent in form, similar to vellum. The choice of paper depends greatly on the wedding budget, the quantity required and of course the theme. Some other popular paper options include cotton and linen paper, which have a woven look and feel. The most luxurious paper is European hand made paper, which has been around for centuries; it is also some of the most expensive, but well worth the investment.
Those looking for a traditional look and lettering customarily print their invitations on white, cream, ecru or ivory coloured paper, whereas for non-traditional invitations, the sky’s the limit with no restrictions on design or colour. These details once again depend on the wedding theme, budget and personal taste.
Perhaps, what I love most about the wedding invitation is the wedding gift card (which stems from my love of giving and receiving gifts), which should always be smaller in size than the invitation itself. It’s an absolute faux pas to have the wedding registry store written on the wedding invitation and so people use a separate card. Some couples opt for the “no gifts please” policy, these are usually those that are getting married for the umpteenth time or the older crowd who already have most things. A different and equally nice idea is to let people contribute to your favourite charitable organisation instead of giving a gift. It is supremely bad taste to have a bank account written on the card, even though this seems to be gaining in popularity. In the olden days, I’m sure that the monarch would have frowned upon such an overtly common act and it would certainly have deprived you of a position in the knighthood.
In any case, embrace wedding season, it is coming with a vengeance.
Sarah P. Shebaya is a Certified Protocol Professional. She is an Inter-Cultural Trainer and Business Protocol and Etiquette Consultant for governments, businesses and individuals.
