A stylish wedding announcement is a fun way to share your joyous news with friends and family that were not at your event. We wanted to show you these 10 great examples, as well as answer the most common questions about wedding announcements.

Who receives a wedding announcement?

Anyone who wasn't at your wedding can receive an announcement. Although wedding announcements used to be a really common and traditional way to "spread the word" to your extended family and circle of friends, social media often takes care of that now. Of course, sending these is still a lovely, formal touch.

When should we send them?

Always, always, always send an announcement after your wedding date. Never, never, never before. If you do, people might read it as an invitation or save-the-date, and awkwardness will certainly follow. Usually people mail these out the day after their wedding, or sometimes after the honeymoon.

These are most often used today to announce an elopement or destination wedding with a limited guest list. Although if you have to keep your wedding guest list small because of your venue, you could use them then, too.

What information should we share?

The only necessary info for an announcement is that you've been married and your wedding date. However, many couples also choose to share the location of their wedding (especially if it was a destination event) or mention if it was an elopement (in order to avoid a mob of confused would-be guests at their doorstep).

Do people normally send gifts after receiving a wedding announcement?

While people are welcome to send gifts, a wedding announcement does not present the same gift-giving social convention as a wedding invitation. As with wedding invitations, do not print your registry on the card, and additionally, do not enclose a registry card in the envelope.

Any suggestions on style or theme? Do they need to match my wedding invitations?

One of the most important elements is that it is immediately clear that the wedding has already taken place, either with a wedding date that has passed or with a prominent "just married" type phrase. Sometimes wedding announcements can look very similar to a save-the-date, and you don't want people to have that momentary excitement followed by disappointment as they continue reading. Other than that, whatever style and wording you use is just fine. They can match your wedding's theme or paper goods, or be completely different!

What if we are having a reception following our destination wedding? Can we announce our wedding and invite them to the reception at the same time?

Absolutely! When there has been an elopement or destination wedding, friends and family are normally happy for the news, but disappointed that they didn't get to celebrate with the couple. An at-home reception is a perfect solution to this!

Credits: Minted | Pixel Paper Stationery | Skipt Paper Co. | Nesting Project | Vera Wang Weddings | Studio French Blue | Chelsea Davis Photography | Invitations by Dawn | Starboard Press | Thomas-Printers