Announcing the Unveiling on WhatsApp
Unveiling news travels the way all family news travels now: one message, written once, forwarded from group to group until it reaches a cousin three provinces away. A good announcement is complete in one screen — who, what, when, where, and what happens afterwards — because a forwarded message loses its context and must stand alone. This page gives you announcement wording that forwards cleanly, and shows how the printed invitation card from the builder pairs with it for the elders who should be invited on paper.
What the message must carry
Write it so that a stranger could arrive at the right gate at the right time. Every forwarded copy is read without you there to explain.
- Whose unveiling it is — full name, and "the late", which tells a cold reader what kind of gathering this is.
- The family name doing the inviting.
- Date, starting time, and the gathering point (home, church, or cemetery gate — cemeteries are large; name the gate or section).
- That refreshments follow at the family home, with the address if guests won't know it.
- One contact number for directions on the day.
Paper for the elders
A WhatsApp message reaches the many; a printed invitation honours the few. For grandparents, church elders and the neighbours who stood with the family at the funeral, a printed card — in the same design as the programme — says the family took the day seriously. The builder makes the matching invitation card from the details you have already typed; nothing is written twice.
When to send
Send the first announcement four to six weeks out, so people working far away can plan; resend the same message the week of the ceremony. Resist the temptation to rewrite it — the same message twice forwards better than two slightly different ones, which start arguments about which is right.
Wording you can use
Lift any of these as they are, or bend them to your family's voice. On a phone, press and hold to select and copy.
The Dlamini family warmly invites you to the unveiling of the tombstone of the late Margaret Nomvula Dlamini. 📅 Saturday 21 November 2026 🕙 10:00 📍 Westpark Cemetery, Johannesburg — Gate 2 Refreshments will follow at the family home, 14 Mimosa Street, Sophiatown. Enquiries: 072 000 0000
A gentle reminder: the unveiling of the tombstone of the late Margaret Nomvula Dlamini takes place this Saturday at 10:00, Westpark Cemetery, Gate 2. Refreshments follow at the family home. We look forward to standing together.
Unveiling of the late Margaret N. Dlamini · Sat 21 Nov · 10:00 · Westpark Cemetery Gate 2 · refreshments at home after. All who knew her are welcome.
More on the unveiling: The unveiling kit Invitation wording The Order of Proceedings at a Tombstone UnveilingWhat to Write in an Unveiling ProgrammeScripture Readings for an UnveilingWords of Dedication at the Stone
Ready to make the programme?
Free to build and download · $11.95 once for the clean PDF · never a subscription
Common questions
Is it appropriate to announce an unveiling on WhatsApp?+
Yes — it is how most families do it now. The care is in the wording and in also inviting the elders properly, on paper or in person.
Should the message include the deceased's photo?+
Many families attach the same portrait used on the programme. If you do, use one image, not several — attachments multiply confusingly as messages are forwarded.
Do we invite people to the graveside, the home, or both?+
State the gathering point clearly and say that refreshments follow at the home. Guests then choose what they can attend — some elders will come to the meal only, and that is honoured.
How do we make the printed invitation match the programme?+
Build the programme first; the invitation card button on the download step produces an A5 card in the same design, from the same details.
What if the date changes?+
Send a correction that repeats ALL the details, not just the change — forwarded fragments of corrections cause more confusion than the original mistake.