Announcing Your Engagement

Announcing Your Engagement

These days announcing your engagement can be as easy as changing your Facebook status or sending out a quick tweet, but before you reach for that smartphone take a few minutes to think about how you really want people to find out you’re engaged. Don’t forget that the most important people in this engagement are you and your new fiance so make sure you share some precious post proposal moments together before you tackle the business of spreading the news.

Who should you tell first?

The people that are closest to you should find out about your engagement first, ideally face to face but if that’s not possible then at least over the phone. Most people tell their parents first, followed by siblings, grandparents, and then close friends, especially those that are likely to be members of the wedding party such as the best man and maid of honor.

The exception to this rule is if you already have children as then they should be the first to know. If your children are from a previous relationship, your former partners should probably also be told early on as it’s not fair to ask your children to break the news to them or to keep it secret. Whichever order you tell them in, your close family and friends should all hear the good news before you start to broadcast it on social media.

Sending an Official Announcement

Sending a printed engagement announcement is not as common as it used to be, but some couples do still stick to this tradition. There are plenty of engagement announcement templates online that can be personalized with your details and a photo. Combining an official announcement with your engagement party invite is a great idea, or if you are planning to get married fairly quickly you could combine it with a save-the-date.

For something a little less formal than a printed announcement you could create a digital announcement and send it out via e-mail. Bear in mind the people who receive a formal announcement of your engagement will expect to receive an invitation to your wedding, so it’s a good idea to give your guest list some thought before you send out those official announcements.

Announcing Your Engagement Online

The way we communicate has changed dramatically in the last few years, and online communities or social networks have become a major part of our lives. Announcing your engagement on social networks can be great fun and it allows people that you don’t see very often, such as former colleagues and schoolmates, to share the moment with you without the expectation that they will be involved in the wedding.

Posting a photograph of the two of you along with your announcement is a great idea, and you could also post a picture of where you got engaged or perhaps a photo of you wearing the ring. Many couples are surprised at the outpouring of joy and congratulations that the online announcement of an engagement can bring.

The way in which you announce you engagement will depend on your family situation and your personal relationship with those closest to you. Just make sure you spend some time enjoying your engagement with your partner before you start to spread the news, and tell those closest to you about your engagement in person before you start to have fun with social media broadcasts.