Wedding Invitation Q&As

Wedding Announcements

Q: My fiancé and I are getting married in Las Vegas and cannot invite too many people. I'd like to send out announcements instead. What's the procedure? —Troy, New York

A: Wedding announcement should be mailed as soon as possible after the wedding ceremony takes place, so you'll probably want to have them addresses and ready to go before you leave for Las Vegas (assuming you'll be honeymooning afterward).

You can have your announcements printed wherever you get your invitations, and formal white or off-white paper is generally preferred. The announcement may be issued by your parents or the two of you, and should include the date, city and state in which the marriage has taken place. The ceremony site is optional. They typically read:

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Brady
have the honor of announcing the marriage
of their daughter
Martha Lynn
to
Michael Thomas Mayer
on Friday, the seventh of October, two thousand
Las Vegas, Nevada

Announcements are usually sent to friends, business acquaintances and relatives unable to come to the wedding - there's no need to send them to guests who did attend. And although no one who receives an announcement is obligated to send you a gift, many people do so.

A: It’s best to send out announcements the day after you exchange vows, but it’s acceptable to do so up to several months afterward. You should send them to friends and relatives who were not invited to the wedding, or to any business associates and acquaintances with whom you’d like to share the news of your marriage. If you prefer getting the announcements out immediately, then be sure to have them printed in advance and ask your mom, a sibling or maid of honor to drop them in the mail while you’re on your honeymoon. Here’s a suggestion for the wording:

Marianne Teresa Miller
and
Jonathan Sinclair
announce with pleasure
their marriage
Saturday, the fourth of October
Two thousand and eight
Positano, Italy
 

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