How to Write an Engagement or Wedding Announcement

You just got engaged or married and you want to announce it to your friends and your local community. A great way to inform everyone all at once is to publish an engagement or wedding announcement in your local paper.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing an Engagement or Wedding Announcement

I get questions all the time at my newspaper about how to write an engagement or wedding announcement. It is a lot easier than most think it is, when it is broken down into easy-to-follow steps.

Contact your local newspaper.

Before you get started, contact your newspaper and find out the cost, guidelines, and deadlines to get your engagement or wedding announcement published in the newspaper. Ask questions about including a photograph and what the newspaper's preferred method of submission is. If the newspaper prefers digital photos, ask what format will work with their system.

Set a budget.

Some newspapers charge for engagement or wedding announcements by the column inch. Find out the dimensions of your newspaper's column width (for example, my newspaper's column width is 12 picas, or approximately two inches) and the price per column inch of text. With this information, you can typeset your own engagement or wedding announcement and get an idea of the price.

Write your engagement announcement.

First you must determine the proper wording for the engagement announcement. If you are a young couple, still living with your parents until your marriage, or just out of college, then it is proper to have the bride's parents 'announce' the impending marriage.

John and Mary Smith are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsey, to James Samson, son of Lyle and Denise Samson.

If you are older, don't live at home, or this is not your first marriage, then it is proper to announce the engagement as a couple.

Lindsey Smith and James Samson are happy to announce their engagement and forthcoming marriage.

After the introduction, include residential, schooling, and wedding information. If you are announcing the engagement as a couple (as per the second example), make sure you list your parents elsewhere in the engagement announcement.

Lindsey is the daughter of John and Mary Smith. She graduated from NDSU in 2008 with a major in music. She is employed at Fargo North High School as an elementary music teacher.

James is the son of Lyle and Denise Samson. He graduated from NDSU in 2007 with a major in elementary education. He is employed at Little Tykes Daycare.

The wedding will be held at First Lutheran Church, Fargo, on July 21, 2009. The couple plans to reside in Fargo.

Write your wedding announcement.

In the wedding announcement, you can get more detailed about the wedding itself and include information about the wedding party and honeymoon location.

James and Lindsey (Smith) Samson were married July 21, 2009, at First Lutheran Church, Fargo. Lindsey's sisters Jennifer and Nancy Smith were bridesmaids, and her sister Lisa Smith was Lindsey's maid of honor. James was attended by his brother John, Lindsey's brother Nathan Smith, and his best friend David Johnson was his best man. James' uncle, Rev. Patrick Samson, officiated the wedding.

The couple honeymooned in the Bahamas for one week before returning to Fargo, where they plan to reside.

Proofread your engagement or wedding announcement.

Have a family member or friend proofread your engagement or wedding announcement to make sure it is error free. Then submit it to your local newspaper. If you are emailing your announcement, make sure to call the newspaper to make sure they received your email.

Don't forget your local newspaper for wedding accessories.

When submitting your engagement or wedding announcement, don't forget to inquire about specialty printing. Many newspapers also offer wedding invitations, napkins, and thank-you cards.