In the ordinary situation, once the engagement has occurred, the bride's
and groom's immediate families are told this joyous news. The manner of informing the
respective families differs upon personal choice, some couples attending together, while
others choose to inform their respective families individually. It is common, however, for
each family to visit each other after receipt of the engagement news. After informing your
respective families, you then contact your relatives and close friends to tell them the
news. Once this has been done you are then ready for the formal newspaper announcements.
Newspaper accounts are often what the families of
the bride and groom send to relatives and friends who are unable to attend the wedding.
They are often saved to show the children and grand-children. Since these accounts invoke
memories, you want them correct in their entirety.
The newspaper staff will advise you on what is
required, and the deadline. Many newspapers will provide you with a standard form which is
designed to assist in preparing engagement and wedding announcements. The following are
general rules to guide you in the preparation of these announcements:
it was once traditional to have a photograph
published along with the announcement, but today the high cost of doing so is seen by many
couples as being prohibitive, and a simple type set announcement is taken, which is
sufficient. should you decide to use a photograph it should be an 2 by 3 black and white
glossy with a tab indicating the bride's name, address, and telephone number attached to
the back. Color photographs should not be submitted unless absolutely necessary. remit the
story and photograph, if used, in the same envelope.
with regard to the text of your announcement, type all names in full. Do not use
nicknames.
if your parents are deceased, or divorced, make a
note of this. If your name is not the same as your parents, explain why. The society
editor or other staff will generally know how to deal with this tactfully.
give the home address of each member of the wedding
party (if known at the time of announcement). Before submitting your write up have it
"proof read" by your parents and fiancée‚. In that way errors will be
avoided, and anything you missed will be included. Common courtesy suggests that all facts
be correct in public announcements.
When submitting a write-up make certain you sign it, for this affords the newspaper its
proper legal protection. Ensure that the newspaper staff responsible for the placement of
your announcement have your phone number, so you can be reached for additional information
Listed are several local newspapers
in which you may want to announce your engagement or wedding. All of these papers
accommodate both types of announcements. We recommend that you send a self-addressed
stamped envelope along with your announcement information so you can have your picture
returned to you. ForeverWed also offers free
online engagement announcements.
How To Write an Engagement or Wedding
Announcement
So, you've decided to get engaged (or just
got married) and now you want to announce it to all of your family and friends. A good way
to do that is through your local newspaper. Even if they don't live locally, you can
always get a few copies and send them out. People just love seeing someone they know in
the newspaper! But what do you write? Here's a good guide.
Engagement Announcements
So, what should you include in your
engagement announcement? Well, here's a list to make it easier for you. The newspaper you
send this information to will often want to write the article themselves to fit it into
the space they have available. That is why they often want you to fill out their form.
Many of their forms contain the following:
Bride-to-be's full name
Groom-to-be's full name · Full name of bride-to-be's mother
Full name of groom-to-be's mother
Full name of bride-to-be's father
Full name of groom-to-be's father
School or college from which bride-to-be graduated or attends (please indicate the current
status)
School or college from which groom-to-be graduated or attends (please indicate the current
status)
Bride-to-be's place of employment
Groom-to-be's place of employment
And last but not least, the approximate date of the wedding (e.g. early summer, late
spring)
Wedding Announcements
Time to write your wedding announcement?
First, congratulations! Now then, here's a list to make it easier for you. Once again, the
newspaper you send this information to will often want to write the article themselves to
fit it into the space they have available. That is why they often want you to fill out
their form. Many of their forms contain the following:
Bride's full name
Groom's full name
Wedding Date
Wedding Location
Mother-of-the-bride's name
Father-of-the-bride's name
Mother-of-the-groom's name
Father-of-the-groom's name
School or college from which bride graduated or attended (indicate current status)
School or college from which groom graduated or attended (indicate current status)
Bride's place of employment
Groom's place of employment
If you have room, you can also include the
following:
Who gave the bride away
Color of bride's dress
Material of bride's dress
Detailed description of the bride's dress
Description of mother-of-the-bride's dress
Simple description of the attendants' dresses
City and state or country of the honeymoon
City and state where bride and groom will reside
