Wedding invitations have been around for almost as long as weddings, and they’re still popular. Before the printing press was invented, however, weddings were usually announced by the town crier, instead of printed or written. That’s because most people could neither read nor write. However, well-off families could ask skilled calligraphers to create written wedding notices that are also works of art. These wedding invitations often carried the crests of the people who were getting married, and were wax sealed. In fact, many of the more traditional looking wedding invitations still sport a real or imitation seal and a crest. After the emergence of the printing press, hand written invitations continued for a while.
The printing methods of the era failed to measure up to the steady hands of trained calligraphers. Nevertheless, it became common practice to announce weddings in the local newspaper. It wasn’t until the invention of mezzotint, or metal plate engraving, that high quality printed wedding invitations were available. This occurred in the mid 1600s, and was welcomed by the emerging middle class. Each engraving required an artisan to write the text in reverse onto the plate, using an engraving tool. The plate was then used to print the invitations. To keep the wedding invitations from smudging, a piece of thin paper was placed on top, which is why we still use tissue paper between invitations. Wording for invitations were significantly more elaborate than modern versions.
Tags: relationships
