As far as etiquette on baby announcements goes, you’ve come a long way, baby. In the Victorian era, the baby announcements were written on a card, tied with a blue or pink ribbon, inviting the female acquaintances and female family members of the parents to “view” the newborn. The baby was given a bath in wine and set out in a basket to be oohed and ahhed over. Now, parents have many options for announcing the birth of their bundle of joy. There’s always the calling chain method, but many parents are opting for something a bit more elegant and, ironically enough, with a vintage touch. Below are a few tips regarding etiquette on baby announcements.
- To whom should baby announcements be sent? You can either send birth announcements to close friends and family, or to extended relatives, colleagues and parents’ friends. If you married recently, you could start with taking a look at the wedding invitation list. And you will have a much easier time if you decide all of this before the baby is born.
- When should baby announcements be sent? Within a one-month period. It would be rather odd to receive a birth announcement when the baby is already a couple months old, wouldn’t it?
- Should a photo of the baby be included in the birth announcement? This is really a personal decision and also depends on how soon after the birth you plan on sending out the announcements. The birth can be hard on the baby’s face, so you might want to wait about 2 weeks before taking pictures.
Wording and etiquette on baby announcements
As you’re gazing at your bundle of love, you think about how you want to tell the world about your baby’s beauty. And as you begin writing the baby announcement, you realize that you can’t put into writing or verbalize exactly how you feel. Below are a few suggestions to help you get started and about the wording-etiquette on birth announcements:
- Introducing your baby: rhymes are always cute (tiny hands, tiny feet, there’s someone new we’d like you to meet); We welcome with love; We are pleased to announce the arrival of.
- Weight, length and time: most people include the baby’s weight and length; exact timing is up to you
- Nicknames vs. formal names: The birth announcement is often the best place to announce that you plan on calling your daughter Betsy, although her given name is Elizabeth (for example, We welcome with love, Elizabeth Ann, “Betsy”).
- When there is an older sibling: You can sign the birth announcement with all the names of the family members; or you can word the announcement so that the older sibling(s) introduce the arrival of the new baby (for example, Daniel introduces the arrival of his new sister, Elizabeth Ann, “Betsy”).
- When the parent’s last names are different: List the baby’s full name (for example, Elizabeth Ann Smith) and sign the invitation with the parent’s first names (for example, Mandy and Jeff); or you can write something along the lines of “Mandy Jones and Jeff Smith announce the birth of Elizabeth Ann Smith”.
There are a number of online companies that create baby announcements and provide as much or as little assistance and creative direction as you need.
- Newbabyannouncements.com: Featuring over 50 designs; allow you to see a proof of your order before it is printed and mailed.
- Littlecreations.com: Specialize in high-quality photo birth announcements.
- Storkavenue.com: Boast that they’ve introduced the birth of the babies of celebrities, royalty, leaders and special mom and dads; free shipping on Internet orders of $50 or more.
By Virginia Zignego