Традицията на сватбените покани
Минало, настояще и бъдеще

Centuries ago, the town crier shouted out at the top of his lungs inviting anyone within earshot to attend the celebration. It wasn’t until the invention of the printing press contributed to more widespread literacy that wedding invitations began to take paper form. At first however, they weren’t invitations at all, but rather announcements for marriages that had already taken place.

In the 18th century, these traditions evolved and announcements became invitations summoning friends and family to attend wedding events. They often varied from region to region, and where the postal service was unreliable or non-existent, it was common for the couple’s family or servants to hand deliver them. To prevent them from being damaged along the route, a second envelop was added to be removed upon arrival.

At the start of the 19th century, wedding invitations began to resemble those we know now. They were most commonly used among nobility, with handwritten calligraphy and a wax seal of the family crest as a sign of the status. But soon lithography made mass printing more accessible, democratising wedding invitations and making them widespread social etiquette. With letterpress printing, ink often wouldn’t dry fast enough, so a layer of tissue paper was added over the invite ensuring it wouldn’t smudge.

Throughout History, technology has continued to make waves in the style of wedding invitations. At one time, it was even popular to send wedding invites via telegraph! The 20th century ushered in the era of colourful invitations. Digitalisation made design accessible at the click of a mouse, and laser printing offered new shapes. Couples can create invitations as unique they desire, but many traditions like calligraphy, double envelopes, wax seals, and an added layer of tissue paper are still often used today.

Now that you know where these traditions came from, you might be curious to know what’s next in the world of wedding invitations. To find out, we interviewed three prominent figures about their work in the invitation industry.

What are the current trends?

Everyone seems to be returning to nature - kraft or handmade paper, torn edges, minimal, boho, rustic style, greenery, and seaside motifs. For example, if the wedding is to take place in the woods, then the colours and elements of the forest will be reflected in the invitation. The most predominant colours are natural and earthy tones (e.g. Keaykolour Nude, Biscuit, Matcha, Old Rose), warm, and creamy shades.

A selection of nature inspired designs created by Idea Inside Design on Keaykolour Holy, Navy Blue and Snow White.

For wedding stationary, this season we had more freedom to play with the geometric shapes. For example, round menus were quite popular. Also paired with various accessories such as chiffon ribbons or tassels.

What are the current trends?

The bohemian trend has been popular for several years, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. Eucalyptus and other botanicals are also popular themes. Also, I often get requests around the theme of travel to create something in the style of a boarding pass, or around planes, trains and boats.

Bohemian style invitations by Martha Camuti, photography by Jessica Amber.