For most couples of the late-19th and early-20th centuries who married their parents' front parlor, in the minister's home, or even in a church with just a few guests, formal printed invitations were not necessary; word-of-mouth was enough. When a formal invitation was issued, it was typically in the form of a handwritten note from the bride or her parents, to which a handwritten reply would be expected. As most guests did not travel from great distances, two to three weeks before the nuptials was considered sufficient time for mailing invitations. More often printed cards were sent after the wedding, announcing when and where the ceremony had taken place and when the couple would be "At Home," ready to receive visits and well-wishes from those who did not attend the ceremony. For those who did have large weddings, typically many more people were invited to the church than the reception, which may account for the typical invitation combination of a large card inviting guests to the church and a smaller separate card with information about the party afterward.
When a couple could afford a large wedding, typically at a church, a jeweler would engrave a "request for your presence" onto a brass plate used to create the invitations. The printer also provided squares of tissue to prevent the slow-drying ink from smearing, a relic from the past that is still included with most laser-printed invitations today. For decades, engraved invitations were considered the only "correct" options, with The Bride's Magazine still declaring in the 1960s that "the only correct colors are white, ivory, or cream, with absolutely no decorations such as borders, flower sprays and so on...It is not permissible to use semi-prepared forms or colored inks." In the same decade Bride's also warned that "Although frequently done, the use of reply cards is in very poor taste: It is an insult to your quests, implying that they are incapable of composing a correct reply to a formal invitation." In reality, however, Americans were living less formal lives by the 1960s, and many did not know how to compose a formal reply. The convenience of the reply card eventually won out, as did the popularity of more casual invitations, complete with floral sprays, borders, and colored paper and ink.
