Announcing

I asked and you responded overwhelmingly, YES.  Newspaper announcements are still highly desired by the bride and groom along with their families as a way to share their good news.  I promised my advise on how to accomplish this task and I hope you will find this blog post very useful.  Feel free to cut and paste and if you think about it, send me a link to your announcement when it's published.  I would love to read it!

First, I hope you will take care of this in the weeks before your wedding.  Decide which newspapers you want to send your announcement, contact them or visit their website for pricing and publication deadlines, and write your wedding announcement.  Even if the newpaper has a form, I suggest you supply your own copy of the announcement.  They will edit it, if necessary. 

Here is a basic format to follow for your announcement.  It can be tweeked in lots of different ways depending on the size of the announcement you are purchasing.  See notes following the basic form for suggestions.

Announcement How-to

It starts with the who, what, when, where.

(Your names) and were united in Holy Matrimony on (date) at (place). (Officiant) officiated the ceremony.  A reception followed at (place).

The bride, daughter of (parents' names and their city), is the granddaughter of (all the grandparents here, including those who have passed away and their cities).  She is a graduate of (school) and is employed by (employer) as (job title).

The groom, son of (groom's parents and their city), is the grandson of (all the grandparents and their cities).  He is a graduate of (school) and is employed by (employer) as (job title).

(MOH's name and her city, if desired) was maid of honor.  Bridesmaids were (their names and any other identifying information you want to include, such as friends, sisters, cousins, etc). ( Child's name)was the flower girl.

The groom's father (if applicable) served as best man.  Groomsmen were (the guys' names and again any information you wish to add).  (Child's name) was the ring bearer.

After a honeymoon trip to (location), the couple will be at home in (city).

Notes

Using that basic format, there will be lots of personalization that you will do.  Perhaps you had special music.  Place that in the first paragraph. 

Want to say more about your bridal party?  You can include if they are sisters or brothers of the bride or groom or friends of the bride.  You can include their city and state.  Just keep in mind, that your space is limited.

I used the example of the father being the best man, but if he isn't, just use the same format as maid of honor.

I think its nice to include a note about the rehearsal dinner, too. I would place that in the last paragraph right before the honeymoon information. 

Costs

I did some comparison shopping of three major publications in our state and found that announcements ranged from $150- $1000.  Most brides probably choose something in the middle.  Smaller newpapers will not charge nearly that amount and may be all you need to please family and locals.

Talk to your photographer about a newspaper proof.  They are usually quite reasonable considering the amount of other work they are doing for you. 

Now, remember to send me those wonderful announcements and if you have any specific questions, I will be happy to give you my input.  Just leave a comment or send me an email.