Invitation Wording·11 min read
Wedding Announcement Wording: 40+ Beautiful Examples
Discover 40+ wedding announcement wording examples for elopements, intimate weddings, family messages, printed cards and social media, plus etiquette tips.
By Aurelia Editorial Team · Wedding stationery & planning guides
Published
Most announcements go out after the wedding, often with a favourite photo. If you want somewhere to share more of the day, the story and the pictures, a wedding website can sit behind a single link on the card or in the message.
What Is a Wedding Announcement?
A wedding announcement shares news; it asks nothing of the reader. That is the difference from the other pieces of wedding stationery:
| Piece | What it says | When it goes out |
|---|---|---|
| Save the date | You are invited; keep this date free | Six to twelve months before |
| Invitation | You are invited; here are the details, please reply | Six to twelve weeks before |
| Pre-wedding announcement | We are getting married (you are not being invited) | Before the wedding, often for very small weddings |
| Post-wedding announcement | We got married | Within a few weeks of the wedding |
If your guests do need to keep the date free, you want a save the date instead: see our digital save the date guide. A pre-wedding announcement is useful when the ceremony will be tiny and you would rather people heard it from you:
We’re getting married! Amelia & Tom will say “I do” in a small family ceremony in Bath this June. We can’t wait to celebrate with you all afterwards. With great happiness, we share that we will marry on 12 June 2027 at Chelsea Old Town Hall, in a quiet ceremony with our parents. Love, Grace & Oliver
Short and Simple Wedding Announcement Wording
We did it! Mr and Mrs Carter, as of Saturday. Just married: Hannah & Joe, 4 September 2027. Two names, one adventure. We’re married! Amelia & James are delighted to announce their marriage. Officially Mr and Mr Okafor-Reid. Thank you for all your love. Married in the Cotswolds, surrounded by those we love most. We said yes, then we said “I do”. Our biggest news yet: we are married!
Mr and Mrs Thomas Ashford are pleased to announce their marriage on 21 August 2027, at St Andrew’s Church, Edinburgh. Rosalind Grey and Edward Lane were married on 9 October 2027 in Oxford.
New last name, same us. Married in Lisbon on a sunny Thursday. Sofia & Mateo Plot twist: we got married. Priya & Daniel, Copenhagen, summer 2027.
Formal Wedding Announcement Wording
Formal announcements read like a newspaper notice and work well on printed cards. In the UK titles are written without full stops (Mr and Mrs); in the US, with them (Mr. and Mrs.).
Mr and Mrs David Fletcher are delighted to announce the marriage of their daughter Eleanor Rose to Mr Henry James Whitmore on 18 September 2027 at Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire
Mr and Mrs Paul Harding and Dr and Mrs Anil Sharma are pleased to announce the marriage of Charlotte Harding and Rohan Sharma which took place on 2 October 2027 in Cape Town, South Africa
Olivia Bennett and James Calloway are pleased to announce their marriage on 25 September 2027 at Château de Savigny, Burgundy
With joy in our hearts, we share the news of our marriage. Isabella Moreau & Alexander Grant Wed on 14 May 2027, Lake Como Thank you for the love that brought us here.
Casual and Funny Wedding Announcement Wording
Guess what? We got married! Small ceremony, big smiles. Photos coming soon. We tied the knot last weekend at the registry office, then went for fish and chips on the pier. Perfect day. Hi all! Quick bit of news: we’re married. Thank you for cheering us on all these years. Big news from us two: we made it official in front of our families on the beach in Cornwall. Married, and very happy about it. Thank you for all your love along the way. We’ve swapped “boyfriend” for “husband”. Still getting used to it!
She said yes. Then she said “I do”. Then she said “where’s the cake?” Officially stuck with each other. Send snacks. We got married, and the dog was the best man. Our status has been updated: married, no refunds. Spoiler alert: they lived happily ever after. We got married!
Elopement Announcement Wording
We eloped! Simple examples
We eloped! On 11 June 2027 we said our vows on the Isle of Skye, just the two of us and a very patient photographer. Surprise! We ran away and got married in Reykjavík. We’re so happy, and we can’t wait to tell you all about it. Just married in a tiny ceremony in Santorini. It was everything we wanted, and we’re celebrating with all of you next summer.
Romantic elopement messages
With the sea as our witness and the sunrise as our backdrop, we married on the cliffs of Big Sur. It was quiet, simple and completely us. We chose a small promise in a quiet place: two vows, two rings and a lifetime ahead. Married in the Dolomites, 3 July 2027.
How to announce your elopement without upsetting family
- Tell parents, grandparents and siblings before anything goes online, ideally by phone or in person.
- Explain once, briefly, if you want to: “We wanted the day to be just about the two of us.” You don’t owe a long justification.
- Share something of the day with them first: a photo, a video of the vows, the menu from your dinner.
- If you plan a party later, say so in the same conversation so the family hears they are still part of the celebration.
Mum, Dad, we have some news we wanted you to hear from us first. Yesterday we got married, just the two of us, in Skye. It was small because that is what felt right, but you were in our hearts the whole time. We’d love to come over on Sunday with the photos, and we are planning a family lunch to celebrate together this autumn.
Intimate Wedding and Private Ceremony Announcement Wording
When most people weren’t there, the wording should share the joy without sounding like an invitation, and without making anyone feel left out. Here is the example many couples start from:
We have wonderful news to share! On 12 September 2027, we exchanged vows in a small ceremony surrounded by our closest family. We’re so excited to begin this new chapter together. With love, Amelia & James
In a private ceremony with our parents and siblings, we were married at Marylebone Town Hall on 6 March 2027. Thank you for understanding our wish to keep it small, and for all your love.
We were married this summer in a quiet ceremony at home. There won’t be a big party, but we wanted you to know, and to thank you for being part of our lives.
Lucy Hale and Ben Morgan were married on 20 November 2027 in a private ceremony. They would like to share their happiness with the friends and family who have supported them along the way.
If you do plan a later celebration, give its date clearly so nobody wonders whether the announcement is the invitation: “We will celebrate with friends at the Old Boathouse on Saturday 5 June 2027; invitations to follow.”
Wedding Announcement Wording for Social Media
Post only after close family have heard directly. Keep the caption short and let the photo do the work.
Mr and Mrs, as of yesterday. Thank you to everyone who made it unforgettable. Forever starts here. Married 18.09.27 in the Lake District.
Some happy news: on Saturday we got married in a small ceremony in York with our families. Thank you to everyone who has supported us. We’ll share more photos soon!
Hi all! We have news: we got married last weekend in a tiny ceremony in Bath. Couldn’t keep it in any longer. Celebration drinks soon, we promise. Love, Olivia & Tom
Subject: Some news from us Dear friends, We are delighted to share that we were married on 2 October 2027 in a small ceremony in Cambridge. We kept the day intimate, but we didn’t want you to hear it second-hand. A few photos and our story are on our wedding website: [your website link] With love, Charlotte & Rohan
Marriage Announcement Wording for Family and Friends
Dear Granny, we wanted to write to tell you properly: we were married on Saturday in a little church near Oxford. We wore your locket for something old, and thought of you all day. We’ll bring you the photos very soon. All our love, Eleanor & Henry
With love and happiness, we share the news of our marriage on 9 October 2027. Thank you for being part of our family and our story. Hannah & Joe Price
For gift-related thank-you messages after people respond, our wedding thank you card wording guide has more than 50 examples.
Digital vs Printed Wedding Announcements
| Consideration | Digital | Printed |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Instant, everyone hears on the same day | Takes a week or two to post |
| Cost | Free or very low | Printing and postage per card |
| Photos | As many as you like via a link | Usually one photo on the card |
| Keepsake value | Lower | High, especially for grandparents |
| Best for | Friends, colleagues, guests abroad | Older relatives and family friends |
Many couples do both: printed cards for a short list of relatives and a message with a link for everyone else. A wedding website still earns its place after the day. It can hold your photos, the story of how you met, and the details of a later party if you are having one, all behind one link. With Aurelia, you can keep editing the site until its 12-month term ends, add up to 40 gallery photos, and print a QR card for the back of a paper announcement.
Wedding Announcement Etiquette
- Who receives one: anyone who would want to know but wasn’t invited, such as extended family, family friends, colleagues and old friends.
- When to send: within a few weeks of the wedding is usual, though there is no hard deadline. Elopements are often announced the same day, once family know.
- Gifts: leave them off. An announcement is not a request, and registry details can make it read like one. If people ask, tell them personally.
- Implying a celebration: don’t mention a party unless it is planned. “Celebrations to follow” sets an expectation you then have to meet.
- Order: tell close family first, then friends, then social media.
For the wording conventions you would use on an invitation, see our wedding invitation wording guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you announce that you got married?
- Tell close family personally first, then share a short message or card with your names, the date and where you married, ideally with a photo. Post on social media last.
- What do you say in an elopement announcement?
- Share the news simply and warmly: that you married, where and when, and that it was what you wanted. If you are planning a later celebration, say so. You don’t need to explain why you eloped.
- Should wedding announcements include registry information?
- Generally no. An announcement shares news and doesn’t ask for anything. If someone asks what you would like, answer them personally.
- Can you announce your wedding by text?
- Yes, for friends you usually text. Call close family instead, so they don’t hear by message or social media.
- How do you announce a private wedding politely?
- Say it was a private or family-only ceremony, thank people for their love and understanding, and avoid language that sounds like an invitation unless a celebration is actually planned.
Want one place for the photos and the story behind your announcement? Explore beautiful wedding websites for your story.
Part of our invitation wording guides. Start with Wedding Invitation Wording: Examples for Every Kind of Celebration, or see every guide on this topic.
