As the term implies, a wedding announcement is a declaration that a couple has been married. It’s usually in a form of a printed card that looks like an invitation, only it is to be sent after and not before the wedding. The card includes the names of the couple, date of marriage, and in some cases, names of parents. Wedding announcements are optional but suitable for small weddings or for couples who have eloped. These can also be used to tell people who have not been invited that the couple has gotten married. Follow these etiquette rules to ensure that you get this part right.
Do’s
Do mail the wedding announcement cards right after the wedding. While it’s all right to mail them on the wedding day, it’s not a good idea to mail them before it. If you’re going on a honeymoon, it’s practical that you prepare announcements before the wedding and leave the task of mailing them to a family member, friend, or member of the wedding party.
Do add a photograph of the couple on the wedding announcement card. Before, couples need to wait a few days to mail the cards so they can include a photograph from the wedding. In today’s digital age, this would only take less than a day. It’s always a nice touch to include a photograph so that people you’re sending the card to will get a glimpse of how you and your beau looked during your special day.
Do write the address on the envelope by hand, just like what you did with the wedding invitations. You may write down on the envelope yourself or enlist the help of a professional calligrapher to do this task.
Don’ts
Don’t expect to receive a gift upon sending the wedding announcement. This is meant simply to announce your union. It’s not required for people receiving the wedding announcement to send you a gift. But if they really like to, there’s nothing wrong about that. Be sure to send a thank you note if ever you receive a gift.
Don’t fail to proofread. Don’t send out the wedding announcement without proofreading it many times. Check for grammar, spelling, and format. See to it that all the information you include in the card are correct. If you’re not confident about your proofreading skills, have someone who is to help you in this matter.
Don’t forget proper format. If you had a formal wedding, then the format and wording of the wedding announcement should be formal as well. It can a little informal if you had a casual or laidback celebration. Some sample wordings are enumerated below:
Announcement by the parents of the bride:
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Smith
are honored to announce the marriage of their daughter
Alexandra Smith
to
Andrei Dylan
on the Sunday, the eighth of April
two thousand and twelve
in Laguna Beach, California
Announcement by the parents of the bride and the groom:
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Smith
and
Mr. and Mrs. Willard Dylan
are pleased to announce the marriage of
Alexandra Smith
to
Andrei Dylan
on the Sunday, the eighth of April
two thousand and twelve
in Laguna Beach, California
Announcement by the couple:
Alexandra Smith
and
Andrei Dylan
announce their marriage
on the Sunday, the eighth of April
two thousand and twelve
in Laguna Beach, California