How to Announce Your Engagement

After fighting off the temptation to shout it from the rooftops, the question of how to announce your engagement is easily sorted by following every bride's first instinct – tell your mother first – in person, by phone, by passenger pigeon (ok, ok, they're extinct), by pony express if it comes to that! Failing all these quite valid options, revert to option one and see if you have access to the roof!

Seriously though, with your nearest and dearest, there is no substitute for telling them in person. Let the prospective groom quake in his boots – it's good practice for married life.  Remember, your dear old Dad has been preparing for this day for decades and will not be denied! Mind you, he was in the same situation once and so he will probably be kind.

Checklist: How to announce your wedding engagement is further down the page. 

Long Distance Engagement Announcement

If your intended and your goodself are trudging somewhere up the deepest Zambezi in search of the elusive Great White Ape, it would be considered appropriate engagement etiquette to inform Mama and Papa by mobile phone (or cell phone to the Americans). Jungle drums – normally a good and reliable alternative – are not much understood beyond the lower reaches of the great grey Zambezi. Of course the preferred option is to make your engagement announcements in person. The groom should wait until he sees the whites of your parents' eyes before he fires off the announcement. History is full of such lessons.

Engagement Announcement Etiquette

However, the eager young couple must allow discretion to guide their engagement announcement. Interupting funerals, weddings and bar mitzvahs to announce your happy news is considered bad form in most company, while announcing the wedding-engagement while performing CPR on one of your parents is quite out of the question. Strict laws of propriety should prevail at all times.

After having informed your kith and kin of the impending nuptials, you can turn your attention to your wider circle of trusted friends and cronies. This is probably also best achieved face to face, though now the option arises of sending them engagement announcement cards announcing your betrothal and requesting they keep a certain date in their calender free. Of course, there is the possibility of your friends being in some far flung corner of the earth (great, grey Zambezi River for instance) in which case, engagement announcements online are fine as are engagement e cards.

Internet Announcements

As for those computer savvy souls who live to converse on Facebook, this online hub of like-minded individuals may be the perfect forum for bringing the message to the world. It will also serve to vex those not invited to the wedding, if her Ladyship pleases.

Newspaper Engagement Annoucements

For those more formally inclined, there are always the good old newspaper engagement announcements. The names of the bride and groom and their parents would be included – along with information such as career choices – which is optional. And check with their formats, as they may differ from paper to paper.

SUMMARY:

How to Announce your Wedding Engagement

	Tell the brides family first and tell them in person.
	The brides parents should be the first to know of your engagement. It is appropriate for the groom to inform the brides parents of his marriage proposal and that she has accepted – and remember to ask for their blessing.
	Next, tell the grooms family in person.
	Announce your engagement to the grooms family. They'll be over joyed.
	Fairy Godmother tip; If either of you are from a previous marriage and have children – the children should be the first to know. After your immediate families have been informed, it's proper etiquette to tell both of your previous spouses.
	Tell friends and relatives.
	Announce your engagement to relatives and friends in person. If you can't see them face to face, tell them by phone or engagement announcement cards.
	Fairy Godmother tip; Facebook and twitter are becoming a very popular way to announce wedding engagements. However, some still prefer the traditional "newspaper announcement".
	Have an engagement party.
	If your planning on having an engagement party, you can send out engagement announcement cards. Making a formal announcement will need some forethought, as you need to have already figured out whether the same people are going to both your engagement party as well as your wedding reception dinner.
	Fairy Godmother tip; I have heard some couples having an engagement party with friends and family that were not going to the wedding reception dinner. While other couples prefer to have the same people at both the wedding receptioin dinner and their engagement party. This may depend on the size of you guest list and/or your wedding reception budget.
	Create a wedding website or wedding blog.
	Keep your family and friends informed and up-to-date with your wedding plans by creating your own wedding website. You can announce who will be in your bridal party, post pictures, tell relatives and friends the story of how you first met and include were you are planning to go on your honeymoon and much more.
	Fairy Godmother tip; if you looking to start a wedding website, I found one that's fairly inexpensive. Create your own wedding website with loads of wedding templates to choose from.

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