Wedding announcements - when to send?

My fiasncee & I are getting married this summer. We are both somewhat private people & the wedding ceremony is gonig to be held at a small and intimate location. Anywho, we are only planning on completely having about 50 or so attendees, but both of our parents have a large circle of family friends and distant relatives that they want to be invited.

Well, we're entirely putting our foot down and not angrily inviting them (it's our wedding, after all, and we're footing 100% of the bill), but are open to sending them announcements. Basicaly letting them know that we're getting married, that they're important enough to us and to our family to get a note, but not to invite them.

My question: when are these sent? Are announcements sent *after* the wedding has taken place? At the same time the invitations are sent?
Some other time?

Everything I have read says send them the day of the wedding.

They should look similar to your invitations but simply announce the wedding and not invite them to it.

I hate to be a wet blanket but I feel the need to point out which it really is best to wait until the deed is done i.e. dont slip them in the post box on the way to the church.

Anouncements are sent imediately follkowing the weddin.
Subsequently ideally, they'll all be ready to go before the naturally wedding and you'd drop them in the mail the day of the wedding.