The Perfect Engagement Announcements

Engagement announcements are not quite the same as wedding invitations. The wedding invitation is used to inform people when and where you’re ceremony will be. But first you need to spread the word to everyone about your decision to get married.

Now, of course, you’re going to want those who are closest to you to find out by you telling them. Your parents should always be the first to know. Tell the bride’s parents first, and then the groom’s.

After you let your parents know, then it’s time to spread the word to immediate family and your closest friends. By the time they find out, it will only be a matter of time before everybody is celebrating with you. We all know how fast news can spread!

As far as spreading the word to everyone else (the rest of your family, co-workers, etc.), there are a few ways you can let them know.

Send formal engagement announcements – Purchase or create a custom card. These types of announcements look almost like wedding invitations, but the wording is a little different.

Send out save the date cards – These are perfect for letting everyone know that not only have you decided to get married, but also that you’ve already saved the date. The most common form of Save the Date cards are the magnets that people can stick on the refrigerator.

Take out an ad in your local paper – Pretty new idea, but popular, nonetheless. You can actually purchase ad space in your local newspaper, and advertise your big news to the city.

Have an engagement party – Instead of sending out an announcement only, also make your announcement a party invitation. Invite people over for good company, great food, and a great time.

Create a wedding website - This is as contemporary as it gets. There are plenty of websites available that you can use to create your own personal website. You can add pictures of you and your partner, update everyone with your wedding planning, and allow your friends and family to comment on your website.

Use your favorite social networking site – Who doesn’t have a facebook account these days? If you want a more affordable and quick way to announce your news, post the story on your facebook wall, or tweet about it on twitter.com.

No matter what method you choose for your engagement announcements, be sure to follow proper etiquette:

1. Make sure you include the names of the people who got engaged. Everyone who will receive an announcement should already know at least one of you. But, just in case some of your recipients do not know both of you, include both first and last names.
2. If you got engaged on a holiday or some other special day, tell that to your friends and family on the announcement. For example, if you got engaged on Dec. 25th, say something like "he proposed on Christmas Day".

3. If you have already set a wedding date, make sure you are using save the date cards. But if you do not have a date yet, make sure you include a note stating that more wedding information will follow in the near future.

*Heads Up! - If you plan to use a type of announcement that must be mailed or e-mailed, remember that whoever receives one will most likely be expecting to get a wedding invitation also. So, you may want to consider putting together your guest list before you send out your notices.

bottom-links

Leave Engagement Announcements and return to the Engagement home page