Newspaper Wedding Announcements! Where did this idea for an episode come from? A listener share on our FB group - her wedding was announced in the New York Times - so iconic. Made me think of that Sex and the City episode where Charlotte is obsessed with getting her wedding (and perfect photo) in the NYT. It’s as old as newspapers themselves - these announcements and obituaries! And we’ve never talked about them as a part of wedding planning...or a thing people do! And it’s still a thing. So let’s learn about it! And in the second half of this episode - our listener Sheryl shares her experience and the process of getting her Texas wedding in the NYT.
Big Takeaways
The first NYT wedding announcement was in 1851 and was one sentence long. The first same sex announcement was in 2004!
The proper etiquette according to The New York Times: at a minimum, a proper marriage announcement’s messaging includes the full names of the couple, the date of their event and the time. Those crafting the message may opt to include details about the couple's schooling, occupations, special achievements and charitable activities. Etiquette allows for the inclusion of details about how the couple met, the bride's dress, bouquet, hometown and the couple's honeymoon plans. Should the space allow, the announcement can also list the names of the couple's parents, bridal party and the person who officiated the ceremony.
You are required to submit at least 6 weeks in advance. You submit through a form on their website that includes all the information you need to share. It is free to submit!
It must include the legal day of marriage, where you are getting married, who is the officiant (if you don’t know you can say that on the form and add it later), affiliation of the officiant, info about each partner, age, contact info, birthday, degrees, jobs, parent’s names, careers, etc. You don’t have to be a New Yorker to get in.
Try to figure out how you will get copies of the paper if you aren’t already getting a subscription delivered to you! The Sunday Times can be hard to nail down.
Links we referenced
unboringofficiant.com/bigwedding - Use link for $50 off guidance package
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/weddings/165-years-of-wedding-announcements
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/fashion/weddings/wedding-submission-faqs.html
committed@nytimes.com to submit your announcement!
The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is...
Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez.
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