The practice of inviting people for a wedding has been there from time immemorial. In early times, before the invention of printing, a wedding host would invite relatives and neighbours personally or by handwritten letters. The letters were dispatched through special messengers. I have heard my elders say that wealthy hosts would invite the public also by arranging village criers.
With the advent of printing, most people preferred to send invitations printed on pink and yellow glossy paper in natty envelopes.
Years ago, I attended a wedding reception hosted by one of my distant relatives. As I alighted from my car with a gift packet tucked under my arm, a friend of mine greeted me with a smile and whispered, “No gift please. Have you not seen a note at the bottom of the invitation that you could as well give a donation to any old age home of your choice?”
