Evening journal., 1902-03-12
Ahont Wedding Stationery

With the recent but growing fancy
for Lenten marriages and the marked
prediction for short engagements, en-
gravers and statiOners find themselves
especially busy this spring supplying
the demand that formerly antedated
the Ginning of June wedding bells.
All the larger engraving houses urge
having at least two weeks notice when
an order is to be filled. but in case of
an emergency exceptions are made,
and some OF the more modest firms
are willing to rush" invitations or
three days time. The large depart
ment stores have made serious inroads
in the last few years on the business
that used to belong exclusively TO the
high class engravers Active cOmpe-
tition in this way has served to lessen
the average prices, though many still
prefer to pay a little more and have
the prestige that attaches to old es-
tablished firm names.
While the change of fashion in
wedding stationery is never radical,
there is always a little difference from
season to season, and not to conform
TO the latest dictates of the arbitrary
Dame argues ones self behind the
times. The proper size for invitations
or announcements now is about seven
inches long by six inches wide-though
half an inch more or less does not mat
ter. The sheet folds once to fit the
envelope. The fashionable shades are
plain white or gray white, and the pa
per heavy rough linen. The engrav-
ing is in script, Roman or shaded Old
English, the latter most fashionable.
and also most expensive. requiring
much more skill and time
While a plate engraved in script for
invitations or announcements varies in
price from SO to SIS. the charge for
a plate in Roman is 20 cents for each
letter or numeral. and in the shaded
Old English, 80 cents for each letter
or numeral. This would bring the
price for the plate alone in Old English
in the neighborhood of $50. In addi-
ton to this the larger invitations or
announcements would range from 50
TO S3 hundred with the enclosed "at
home or reception cards from 81 toll
So more and the inner and outer en-
veloDes still extra.
Where one has wedding invitations
in this style. with admission cards
train cards, reception or wedding
breakfast cards. "at home" cards and
announcements the sum total makes
an extremely large item to be added
to the wedding expenses. Compara-
lively few people, however. feel in
clined to compass this large outlay
and wedding or announcement cards
in scriDt with an "at home" or Mr.. and
Mrs. card enclosed suffces. and ID IS |
perfectly good form. For these sim
pler invitations the price for the frstl
hundred sets complete ranges usually |
from sl2 TO SIG with each additional
hundred from $3.50 to 81.
If arms or crest are to be om-l
bossed it would add little TO
the cost. but not more than 20 cents
a hundred
Sometimes the word honor" I'm an
invitation is substituted for pleasure
and in case this is in Old English the
honor is spelled with a "u." English
fashion. The year is conspicuously alb /
sent in most of the new invitations. /
though it is entirely proper to use It if
desired. If the wedding is to be I'm a
church or out Of town separate cards
Admit TO church" or admit to train"
are usually enclosed.