Announcements

Announcements

Attention, attention! This is a public service announcement... Okay, not really but oftentimes your big news is so important and happiness-inducing that you feel you need to declare it to the world. But finding the perfect way to announce it can be tricky sometimes. Whether you're faced with a situation that requires a formal announcement or one that only needs a semi-formal announcement, there is a wealth of options out there for you to choose from.

So first - decide what type of announcement you'd like to send: electronic, printable, professionally made, photo announcement, some combination of the above, etc. Then put together your address list and figure out how many you need. Then, coordinate your announcements with other communications materials, i.e. party invitations. And finally, celebrate your special occasion!

Creating Custom Announcements

• A really fun way to make your declaration is with personalized, custom announcements. If you have the time – go to an online craft store or a local craft store and pick up supplies including some colorful, sturdy paper – perhaps one with a little texture. Make a bi-fold or tri-fold card and, if you can learn, (or if you can hire someone to do so), write calligraphy in the announcements. Use a high-quality silver or gold ink for a sparkly effect.

  Need another way to create custom announcements? Use special wording. Choosing announcement wording can be a challenge, so make it easy on yourself and select a popular poem verse, a common adage, words of wisdom or a favorite song verse.

  Use a photo in the announcement for added personal effect to you custom announcements. For those that prefer to be hands-on, try to create a small photo frame with a different color paper to glue around the photo in the announcement. Those that could use a little help can easily use printable photo announcements and add your own personal message to create your own custom announcement with little effort.

  Looking for an easier way out? You can find customizable announcements online for all types of occasions; announcement templates are available for every occasion you can possibly think of!

Announcement Etiquette

• There are many facets of announcement etiquette. One that seems to be a major area of question is announcement timelines. Are you wondering how early you need to send out announcements? The proper announcement etiquette for timelines can vary depending on the event and follow up. Is the announcement sole serving and meant to simply announce a milestone event like a new baby, engagement or a move? Or will the announcement precede an invitation to a special party or event such as a graduation or wedding?

  Announcement etiquette suggests that if the announcements are a predecessor of invitations, you should send them out 6-8 weeks before the event. The invitation should go out one month before the event. Usually an announcement that isn't followed by an invite goes out after the occasion. For example, an engagement announcement goes out roughly 2-4 weeks after you get engaged. New birth announcement goes out (usually with a photo of the new bundle of joy) very soon after he/she is born. A post-wedding announcement goes out a few weeks after the honeymoon.