Choosing a paper for your wedding
may seem confusing and even overwhelming. A few simple guidelines
will get you on your way to choosing what best represents you and
your wedding.
What is the difference between engraving and thermography?
The process of engraving is an ancient technique of carving out
the letters on a metal plate. The plate is then filled with an ink
containing an adhesive. Heavy paper is pressed into the plate causing
the ink to adhere to the paper. The pressing of the paper is what
makes the distinctive impressions on the back of an engraved piece.
A very labor intensive process, engraving is the most expensive
of all printing types.
Thermography is processed in a manner similar to
sprinkling glitter on white glue. The words are written on the paper
with a heat sensitive adherent then sprinkled with a glue which
raises when heated. This results in the raised feel of the letters
and makes a beautiful clean image. The technique is essentially
the same as the now popular embossing powders used by rubber stampers.
Why are there two envelopes?
The tradition of two envelopes dates from the time of hand delivered
invitations. In transit, the outer envelope would oftenbecome soiled.
When this envelope was presented at the door of the person to whom
the invitation was issued, the servant would remove it from the
outer envelope and present onlythe clean inner envelope with the
recipient's name written on it.
Do I really need all the enclosure cards?
If your reception is to be held at a separate location from the
wedding ceremony, you need a separate card for that information.
To include the reception information on the invitation itself may
cause the invitation to look too crowded,losing the impact of the
beautiful paper and font that you have chosen. The response card
is a very useful piece. As most receptions are priced according
to the number of persons attending, the response card can save you
a significant amount of money. Some brides choose to include a phone
number and or an email address to which guests may respond. (There
is one service in this area that will track your guest list and
two weeks before the wedding will call guests that have not yet
responded.)
