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Understanding a little about the history of wedding invitations may help you in your decision-making.
The middle ages and before
Prior to the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1447, weddings in England were typically announced by means of a town-crier; a gentleman who would walk through the streets announcing in a loud voice the news of the day. Traditionally, anyone within earshot became part of the celebration.
The nobility, being more literate, first started the practice of written wedding invitations, using monks skilled in the art of calligraphy to hand-craft their notice. Such documents often carried coat of arms, or personal crest, of the individual and were sealed with wax. Even today, the addition of a crest or seal is popular in society wedding invitations and adds a touch of class.
From 1600 onwards
As metal plate engraving became more widespread, the tradition of announcing weddings in the newspaper became established. The emerging middle class also took to having their own wedding invitations engraved, with a sheet of tissue paper placed on top to protect the invitation from smudging.
Up to the current day
With improvements in technology during the industrial revolution, modern ‘fine stationery’ first made an appearance. At first, these were still delivered by hand, due to the unreliability of the postal system. A ‘double envelope’ was used to protect the invitation from damage en route to its recipient.
During the last century, the emergance of thermography has made raised-ink lettering and design motifs affordable for all.
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