my granddaddy was an engraver here in dallas when my mom was in college - while in that career, the current use of heat-expanded ink (to create a raised effect) was introduced - being an engraver, he and his peers referred to it as "fried printing" and considered it pedestrian or cheap - now, only truly well-to-do people actually get engraved invitations printed and "fried printing" is the norm

i agree with your surprise -

~ freshair

I've just recently gotten used to email greeting cards and have come to appreciate them. Also appreciate the engagement and wedding pictures and stories, etc. people now put on line to share.

Does anyone remember calling cards? I don't, but from what I've read they used to be the proper norm.

I have gotten used to the e-mail greeting cards also, but I guess I felt it was pushing it to send a wedding invitation via e-mail. Since I don't know the bride, I won't be going to the wedding.

Another thing I thought was tacky was when I got a thank you note via e-mail from my husband's cousin for a baby gift we sent to her. It wasn't even personalized to us. She wrote a generic thank you and blind copied everyone. Now that is lazy!

Perhaps I can help put it in perspective, for you, though.

A formal wedding, is primarily for royalty. (The original wedding gown color was red, you know.) As an event that was originally only for royalty, the ordinary person was always "putting on airs", to have a formal wedding, in the first place. Of course, over time, we all came to expect that was "the right thing to do".

Now, perhaps the casual nature of people, today, will make more and more people question the whole formal wedding thing, as just "foofuraw" (that's a mountain man word that basically implies a lot of to-do over nothing). Now we may see a lot more elopements, or J.P. marriages, followed by a celebratory party, after the honeymoon. I think that is a coming trend, in any event.

So, might as well expect changes in that whole "formal" wedding thing.

I love Jims idea, just send one of those e-mail cards. Lots of sites have them free.
Tally HO!

they celebrated their 68th anniversary last month

~ freshair

I see nothing wrong with it, it's rather nice to be able to go to the event, rsvp, and see how things are progressing, find what they would like for the bridal shower, see their engagement pictures, and get tidbits of news etc like where they will be living. Especially if these people live far away from you and you don't get to see them regularly. That said, most people do still follow electronic invitations with formal invitations.

Some kids, however, are on a tight budget and simply cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars on printing and mailing these.

I personally don't much care how I am invited, as long as the people that I care for do ask me to share their day with them.

Amen, Sistah!

(&....

it's the green thing to do.)

Back in the good old days when calling cards were the norm, it was also considered an honor for a young bride to be invited to call on an "established matron" after her marriage. It was a matter of being accepted in local society. Not necessarily high society, but older folks were prepared to provide young marrieds with their wisdom and an occasional small gift. Young married women who eschewed the invitation were rarely if ever invited again. Now since this is 2009, and the young bride probably hasn't been raised to recognize the signs of graceful society, she might be forgivven if she doesn't come around.

But I think that through time, she may well come to recognize you as a wonderful person, and since you go to the same church you may still have opportunities to share the wisdom of your experience with her.