| Just about everyone can relate to this. | | | | Engraving requires an artisan to hand write the text in |
| You pick up your daily mail and separate it into two | | | | reverse onto a metal plate using a carving tool, and |
| stacks: junk mail and bills. Suddenly, you come across | | | | then the plate was used to print the invitation. is proud |
| an envelope with your name and address finely printed | | | | to offer copperplate engraving: |
| in calligraphy. With heightened curiosity, you open the | | | | More than 150 years later, Alois Senefelder developed |
| envelope carefully to discover a wedding invitation | | | | the printing process called lithography which created |
| inside. There's more calligraphy, perhaps a ribbon, or a | | | | crisp printing without the time constraints of engraving |
| pair of white pearlized doves symbolizing everlasting | | | | metal plates. This invention paved the way for the |
| love. | | | | emergence of a genuine mass-market in wedding |
| For generations, recipients of wedding invitations have | | | | invitations. |
| been in awe of the exquisite and graceful beauty | | | | Wedding Invitations were still delivered by hand and on |
| which has been created on paper. But what did | | | | horseback due to the unreliability of the emerging |
| couples do before the creation of the printing press? If | | | | postal system. A double envelope was used to |
| you've ever wondered about the history of the | | | | protect the invitation from damage while en route to its |
| wedding invitation, we have the answers for you. | | | | intended recipient. Mailing invitations in double envelopes |
| Prior to 1447 when Johannes Gutenberg invented the | | | | is a tradition that is carried on today, despite advances |
| printing press, there was no way to mass produce | | | | in postal reliability. |
| wedding invitations. Additionally, most people during that | | | | After World War II, incomes of families increased, |
| time were illiterate and couldn't have read a written | | | | thereby giving the commoners the means to mimic the |
| invitation anyway. Most weddings were announced | | | | lifestyles of the wealthy. Imitation became |
| by a town crier. Town criers were men that would | | | | commonplace in weddings and in particular, wedding |
| walk through the streets loudly announcing the news | | | | invitations. Influential society figures such as Amy |
| of the day. As such, anyone within earshot became | | | | Vanderbilt and Emily Post emerged during this time to |
| part of the wedding celebration. | | | | advise the ordinary man and woman on appropriate |
| During this period, wealthy families would commission | | | | wedding etiquette. |
| monks that were skilled in calligraphy to hand-craft | | | | During this time, the development of thermography |
| wedding invitations and other notices. Most of these | | | | changed the wedding invitation industry. Often called |
| invitations also included the family's coat of arms or | | | | "poor man's engraving," this process uses heat and a |
| personal crest. Sealed in wax, many of these | | | | powdered resin to create a raised effect of the |
| invitations were hand-delivered to the intended | | | | lettering. Because thermography could imitate the |
| recipients by horse courier. | | | | same beautiful invitations as engraving, it made |
| After the printing press was invented and as literacy | | | | invitations more affordable for average families. |
| rates began to rise, printed wedding | | | | In recent years, letterpress printing has made a strong |
| invitations became more common. However, because | | | | re-emergence in popularity for wedding invitations. Due |
| the ink was just stamped onto the paper, the overall | | | | to the deep impressions that are made onto the paper, |
| look of the invitations was disappointing. Thus, the | | | | letterpress is very appealing to today's savvy bride. is |
| tradition of announcing weddings in the local | | | | proud to offer these letterpress invitations from Lucky |
| newspaper became commonplace. | | | | Onion: |
| In 1642, Ludwig von Siegen created metal-plate | | | | There you have it. The history of the wedding |
| engraving, a process that is still widely used today. | | | | invitation. |