From Carrier Pigeons to Custom Hashtags: The Wild Ride of Wedding Stationery

Hey there! Ever wondered how we went from shouting our wedding news from the rooftops to sliding into our guests' DMs with digital invites? Buckle up, because we're about to take a stroll down the aisle of wedding stationery history.

The OG Announcements: Town Criers and Carrier Pigeons

 Back in the day (we're talking way, way back), if you wanted to spread the word about your upcoming nuptials, you had two options:

1. Hire a town crier to shout it from the streets (talk about putting your relationship on blast)
2. Send a carrier pigeon (the original "tweet," if you will)

 Paper Takes the Cake

 Fast forward to the 18th century, and paper invitations started to become a thing. But here's the kicker - only rich folks could afford them because handwriting each invite was a major pain in the quill. Then came the industrial revolution, and suddenly, printing presses were popping up faster than you could say "I do."

The Victorian Era: When Extra Was the Norm

 The Victorians took wedding stationery and cranked it up to eleven. We're talking:

- Intricate lace patterns

- Embossed crests

- Multiple envelopes (because one just wasn't enough)

- Calling cards

- Response cards

 Basically, if it could be printed on, the Victorians were all over it.

 The 20th Century Shake-Up

As we rolled into the 1900s, wedding stationery started to reflect the times:

- Art Deco designs in the roaring '20s

- Minimalist vibes in the '50s and '60s

- Groovy, psychedelic patterns in the '70s

- Big, bold colours and fonts in the '80s (because subtlety was so last decade)

The Digital Revolution: Pixels Over Paper

 And then, boom! The internet happened. Suddenly, we had options:

 - E-vites (for the eco-warriors and last-minute planners)

- Wedding websites (because why stop at one page when you can have a whole site?)

- Social media announcements (Facebook relationship status changes, anyone?)

Today's Mix-and-Match Approach

Now, anything goes. Want to send a traditional paper invite with a QR code that links to your wedding website? Go for it! Thinking about a video invitation followed by a handwritten note? Why not!

The cool thing about modern wedding stationery is that it's all about expressing who you are as a couple. Whether that's through:

- Custom illustrations

- Funky fonts

- Eco-friendly materials

- Digital designs

- Or a mix of everything

The sky's the limit!

What's Next? Hologram RSVPs?

Who knows what the future holds for wedding stationery. Maybe we'll be sending invites via brain waves or having AI design our save-the-dates. One thing's for sure - it's going to be one heck of a party, no matter how you announce it!

So there you have it, folks - the evolution of wedding stationery in a nutshell. From pigeons to pixels, it's been quite the journey.