[ invitation decisions ] he date has been set and the planning is in full swing. Now you must invite your closest friends and family, to celebrate one of the most important days in your life. Invitations can be a perfect way to set the tone for your big day. You can choose a traditional invitation, or you may want to go with a more unique and creative way to announce your intentions. Some have even preferred to use cyberspace to act as the town crier. Traditional Invitations: A Brief History During the Middle Ages, only royalty and the rich sent out wedding invitations because they were the only ones who were literate. The invites were hand-written in calligraphy by local monks. Then in the 1600’s came the metal plate engraver, which is still used today. The tradition of a piece of tissue being placed in the invitation came from this time, when it was used to stop the smudging of the lettering. It is also common for traditional invitations to have two envelopes. This came about in the 18th century when the postal service was unreliable, and the invites were hand delivered on horseback. The outer envelope was used as protection to the inner one during these travels. The traditional invitation now comes in many different types of paper, including scented papers, though the wording has basically remained the same. These are the iconic invites that represent the classic, eloquent ways of the past and are a perfect way to announce your future. Melissa with Abbey Printing in Gretna said, “People are loving traditional invitations with pockets right now. Other trends are invitations in black and white and also different shades of purple. Silver is another popular color.”
DIY Invitations Some brides are choosing to create their invitations online. The websites allow you to choose from thousands of invitations and deliver them directly to your doorstep, without having to go into a bricks and mortar store. You may not have the complete customer service that stationary stores and local printers provide, but it could save you time and in some cases, money. Some sites even offer ways to actually assemble your invitations from home. You order the layered pieces from templates that let you fill in your names and wording. Then, you simply print them out at home with the type of paper that is required for the template. It may be a little more time consuming, but it does add a personal touch to the invite. Two of our former Wedding Tale brides created their own invitations and loved the process. Jeana Crosby Taravella, made her invitations using a vintage typewriter theme. Jessica Andersen Alexie, created hers using one of the home print sites. Unique Invitations New Orleans is home to the “strangest people” according to Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2011 reader’s poll. It may come as no surprise that some local brides have embraced the title and want to reflect that character in their wedding plans. One way of being completely unique is to have one-of-akind custom wedding invitations. They can range from a storyboard type card, telling the story of how the couple met, to a beaded metallic invite with silk and other exquisite fabrics wrapped around the invitation.
Studio Vieux Carre
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By Jessica Bayard