For Loving Couples

Announcing your Engagement

You’re engaged! While you probably feel like squealing, twirling in circles and shouting it to the world, there actually is a certain protocol you should follow when announcing your new engagement.

Immediately after he pops the question, the first people you should tell, if applicable, are any children from a previous marriage. Because the marriage will affect their lives the most out of anyone in your immediate family, they have the right to be the first in line (Even if they are grown children and living outside the house). Following the children, the bride’s parents are traditionally informed first – there’s a good possibility they already knew the engagement was coming if the man asked for their blessing first – and then the groom’s parents. Unless it’s a very sticky situation, both the bride and groom should be present when the parents are told about the impending marriage. If you’re separate from the parents by extreme distances, a phone call will suffice.Once the parents have been told, the rest of the immediate family should be the next to know. Typically siblings, grandparents and close aunts, uncles are cousins are next in line. While you can wait to tell them at a family dinner as a sort of surprise, consider if there’s anyone you are especially close to that might appreciate being in the know before anyone else.

Finally – this probably the part you’ve been waiting for – tell your closest friends! In the age of technology, it seems more and more likely people will find out about your engagement through electronic mediums such as Facebook or Twitter. Before changing your relationship status on the Web or “tweeting” your happy news, ensure that all your close friends and family know about the nuptials, as it can be awfully hurtful to find out about a close friend’s engagement through the Internet before they took the time to tell you.

Now that all the important people in your life know about your happy news, tell the rest of the world! This is the time to scream it from the rooftops – metaphorically, of course.

If you live in a tight-knit community with a local paper – or you just wish to have a paper record of your engagement, which is a great souvenir – send in an engagement announce to the daily newspaper. These are often paid advertisements that are formulated in the style of a newspaper article, accompanied by a picture, if you so choose, that are published in the Sunday style section. The cost of these announcements is determined on the circulation size of the newspaper and the length of the announcement.

If you’re more electronically minded, create a wedding Web site. Sites such as Theknot.com, momentville.com or myevent.com allow you to create web sites with all the appropriate information on it, so that your aunt in North Carolina can keep tabs on how the wedding planning is going. It also links guests to registry information, which is typically considered inappropriate to include with the invitation.

Finally, mail your engagement announcement (After all, you’re bound to have a few elderly relatives who aren’t linked in to social networking sites). These announcements can double as an invitation to an engagement part or as the save-the-date cards for your wedding. If you’re lucky, you might even score a few engagement gifts.