Continuing with the “Odd History” series, we’re going to look at the history of Invitations.  How did this piece of social etiquette come into being?  When did it start?  And why in the world are those piece of tissue paper included in the more formal invitations?

I want to start by thanking ed-it.com for providing the research on this topic.  According to the crack team of researchers there, the use of invitations probably began with the wealthy aristocracy of England and France.  The “High Society” there would invite their peers to social events, with handwritten invitations.  They were usually written by the wife, butler, or secretary for the family.  The handwriting on these invitations were written in calligraphy, since the writing instrument of the day was the quill.  The quill, combined with the excellent penmanship of the day made for a true work of art.  (As opposed to the chicken scratch that most of us have in today’s rushed society.)

The invitation would be placed in an envelope that had the recipients name on it.  That envelope was then placed in another “outer” envelope for protection from the elements.  Directions to the recipients homes were written on the outer envelope.  Servants would deliver the invitations personally since there was no postal system, and the outer envelope would be removed before being handed to the person being invited.

So where did the use of tissue paper come in?  That didn’t appear on the scene until the advancements in the industrialization of the printing field.  Since paper was able to be printed faster than it had been in the past, ink didn’t have time to dry.  Tissue paper was placed on the freshly printed invitation so that the ink would not transfer to the next invitation stacked on top of it.  For some “odd” reason, the tradition continues today despite the fact that the ink drying problem is no longer an actual…problem.  And despite having a (for the most part) reliable postal service, we still continue the tradition of the outer envelope in formal invitations.

For more information on the history of the invititation, be sure to visit ed-it.com.  Also, be sure to stop by PrintMyThing for our new Personalized Invitation cards!  There are some great design templates for you to choose from and customize to your own liking!