When planning a wedding, many cards and invitations are sent out to guests, loved ones, and acquaintances, and announcement cards are one of the least talked about. We’ve all heard of RSVPs and save the dates, but announcement cards are also important and vital to your wedding journey.

What are wedding announcements?

A wedding announcement is a way a couple of newlyweds spread the word about their recent marriage, specifically those who didn’t attend the wedding day. 

Traditionally, wedding announcements would be made through posts in the local newspaper. Still, nowadays, it’s much more common to send out these cards to those who couldn’t make it to the wedding and through social media like Facebook and such.

The main difference between a regular wedding invitation and a wedding announcement is that the former are sent out way ahead of the wedding day, with details about the wedding place and time, as well as dress code and other details, mainly because it’s inviting your guests to attend. 

On the other hand, a wedding announcement is sent out the day after your wedding and is directed to those who weren’t guests at your wedding, but you still want them to know about this beautiful new chapter in your life.

Wedding announcement etiquette

In terms of etiquette, wedding announcements can be tricky since they’re normally sent to those who weren’t at the wedding and probably didn’t know about the wedding at all, which can give place to some awkward moments regarding not being invited to the wedding.

First and foremost, you should only send wedding announcements to those who won’t be offended by not being part of your wedding, whether this means people who understand they aren’t close enough to you or that they recognize they wouldn’t have been able to travel for your wedding but still care about getting the news. This normally includes relatives who live far away or can’t travel, work colleagues, your boss, acquaintances, or important people in your life that you don’t interact with personally.

To avoid misunderstanding, you can take some steps to avoid being rude when sending these wedding announcements. If you’re sending a wedding announcement to friends who weren’t invited, you should make clear that it was a very intimate and private event, with only a few close friends and mainly family involved, so they don’t feel left out.

For those relatives who aren’t very close, you should also explain in your announcement card that your wedding took place somewhere far away or that travel was required to attend, which can serve as a way to explain why you may have had a reduced guest list.

The main thing with these cards is that you should be mindful of what they might be interpreted and act accordingly, not to create misunderstandings. This is easier when done in an impersonal fashion, such as with social media wedding announcements.

When should you send the wedding announcements?

Tradition states that these cards should be sent out right after your wedding day, and although this can seem a bit rushed and can get in the way of your timeline, you can always rely on someone you trust to take care of mailing the announcements.

If you’re also planning on posting your announcement to local newspapers, you should consider when it would be necessary to submit it, so it comes out after your wedding day. This can vary from newspaper to newspaper, so you should do some research beforehand.

What to include in wedding announcements?

When working out your wedding announcements, it’s important to know what to include in them. Usually, these cards will include the couple's names, the fact that they just got wed, the place and date of the wedding, and some regards for the person.

Some wedding announcements will also include a brief but detailed retelling of how the wedding took place and the general atmosphere of it, as a sort of storytelling of the wedding day.

Paperlust wedding announcements

If you’re in the process of planning your wedding announcements, chances are you are confused and overwhelmed with all that comes with it. That’s why here at Paperlust, we’ll do everything we can to make this a smooth journey.

Here you can find wedding announcement examples that will guide you in terms of wording, style, and design. Not only will you be able to access several designs and layouts for your cards, but you will also be able to customize and personalize them for your wedding and truly make them your own. 

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