Project Pointers: Birth Announcements
In a world where you get your news on Twitter and keep in touch with your family on Facebook, sending paper birth announcements may feel like a throwback to the 19th (okay, 20th) century. But there’s nothing quite as heartfelt as sending news of your new family member the old-fashioned way. So if you’re not a social media junkie or if a Facebook post just isn’t going to cut it, send a paper birth announcement!
Birth Announcement Etiquette
We all have them – that Facebook friend who clogs up your News Feed with way too many personal posts. Luckily, snail mail etiquette is much clearer, especially when it comes to sending birth announcements!
Who Should You Send Announcements To?
Social media is a great way to tell everyone about your newborn, but let’s face it – not everyone needs to know. Paper birth announcements allow you to be a little more selective about you tell, so you can send your baby news only to the people who matter most!
Make sure you send a birth announcement to everyone who attended your baby shower. Other than that, you can send a paper birth announcement to anyone you think would like to celebrate the birth of your newborn.
When Should You Send Your Birth Announcements?
Aim to send your birth announcements as soon as possible, but if you’re busy with baby (and you probably are!), then a delay is no big deal. There is no official “cut off” for when you have to send your announcements, so if you’re a little (or a lot) behind schedule there’s no need to worry. Need help coming up with a design? Take a look at our free downloadable and printable birth announcement templates.
There are a few things you can do before baby comes to get your birth announcements ready to go. Try picking out the design and simply filling in your baby’s birth statistics when they’re born. You can also pre-address all your envelopes so they’re ready to go when you are!
What Do You Need To Include?
Start your birth announcements with a short passage, poem, or popular phrase. Other than your baby’s name, there are a few other things you can include in your birth announcements:
- Gender
- Names of siblings and parents. Include the full name of both parents, even if you both have the same last name. There’s no need to indicate if you’re married.
- Weight
- Length
- Birth location
- Name of grandparents
You can include as much or as little information as you’d like! There are no “rules” for what needs to be included (though the baby’s name is usually helpful).
Special Cases
If you have twins, you can put all the information for each twin in the same announcement. Simply modify it for length and get creative with your layout and formatting.
If you adopt, include the adoption date and your child’s birth location, especially for international adoptions. You can even send out an announcement if you’ve adopted an older child, including their birthplace and date.
What About Paper?
Your birth announcements can easily make a statement no social media post could ever achieve, and all you need is the right paper! No matter what color scheme you’ve chosen, we have a paper for you.
Paper
Flat sheets of paper allow you to customize the size and shape of your birth announcements.
Pink
Pink paper is a classic choice if your newborn is a girl! Here are some of our favorite options:
Metallic pink adds a little something extra to your birth announcements.
Add a touch of pink to any design using translucent vellum.
A classic blush pink is the perfect choice for any birth announcement.
Blue
If you have a boy, blue is a standard choice.
Metallic paper makes calming blue stand out.
Pastel blue paper is soft and pleasing.
Light blue is fun and uplifting – perfect for baby!
Neutral
If you’re searching for a gender-neutral hue, here are some of our favorite options:
Parchment paper is classic and understated.
Light green is a lovely neutral hue for baby.
You can still celebrate baby’s arrival with Champagne!
Soft yellow is bright and sunny but not overwhelming.
Cards & Envelopes
Printing your birth announcements on premade cards can save you a lot of time – a precious commodity when you have a newborn!
Pink
Flat cards are a trendy choice for printed correspondence.
Add a touch of pink to a neutral card using a translucent vellum envelope.
Bright pink envelopes are a delightful way to announce baby’s arrival.
Blue
Light blue flat cards are a handsome way to celebrate your newborn.
Translucent blue envelopes perfectly complement neutral cards.
Bright blue envelopes are cheerful and eye-catching.
Neutral
Ivory is a classic neutral that’s perfect for any use, especially birth announcements.
Soft green is a refreshing, gender-neutral color for any birth announcement.
Yellow is a charming hue that’s perfect for announcing baby’s birth.
Neutral envelopes can help keep your baby’s gender a surprise.
Enchant your family and friends with a light green envelope.
Bright yellow envelopes are a fun way to share your good news!
Tips for Writing Birth Announcements
Writing and sending paper birth announcements doesn’t have to be time consuming! Here are a few tips to help you get your announcements in the mail:
- Start early. Prepping your cards and envelopes before baby comes is an easy way to ensure that you can focus on baby when he or she arrives!
- Less is more. Keep your content short and sweet. All you need to include is a short quotation or passage and a few of pieces of key info about baby. Even then, you only need to include the information you want to include.
- No need to handwrite! If you find the idea of writing your birth announcements by hand daunting, you’re not alone. It’s perfectly okay to print your birth announcements! However, it is nice to add a brief handwritten note to those who are most special to you.
- Don’t worry about using matching colors. You can use differently colored cards and envelopes. Try using a neutral card with a pink or blue envelope, or keep your baby’s gender a surprise by using a neutral envelope!
Happy Baby
Everyone loves receiving mail (unless it’s a bill)! Paper birth announcements are more substantial and more personal than a simple phone call or social media update. Even if you only send a couple of announcements to your parents, in-laws, and close friends, paper announcements are a wonderful way to celebrate your new family member.
