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How to Word Engagement Announcements for the Newspaper

Options for the Engagement Photograph

Newspapers have specifications for picture sizes and content. Look for photographs where the personality of the couple shine through, avoiding poorly lit images, or those with too much light as they do not show up in print well. In short, pick a good picture that will print well. You don’t want friends to see the announcement and comment, “Oh, look, little Mary Jane grew up to become a big blob of sunlight.” If would rather have a professional photo and already have a wedding photographer in mind, ask if he/she can throw in an engagement photo for free or a discount.

Tweaking an Existing Picture

Maybe you have a picture in mind, but feel it needs some tweaking. Kodak picture maker, available at establishments like Jewel or Walgreen’s, is a picture station that allows you to scan pictures, or insert a disk/CD and zoom in/out, crop, eliminate red eye and make other improvements and then print out the polished picture. At the time of this writing a 4 x 6 quality print was just 29 cents.

If you find yourself addicted to the magic capabilities of the Kodak picture maker you can purchase software with the same features, such as the Photo Copier Professional. The program works like a copy machine where you scan a picture or document (or grab it from a camera) and the image appears on your hard drive which you can then edit. Make a color photo black and white or add color to a black and white picture. You can also edit, zoom, crop and add text. This is under $20 and since it is so easy to use you’ll find it fun to use well after the wedding is over.

There are also online version of the picture maker that allow you to upload and edit pictures, then order prints. Take advantage of the free offers available from ShutterFly (15 free 4x6 prints) and SnapFish (20 free prints). Ofoto (Kodak) is a similar service without the free prints. With these services you either submit your digital photos, or send in a roll, which they develop and make available for you online.

A Caricature?

On the lighter side, when you’ve found the perfect engagement picture, why not have a caricature made of it? This image can be framed and made into a “countdown calendar”, used on the wedding web site, made into T-shirts for the wedding party, a desktop background for the computer, or used on “save the date” or engagement announcement cards. This could also be displayed at the wedding reception for all to enjoy (perhaps hang it over the gift table.) This is a great way to get guests talking and mingling as they laugh at you (I mean your caricature.) DimpleArt.com creates caricatures in digital format, and perhaps the most fun part is that you can change the clothes and bodies of the caricatures, so the engaged couple can be seen in a variety of funny costumes. At this time of this writing this package was under $30 and was delivered in less than five days.