wedding invitation wordings
The history of social invitations
The trend of using invitations to invite select people
to elitist social events began somewhere just before the
18th century. High society and aristocracy in England
and France - including Kings, Queens, Dukes, Duchesses,
Lords, and Ladies - would invite peers to their social
events with written announcements on cards. These cards
were written by their ‘people’, such as the wife, butler
or the secretary. Paper was an expensive resource, and
the ability to write was seen as a prestigious sign of
education. The use of studied calligraphy and penmanship
was a work of art by today’s standards, and even after
the invention and inception of the mass market printing
press it was still deemed socially ‘correct’ to hand
write the invitation.
Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording
Traditional wording on invitations was actually very
similar to the wording which is commonly used today.
Everything was spelled out.
- Date
- Time
- Venue
- Venue address
- Hosts/ Hostess names
- Bride/ groom full names
- Contact details for the bride/ groom, or host/ hostess
- RSVP
- The name of the guest.
The main difference in modern wedding invitations compared to traditional is that the invited persons name is not usually printed on initially - it is usually written on later.
Presentation
Envelopes
In the 18th century the invitation would be placed in a
handmade envelope and sealed with hot wax imprinted with
the family crest. Servants were then made to deliver the
letters as there was no postal service. Now because this
task was completed on horseback in all weathers, there
became a need for an ‘outer envelope’. This not only
protected the invitation, but was used to write
directions for the servants. For example “Travel one day
north to Newcastle. There, cross the stone bridge and
proceed past three farms until you see the stone
entrance marked ‘Williamson’. Remove this covering, and
give the invitation to the doorman. Wait there for a
response and make a note of same”.
Tissue paper
The use of tissue within the presentation of an
invitation links to the printing process in the 13th
century. Because ink took time to dry, sheets of
protective tissue were laid between the paper to protect
it from smudging. The printing press was taking off into
popularity with the upper echelons of European society,
and so the tissue paper was also put into the envelope
to show that they had been using the latest fascinating
technology. The inclusion continues to this day.
Engraving and calligraphy
Because the mass market conveniences of the printing
press quickly became distasteful to the aristocracy and
upper classes, a new printing process was necessary.
Lithography produced sharp and distinctive inking, where
as engraving very much emulated hand writing because
copper plates are made by hand. To this day the engraved
invitation is still the most prestigious form of writing
on an invitation, although the technical printing
process has obviously developed since then!
To get the finest effect possible, you must hire a
calligrapher to hand write each invitation and address
envelopes.