Letterpress or engraving? Does it matter?

crackktheskyy

So I'm finally ordering save the dates this week and I'm hoping to also begin designing our invitations. Our save the dates will likely be letterpress.

For a very formal event, do you prefer letterpress or engraving on the actual invitation? Which would better set the tone for you?

Essentially, we want the invitation to set the tone of our event but we weren't sure which to use. I'm worried engraving has gone out of style! I personally love the look and feel of engraving, but when asking others, many didn't know the difference between engraving and thermography.

Is letterpress the way to go now?

holyguacamole79

If you asked me if the last wedding invite we received was letterpress or engraving, I really would not be able to tell you. 

manateehugger

I am under the impression that engraving is indicative of a more formal event. But both are obviously expensive, formal invitation options, so I'd just go with whatever look you prefer. 

If you send me an engraved invitation, I'm going to assume you're having a classic black tie or nearly black tie event. 

crackktheskyy

sarahbear31 said:

If you asked me if the last wedding invite we received was letterpress or engraving, I really would not be able to tell you. 

Haha I totally understand. What signals do you look for with an invitation? Or do you not look at all?

PDKH said:

I am under the impression that engraving is indicative of a more formal event. But both are obviously expensive, formal invitation options, so I'd just go with whatever look you prefer. 

If you send me an engraved invitation, I'm going to assume you're having a classic black tie or nearly black tie event. 

Thanks! This is very helpful. We were thinking of designing the invitation to look similar to this:

It think this would look very classic and pretty with engraving. 

photokitty

The "paper and invites" page ladies might have some stronger opinions. Both to me would indicate a more formal event than regular ink. So I don't have much advice GL!

holyguacamole79

crackktheskyy, I should have said that if I receive an invite with either
letterpress or engraving, I can tell it's a formal event.  I usually look at the location of the wedding and/or reception to gauge the formality.  For example, if the wedding is at a church followed by a reception at a country club, I assume it's on the formal side.  If the wedding is at a venue out in the country, I assume it's more casual.

theartistformerlyknownas

Both letterpress and engraving can signal a more formal event, but I'd look just as much to the design and location. 

You can still have a letterpress invitation look informal:

Or formal:

I'd say as long as the design and location are formal, letterpress and engraving are interchangeable to me.

Maggie0829

lolo883 said:

Both letterpress and engraving can signal a more formal event, but I'd look just as much to the design and location. 

You can still have a letterpress invitation look informal:

Or formal:

I'd say as long as the design and location are formal, letterpress and engraving are interchangeable to me.

I agree with this 100%.

crackktheskyy

photokitty said:

The "paper and invites" page ladies might have some stronger opinions. Both to me would indicate a more formal event than regular ink. So I don't have much advice GL!

Thanks for the input! 

sarahbear31 said:

crackktheskyy, I should have said that if I receive an invite with either
letterpress or engraving, I can tell it's a formal event.  I usually look at the location of the wedding and/or reception to gauge the formality.  For example, if the wedding is at a church followed by a reception at a country club, I assume it's on the formal side.  If the wedding is at a venue out in the country, I assume it's more casual.

This is so helpful, thank you! Hopefully with either letterpress or engraving, then, in addition to the church ceremony and location, our guests will be able to gauge the formality pretty well.

lolo883 said:

Both letterpress and engraving can signal a more formal event, but I'd look just as much to the design and location. 

You can still have a letterpress invitation look informal:

Or formal:

I'd say as long as the design and location are formal, letterpress and engraving are interchangeable to me.

Thank you! Those examples are very helpful. It sounds like with the formal design, I can go with either!

Maggie0829 said:

lolo883 said:

Both letterpress and engraving can signal a more formal event, but I'd look just as much to the design and location. 

You can still have a letterpress invitation look informal:

Or formal:

I'd say as long as the design and location are formal, letterpress and engraving are interchangeable to me.

I agree with this 100%.

Thanks! It's helpful to see so many in agreement here. It's nice to know that people still recognize engraving, too! I had spoken to a few friends and everyone responded with, "well obviously letterpress, if it's in your budget, but engraving looks nice and is more affordable!" -- they confused engraving with thermography and I was thinking that maybe no one really does engraving anymore!

CMGragain

OP, do you want the most formal invitations?  They are white or ecru with engraved lettering, no color.

larrygaga

I don't even give a crap, and honestly can't even tell you what either of those things are.

I also don't care if I self address my thank you note at a shower, and I also don't care if you use a printed label.

So maybe I'm just invite-format tacky.

crackktheskyy

CMGragain said:

OP, do you want the most formal invitations?  They are white or ecru with engraved lettering, no color.

Thanks for this tip! We were planning on doing ecru (and we have been leaning towards engraved lettering) with all black, but with our names in gold. Maybe we will just do all black with extra flourishes on our names. We are just hoping to convey the formality of the event with the invitations. As PPs have helpfully mentioned, our church ceremony space and reception site should also hopefully nod to this. My original inspiration for our invitations was this photo:

I'm still not sure about the rounded corners, though.

larrygaga said:

I don't even give a crap, and honestly can't even tell you what either of those things are.

I also don't care if I self address my thank you note at a shower, and I also don't care if you use a printed label.

So maybe I'm just invite-format tacky.

Haha, I have a feeling that you are like the majority of our friends! Thank you for your input, though. I totally understand not caring about how things are printed/addressed/etc. We just know that our invitations are really the first glimpse our guests will have into our event and we are trying to set the tone!

ohannabelle

Of all the people I know, I can honestly think of only one person who would care enough to turn the paper over to check and see if it was actual bona fide engraving. 

If he wasn't my best friend in the universe, I'd probably roll my eyes at him. (Instead of behind his back.)

Nobody else cares, as long as it's pretty, and some people don't care about that. 

CMGragain

Is this your wording?  There are some etiquette issues.

crackktheskyy

CMGragain said:

Is this your wording?  There are some etiquette issues.

That is not my wording, just the inspiration for the design. I've started drafting my wording, though. If you'd like to look it over and let me know the etiquette issues it has, I would be very appreciative!

So far I have the following: 

(names and details changed for the sake of privacy)

For clarification, I have two sets of parents. They are co-hosting. Emily Post said to join with "and," though I am not sure if this is correct.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Smith

and

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Jones

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

Aubrey Elizabeth 

to

Mr. Bradford Joseph Connolly, junior

Saturday, the twenty-third of August
two thousand fourteen
at four o'clock in the afternoon

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

CMGragain

I usually omit the "and" between the two sets of parents' names.  Itt isn't a big deal.  Your wording looks great!

crackktheskyy

CMGragain said:

I usually omit the "and" between the two sets of parents' names.  Itt isn't a big deal.  Your wording looks great!

I originally omitted "and" but saw Emily Post did otherwise.

Aesthetically, I would prefer to omit "and" so if it is acceptable, I will do so.

Thank you so much for all of your help!