Wedding Announcements -
The Why's, How's, and Should's

We recently saw a forum where someone said that it was tacky to send wedding announcements. Far from it. Wedding announcements are not meant to send petty social snubs and are not taken that way if sent to the right people. Because actually, what they really say is, "I had a wedding that was limited in size for whatever reason and I don't want you to be offended that I couldn't invite you." They also are used for more formal relationships, for example, business associates.

The Why's

Perhaps you have a large extended family between the two of you and can only accommodate family and a few friends. This is a nice way to subtlely communicate that and let the uninvited know that you care about them. That way there's no awkward silence next time you see the person and they realize that you're suddenly married.

Another great use for these cards is for business associates. After all, when in doubt about which business associates to send wedding invitations to, you should pick only those with which you have a close personal relationship. (Some consider inviting your boss to be a requirement, as well.) For the others, you should use announcements. This does two things. It lets them know you haven't forgotten them. And, socially, it lets them know how to address you (i.e. Miss, Mrs., new last name, and so on).

The How's

Wording your wedding announcements is fairly simple. For examples, we've found Verse It to pretty much cover most situations, including eloping and smaller destination weddings.

The best thing to do is have your announcements ready to go before your wedding. Then simply have someone mail them for you either the day of or the day after your wedding. If it has been more than a month since your wedding, it's really too late and you should skip this step. Don't forget those thank you cards though.

Many couples handle wedding announcements improperly. To avoid this, read...

The Should’s

You should send wedding invitations before the wedding and wedding announcements after. It is not proper etiquette to send announcements to the uninvited BEFORE the wedding, PERIOD.

You should not expect nor solicit a gift from an announcement recipient. You will probably get some anyway so be sure to send a thank you card.

You should consider sending an at home card with your wedding announcements. Providing friends and family with your new address will help them to update their address books.