Printed or handwritten: what an invitation says before it is read

An official invitation says two things: that you are expected, and how much. The form says the second before anyone reads the text, and people who receive invitations for a living notice it at once.

The forms

The most common form is the printed card. For the most senior guests many offices open with a salutation addressed to the office, followed by the text. It can be printed, or written by hand by the person who signs, and a handwritten salutation is still the clearest mark of regard an office can give. Then there are the short note and the informal invitation, which can go by email, for people who are expected but not in an official capacity.

One rule per office

Deciding case by case leads to inconsistencies, and people notice them: two presidents of equal rank, one with a handwritten salutation and one with a printed card. It is better to tie the form to the office, not the person, and decide once which offices receive which kind of invitation.

That is how CerimoniereWeb works. The type of invitation sits on the appointment, with its own order of importance, and the salutations are a table the office keeps up to date. The person preparing the invitations does not have to remember the rule, because it is already applied.