By Guest Expert Andrea Ceasar

Andrea is the President and CEO of Paper Works and Events, a custom invitation business with the most exclusive and extensive selection of invitations in Bergen County, New Jersey. Andrea’s mission is to give each client an invitation that is unique, sets the tone for their event and most importantly, fits their budget.

You've waited nine months and you are finally an aunt!  Just like so many proud Aunties you are probably eager to share the news with your friends. What better way to do this than by sending out Auntie birth announcements!

Of course, a Savvy Auntie should always ask the parents for their approval first, and should make sure not to beat mom to the punch by sending birth announcements out before she gets home from the hospital with the little one. Make sure mom and dad see the announcement and approve of it before you send it out. They may approve the idea of your sharing your pride with your Auntourage, but it's important they approve of the announcement itself.

Once there's parental approval, your first step is to select a birth announcement. Traditionally, colors are based on gender. If you are the lucky Auntie of boy and girl twins, select a card with neutral colors such as greens and yellows, or more modern combinations like aqua and tangerine.

Your next step is to decide on the verse for the announcement. The basic elements of an Auntie birth announcement are the baby's name, your name, the parents’ names, the date of birth, and the weight of the baby. Anything included beyond that is up to the family.

Introduction:
"I welcome with love" or "I joyfully announce the birth of my niece/nephew."

Baby's Name(s):
Include the full name of your niece or nephew. For twin births, you can put the babies' names on separate lines, or spaced sufficiently apart on the same line.

Birth Details:
Standard details include the baby's birth date, weight, and length. Time of birth and place of birth can also be added.

Closing:
You can add an adjective to describe your feelings such as: "Proud Auntie, Peggy Smith." You should also add the parents’ names, followed by the names of the baby's sibling(s) or, if you're a Mommy Auntie, the baby's cousins.

Here are two examples of an Auntie Birth Announcement:

The most time consuming aspect of the Auntie baby announcement is compiling a mailing list. It is highly recommended that you start this process before the baby's birth. Ideally, this should be done even before you select your birth announcement so that you will know how many announcements you should order.

Don't be afraid to let the world know that you are a proud Auntie! Friends, neighbors and co-workers will all be thrilled to hear the great news. Consider ordering 25 extra announcements because you never know who you might forget. And don’t forget to run your list by the child’s parents too, and to ask them for their contacts in case they don’t have time or the means to send out their own cards and want to piggy-back on yours.

It is perfectly acceptable to send the announcements as late as six months after baby's arrival. If you find yourself announcing the birth towards the end of the six-month time frame, it is a good idea to incorporate a photo at birth and another more recent photo of the baby. If the timing coincides with the holiday season, consider making the birth announcement part of your holiday card—with a photo of you and the baby!

Published: January 30, 2012