Publishing a formal announcement in your local newspaper is one of the many wedding details that often gets skipped these days. But if you want to go old-school and share the good news with your family, friends and strangers via printed paper, we’ve got you covered with this how-to. Check out how to write your own engagement or wedding announcement!
If you want to publish an engagement announcement
First step: a good six months before your wedding, check in with the newspaper you plan to publish in. They might have specific requirements (wordcount, required details, etc) or even a template you can use. They’ll also let you know how far in advance you need to submit your announcement — most newspapers have a two to three week lead time — so you can make sure your engagement announcement gets published two to three months before your wedding.
Generally, most people announce their engagement in their local paper, but if you no longer live in the town you grew up, you might want to announce in a hometown paper as well.
Next, gather all the information you’ll need. It’s up to you how many of these details you want to include (and you’ll also need to meet the requirements set by your chosen paper), but traditionally the following info is included:
Name, age, hometown and occupation for you and your partner
Degrees, college, and school for you and your partner
Names and hometowns of your and your partner’s parents
Names of both of your paternal and maternal grandparents (optional)
Location and vague timeframe of the wedding (month or season is standard if you don’t want to list the specific date)
A photo of you two (aw, you look great!)
Once you have all this, you can start putting together your engagement announcement.
Okay, now for decisions. You’ll need to decide if you’re announcing yourself, or you’re going to go the more traditional route of having the bride’s parents be the ones making the announcement. Check out our examples below for each.
Traditional option:
Richard and Emily Gilmore of Hartford, Connecticut announce the engagement of their daughter Lorelai Gilmore to Luke Danes, son of William and Marjory Danes of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Ms. Gilmore, a graduate of Hartford Community College, is the owner of the Dragonfly Inn in Stars Hollow. Mr. Danes, a graduate of Stars Hollow High School, is the owner of Luke’s Diner in Stars Hollow. A June wedding is planned.
Modern option:
Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes announce their engagement. Ms. Gilmore is the daughter of Richard and Emily Gilmore of Hartford, Connecticut. Ms. Gilmore, a graduate of Hartford Community College, is the owner of the Dragonfly Inn in Stars Hollow. Mr. Danes is the son of William and Marjory Danes of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Mr. Danes, a graduate of Stars Hollow High School, is the owner of Luke’s Diner in Stars Hollow. A June wedding is planned.
Make sure you submit with the proper amount of lead time for the newspaper of your choice, and voila! Engagement announced.
Wedding Announcement
If you don’t necessarily want to announce your engagement before the big day — hello wedding crashers! — you can also share the news of your new status once the marriage certificate has been signed.
A wedding announcement tends to include a bit more information. In addition to the above list, the following is also included:
Date and location of the wedding's ceremony and reception
Names of your attendants and their relationship to you, if applicable
Name of the officiant
Description of the wedding dress and bouquet (very traditional and very optional)
Where you plan to honeymoon
Where you will live post-nuptials
A wedding photo of you two!
Check out our Gilmore Girls themed examples for some inspiration!
Traditional version:
Richard and Emily Gilmore are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Lorelai, to Luke Danes, son of William and Marjory Danes, on June 3rd at the Gazebo with the Reverend officiating. A private reception was held at The Dragonfly immediately following the ceremony.
Lorelai Gilmore is a graduate of Hartford Community College with an AA in business and is the owner of The Dragonfly Inn. Luke Danes is a graduate of Stars Hollow High School, he is the owner of Luke’s Diner.
The maid of honor was Rory Gilmore, daughter of Lorelai. The best man was Keifer Sutherland, friend of the groom.
After a honeymoon trip to Italy, the couple will continue to reside in Stars Hollow.
Modern version:
Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes are pleased to announce their marriage on June 3rd at the Gazebo with the Reverend officiating. A private reception was held at The Dragonfly Inn immediately following the ceremony.
Lorelai Gilmore is the daughter of Richard and Emily Gilmore of Hartford, Connecticut. She is a graduate of Hartford Community College with an AA in business and is the owner of The Dragonfly Inn.
Luke Danes is the son of William and Marjory Danes of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. A graduate of Stars Hollow High School, he is the owner of Luke’s Diner.
The maid of honor was Rory Gilmore, daughter of Lorelai. The best man was Keifer Sutherland, friend of the groom.
After a honeymoon trip to Italy, the couple will continue to reside in Stars Hollow.
Need more DIY help with all the wedding words? We’ve got you covered!
Or if you’ve already written something and need a professional to review and edit it, we can help with that too.
Cover photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash