Page:Hill's manual of social and business forms.djvu/163

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Wedding Cards and Invitations.

WEDDING CARDS.

F the lady who marries resides with her parents, with relatives, guardians, or friends, and the marriage receives the approval of those parties, the ceremony usually takes place at the residence of the bride, or at the church where she generally attends; a reception being held at her residence soon afterwards or upon the return from the bridal tour.

Some parties prefer to marry very quietly, having but few guests at the wedding. Others make more elaborate display, and observe the time as an occasion of general rejoicing. Where many guests are invited, it is customary to issue notes of invitation to those persons whose attendance is desired, accompanied by wedding cards bearing the name of the bride and groom. The form of wording such notes and cards has changed but little for several years, though the style in which such wording appears, changes frequently.

Two methods are pursued in preparing the invitations and cards: one being to have them neatly printed from type; the other, and more expensive manner, is to have them engraved and printed in the metropolis, by a card-engraver, who makes an exclusive business of preparing such cards.

The later style for cards and notes of invitation is to have the most of the wording in a light script, upon very fine, white, billet paper, and the cards upon thin bristol-board, sometimes long, and frequently nearly square, according to fancy.

The following cards and notes of invitation, while expressing the suitable wording, do not,

in all cases, represent the size of the card or note of invitation. They are of various sizes, according to fancy, and generally a little larger than here illustrated.

In sending the note of invitation, it is customary to inclose the cards in the same envelope. In cases where no guests are invited, yet it is desired to inform the acquaintances throughout the country of the marriage, it is usual to inclose the cards alone. Formerly, it was common to use but one card, having Mr. & Mrs. Chas. H. Smith in the center of the card, while the lady's maiden name was placed upon the lower left-hand corner. Of late, it is regarded more in style to use two cards, one considerably larger than the other; the larger bearing the names, Mr. & Mrs. Chas. H. Smith, the smaller, the lady's name alone, thus: