History of Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are big business these days. Millions of people get married all over the world and use wedding invitations to announce their special day. Wedding invitations have been used for hundreds of years and have evolved considerably. Read on to find out about the history of wedding invitations.

The printing press was not invented until the mid-1400’s so wedding announcements were spread via a town crier. The crier would walk through the town shouting the announcement. Any person who heard the message was invited to attend the festivities.

Once the printing press was invented the use of wedding invitations was still used only among the societal elite because of widespread illiteracy. Before the printing press was invented, families who had money would commission monks who were skilled at calligraphy to write the invitations on paper. The invitation would then be sealed with wax.

Wedding invites and bridal cards were still mainly hand-printed even after the printing press hit the scene. The reason was that the printing technique was very plain and did not work that well. People preferred to have fancier invites written in calligraphy. However, wedding invitations were starting to be put in the local newspaper, which was a popular way to spread the word about a couple’s impending nuptials.

In 1642, metal plate engraving was invented. This invention made printing better quality, customizable, and more affordable to middle class people. The technique of engraving calls for the individual to write the text backwards on a metal plate using a carving tool.

Tissue paper was then placed on top to protect the announcement from being smudged. Back in those days the wording in invitations was much more lengthy and formal. Each guest’s name was individually written on their own invitation.

Mass market wedding invitations took off once lithography was invented in 1798 by Alois Senefelder. Lithography made it possible for wedding invitations to have a distinct look without the need for engraving.

During this time the invitations were delivered by hand or by horseback. The postal system was still in nascent form, and was not entirely reliable or cautious with invitations. Typically wedding invitations were put into two envelopes for protective reasons. This tradition still goes on today.

Modern, commercial wedding invitations took off after World War II. The technology of the time allowed for wedding invitations to look like those of the upper class elite without the cost. The invention of thermography made the process even less expensive. Thermography is a inexpensive way to create raised type similar to engraving.

Nowadays, most people order their wedding invitations online or from wedding shops. Inviting Concepts have a wide selection of wedding invitations that can be completed in approximately two weeks. Our selection and service are second to none. We have the perfect wedding invitation for any budget. We do not have a physical shop so that means our prices are as low as you’ll find because we have no overhead. Our staff has years of experience in the wedding industry and are ready to help.