A Complete Guide to Wedding announcements

Your wedding day is approaching rapidly and there’s still lots of work to do. It’s time to think about wedding announcements. Today the world offers a huge number of different kinds of announcements, and you can easily get lost in all of this. After reading this article it’ll be much easier for you to understand where to start and what to do.

What to Include in Your Wedding Announcement

Photo by @melanienedelko

First things first, it has to be brief. The wedding announcement is supposed to let the recipient know that the couple has tied the knot. Here’s the info to include in your announcement:

1. Who hosts the celebration

Your parents’ names for example

2. Who’s getting married

The full names of the bride and groom.

3. When will it happen
4. Where will it be held

These are 4 main things to include in your wedding announcement card.

Wedding Announcements VS Invitations

Photo by @tanya.menoni

The wedding announcement lets the recipient know that you will be getting married or already did. Usually, announcements are used when the couple celebrates their wedding in a remote country (or just somewhere far away from home) or they just don’t have enough budget to invite everyone they love.

The wedding invitation is also a kind of announcement. Only this time the recipient is invited to join your wedding celebration.

Wedding Announcements Ideas

Photo by @rebeccasigetyphotography

The wedding is truly a precious day in life. Every detail should correspond to its status and emphasize its uniqueness. One of the things that you need to pay special attention to is wedding announcement cards, which are not only the official means of communication but also share the atmosphere of your big day. The cards (whether announcement or invitation) should follow the wedding concept you chose.

Tip: if you still doubt which concept to choose, click here to read the article.

The concept is chosen, and the importance of announcements is understood. So, how do you make them look creative? We’ve gathered the 10 best wedding announcement ideas!

A card with a wedding picture

Photo by @studiofortydesign

Those who were not present at your wedding would be curious to see how you two looked. That’s why adding a wedding day picture on the announcement card is an awesome idea.

“She said YES” picture

Photo by @belightphotography

If you hired the photographer to capture your engagement, take one of these happy pics to put on the announcement card with words saying “She said YES”.

Shared the last name

If you decided to share the last name, make a statement putting it on the card. Classy and stylish.

Vintage card

If you’re into retro style, design your card this way. Use words like “We got hitched”.

DIY card

Buy a suitable paper and write down the announcement in your handwriting! You can even add some little drawings (if you want to).

Extraordinary calligraphy

Photo by @katieeyorkk

You can choose any template available on the internet: simple, classic or modern. But what can make the card look truly special is the font. Use some unusual fonts and your card will definitely be remembered.

Travel-themed card

it’s a perfect choice for those who are gonna have a destination wedding. It can even be a card with the map of the world, and a little plane flying from your hometown to the destination where the celebration will occur.

A Polaroid card

Photo by @emmacatephoto

Why not? A totally DIY variant. Write all the info on the back of the photo.

A collage of happy moments

Not sure which picture to put on the card? Make a collage and put them all!

Digital announcement

We’re all deeply into the digital age, so why bother making printed cards? There are plenty of apps to customize your perfect card, like Canva. Easy to use and doesn’t cost a cent!

How to Write a Wedding Announcement

Photo by @calligraphybymichellet

When it comes to creating wedding announcements and invitations you may find them quite similar. Here are the common types of wedding announcements and the wording to use when writing them.

Formal (issued by parents)

“Mr. and Mrs. Parents” joyfully inform you that their children “Bride’s name” and “Groom’s name” have eloped on “the date”, at “the time”, “the location”.

Informal (issued by parents)

We, the parents, are happy to share the great news! “Bride’s name” and “Groom’s name” flew over to a dreamy destination and got married there! They tied the knot on “the date” at “the location”. 

Formal (issued by the couple)

“Bride’s name” and “Groom’s name” got married in a private ceremony (for example) on “the date”. Please join the newlyweds for a celebration reception on “the date” at “the time”, “the location”.

Informal (issued by the couple)

We did the damn thing. “Bride’s name” + “Groom’s name”, “the date”, “the place”.

How to put a wedding announcement in the newspaper

Photo by Dana Fernandez Photography

The majority of newspapers have all the guidelines written online, so your first step is to check the website. What should you mention when putting the wedding announcement in the newspaper? It’s quite easy: the same things that you write on the cards, but with some additional info: your (bride’s and groom’s) college and degree, occupation, parents’ names, hometown, the city of residence, wedding location, and the date. Sometimes newspapers also crave to hear your love story.

Newspaper Wedding Announcements FAQs

The answers to commonly asked questions.

1. Should I write the announcement by myself?

No, many papers provide you with templates.

2. What other wedding details can I include?

You can also mention the dress and jewelry, the engagement story, bridal party details, type of ceremony and the name of the officiant, the number of guests, and the honeymoon destination.

3. When shall I submit it?

Each paper has its own deadlines. Usually, it’s at least 3 weeks before the wedding day.

4. Is adding a picture necessary?

It’s up to you. Adding a photo is a bit costly especially if you’re submitting to a big newspaper, but that’s how people can easily identify you.

5. Can we submit to more than 1 newspaper?

If you were born in different hometowns, you can definitely submit to two different local papers.

Wedding Invitation Wording Example

Photo by @thebridalpress

Very similar to the announcement's wording, invitations still have some distinctive features.

Formal invitation examples

1. The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage celebration of “Bride’s name” and “Groom’s name”, on “the date” at “the time”, “the place”. Reception to follow.
2. “Couple names” invite you to the ceremony and celebration of their wedding, “the date”, “the time”, “the place”. Dinner and dancing to follow.

Informal invitation examples

1. Nothing fancy, just love. Please join us for a casual wedding celebration honoring “Couple names”, “the date”, “the time”, “the place”. Kindly RSVP by “the date” to “the name”.
2. There will be a party. With people. Finally. “Couple names” are getting married, “the date”, “the time”, “the location”.

The last one is very funny in the post-Covid time. 
P.S. Find a few minutes to read about the rules of wedding etiquette, it’s very useful!