What bride does not think long and hard when it comes to the designs of her wedding invitations. Today the choices for invitations are so numerous I think it would be most difficult to come to a decision. Only 13 years ago when planning my own nuptuals I felt dismay as to whether to have a little gauze ribbon at the top or not and as to which shade of cream would most reflect the whole theme of our wedding. Alas we did choose an elegant cream invitation with a gold filgree border and raised lettering.
But what of the vintage bride. You can imagine that selections were limited. Here is some advice for the bride of 1905
“The invitations for a wedding are engraved in script or Old English,
printed on double sheets of heavy lustreless white paper, which fold once to fit the envelope.
This envelope is addressed with the full name of the person to whom it is to be sent, and slipped into another envelope of thinner paper, which is addressed in full, stamped and mailed.
It is not an opportunity for small economies. Each person invited must have an invitation addressed to himself or herself.
A single envelope directed to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Norton and family is not in good taste.
Of course one envelope only is used for husband and wife.
When there are two or three members of one family to be invited the envelopes to the invitation proper can all ‘be slipped into one of the thinner ones and that addressed to the mother of the family as its representative head, “
~The Homemaker, Her Science
