Wedding Announcement Etiquette
What are you to do if the cute little chapel that
you want to use for your wedding can’t accommodate a large
crowd? What if you want a destination wedding, but it’s too
far or too expensive for most people to attend? Do you invite them
anyway and just not expect much? No, you send a wedding announcement
instead.
What is a wedding announcement and what is the
proper wedding announcement etiquette? That is what you are about
to learn. A wedding announcement, unlike a wedding invitation, isn’t
mailed until the day of the wedding or a day or two after.
This is to ensure that the person receiving it
does not mistake it for an invitation. However, the wording should
prevent that mistake, as well. Usually, wedding announcement etiquette
says that these are sent to friends or family that were not invited
to the ceremony for whatever reason that made that impossible.
Wedding announcements can also go to business associates
that might need to know the name change or address change or colleagues
that are friends but not close enough to be included in the ceremony.
If you are lucky enough to be able to invite everyone
that you consider important enough to know about your marriage,
then you may skip sending wedding announcements altogether.
If you do send wedding announcements, who announces
it? That can be handled two ways by wedding announcement etiquette.
If the parents hosted the wedding, it is especially appropriate
that they are the ones doing the announcing.
However, it is also acceptable for the couple to
make the announcement themselves. If you eloped, it would only make
sense that you announce it yourself.
In the case of elopements, etiquette for wedding
announcements allows an inclusion of a post-event reception. Normally,
however, a wedding announcement should not be seen as asking for
a gift.
It should be more like the engagement announcement
that most read in the society page of the newspaper; strictly to
inform. The wording of the announcement will be past tense so that
it is clear the wedding has already taken place.
Just like the invitations, everything is spelled
out. The place and time that the wedding was held are included,
as well. You can also include a card with your new address if that
has changed.
Many styles of wedding announcements are available. You can even
have them match your wedding invitations. They are also addressed
exactly the wedding invitations with a double envelope.
The outer envelope has the same formal titles and
names with the inner envelope having the title and last name only.
The formats for the different situations are also the same.
Some are wedding announcements are more formal
and some are more casual and fun. You can pick any of these to suit
your style rather than having to stay with a formal announcement
because you think it is proper etiquette.
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