Our professional Consultants are trained to assist you with etiquette, item selection, wording, ink color, font and envelope
lining selection. We work closely with our customers on their orders for both personal and corporate / organization events.
Through the years, our consultants have been collecting and gathering information on invitation and party etiquette. This
etiquette guide contains the questions our consultants are most frequently asked by our customers. |
Prior to Ordering 
While Ordering When Order Received
When should we select our baby's birth announcements?
Most of the time, parents prefer to choose the announcement before the arrival of their baby to make it easier once the
baby comes. However, it is fine to wait until after the baby has been born (and in some cases necessary if the baby's
gender is unknown).
Creating the mailing list for your announcements prior to the baby's birth can also save stress once the baby is born.
What are some special considerations for birth announcements sent by a single mother?
If the mother and father are divorced / separated before the baby's birth, the mother may still wish to send a birth
announcement with both parents' names (despite the marital situation/relationship between parents). In this case, instead
of the announcement being addressed and sent by Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, she will use the name she plans to go by
(i.e. Ms. Mary Smith) and the father's name (i.e. Mr. Michael Johnson). She will need to include the baby's last name on
the announcement. Divorced parents may opt to each send announcements to their respective friends/family members
separately.
If the mother is widowed, the mother may choose to either use Mrs. James Johnson on the announcement or Mary
Johnson and the late James Johnson.
If the single woman has not been previously married, she would use her name and the title she goes by (Ms. Mary Smith).
She will need to include the baby's last name on the announcement..
What information should be included on a birth announcement?
1. Introduce the baby
2. Statistics (date, time of birth, weight and length). The weight may be omitted (especially in cases of premature or
large births).
For help with wording, please visit our
sample wording section
3. Nickname, if any: Lorelei Leigh - "Rory"
4. Older siblings: Can include all the family members' names in the signature or you can have the older child introduce
their new baby brother or sister (John announces the arrival of his sister Jennifer). Many families choose to include the
names of the family pets as well.
5. Parents' names: If the last names are different, the last name of the baby and of each parent could be included for
clarification. Otherwise, it is okay to include just the parents' first names. *Note: If the baby's middle name is the mother's
maiden name, it is best to include the baby's full name, but then use only the parents' first names in the signature (Paul
Jackson Smith... James and Mary).
6. If wanted, the grandparents' names can also be included underneath the parents' names. They should be identified
as grandparents.
What are special considerations when announcing twins, triplets, or other multiple births?
The parents can send one announcement with a
special verse appropriate for their situation.
What to consider when sending an adoption announcement?
The parent(s) will want to wait until the baby/child arrives home before sending their announcements.
It is important to choose an announcement with a style/design that is age-appropriate (if the child is a toddler or older,
it is best to stay away from "baby" designs).
The date of their birth (if known) may be included as well as the date of adoption, which is commonly called "day brought
home" or "day brought into our hearts." The state or country of the baby / child's birth may be included.
It isn't uncommon for a single person to adopt. In this case, the announcements can be sent out exactly as described
above.
What are some special considerations birth announcements sent by a gay/lesbian couple?
Make sure to include both parents' first and last names as well as the full legal name of the child.
Can I see samples of birth announcement wording?
For help with wording, please visit our sample wording section
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When should birth announcements be sent?
We recommend sending birth announcements as soon as possible after the birth of your baby / babies. The ideal time
frame is 2 weeks-2 months after the birth, and we recommend sending them no later than 3-4 months. If the
announcements must go out later than that, one option would be to include it with a holiday card or family letter.
Who should be sent announcements? Will they feel obligated to send gifts?
It is customary to send an announcement to everyone you think will want to know about the birth. Although it is always
nice for the recipient of a birth announcement to return a note of congratulations to the happy parents, they are in no way
obligated to send a gift.
Also check out this page to find invitation and card related terms...
Glossary of Terms
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