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A wedding invitation is a letter asking the recipient to attend a wedding. It is typically mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding date. Wedding invitations may be printed using one of the following methods engraving, lithography, thermography, letterpress printing, sometimes blind embossing, offset printing, and more recently, on laser and inkjet printers as many do-it-yourself brides are printing on their home computers. Invitations can be ordered from an artist, or vendor specializing in invitations. For the artistically inclined, they can be handmade. Traditionally, wedding invitations are mailed in double envelopes. The inner envelope may be lined, is not gummed, and fits into the outer envelope. The outer envelope is gummed for sealing and addressing. Tissues are often provided by manufacturers to place over the engraved text, originally this tissue protected the engraving against smudging or blotting, but improved printing techniques mean they are now simply decorative.[1] More recently, the inner envelope is often left out in the interest of saving money and postage. In some cases, a pocketfold takes the place of an inner envelope. Traditionally, the mother of the bride addresses the wedding invitations. However, if she chooses not to, the mother of the bride may outsource this responsibility to a professional calligrapher or a friend with good penmanship. With computer technology, some are able to print directly on envelopes from a guest list using a mail merge with word processing and spreadsheet software. In countries that issue them, the envelope may be franked with love stamps. The United States postal service issues a love stamp each year specifically denominated to cover the double weight of the invitation and reply (a rate slightly less than the cost of two regular stamps). Other pieces often included in the ensemble are the R.S.V.P. response card, reception card or folder, map or direction card, and accommodation information.
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