Tissues

My invitations came with tissues. Should I send them or remove them?

All wedding invitations were once shipped with small pieces of tissue separating each invitation. This prevented the slow-drying ink from smudging. Before mailing her invitations, the bride removed the tissues as they were merely packing material and served no point of etiquette. Through the years, many brides, unaware of the impropriety of sending tissued invitations, left the tissues in. As this practice grew, tissued invitations became as proper as nontissued invitations.

Today, wedding invitations are properly sent both ways. Tissues are starting to serve an important function again as the postal service's sorting equipment can cause smudging on invitations sent without tissues. If you are sending invitations without tissues, you may be able to ask your local post office to hand cancel them. Hand canceling also prevents the postal service from printing their advertising, disguised as part of the cancellation mark, on your wedding invitations.

Where are the tissues placed?

Since the tissues are meant to prevent smudging, they should be placed over the copy on each invitation and enclosure.