A Guide to Announcing and Celebrating Your Engagement

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When you or your partner finally ask the big question, you might want to shout from the rooftops that you’re getting married. You should celebrate the big milestone moment with your favorite people. Here are a few ways to announce your engagement. Get inspired to craft an experience tailored to your and your fiancé's preferences.

Who Needs to Know About Your Engagement?

No one wants their family member or friend to discover their recent engagement weeks or months after it happens. Avoid accidentally forgetting to update your loved ones by making a list. Include everyone who needs to know immediately, followed by those who should know within the next few days.

Your initial list may look like this:

Parents

Siblings

Grandparents

Best friends

Your kids

Other people, like extended family members, co-workers and general friend groups, can find out by word-of-mouth or an official announcement.

Ways to Announce and Celebrate Your Engagement

Check out a few ways to celebrate and announce your engagement after asking the question or saying yes. You only have to pick one to start your wedding planning journey and begin the countdown to your big day.

Text Your Closest Loved Ones

Close family members and friends may feel hurt if they learn of your engagement through social media. Consider who’s helped you through the hardest parts of your life and supported your personal growth. You could text them privately to let them know. They’ll appreciate the extra thought after being a foundational form of love and support.

Make a Social Media Post

If you already make a social media post when you accomplish something exciting or do something fun, make one about your engagement. It’s a great way to instantly update your followers, which likely include your immediate and extended loved ones.

Use a generator to find a clever way to hashtag your future last name or something about your engagement. You could include engagement or wedding hashtag options like these to make it clear you’re about to get married:

#JustSaidYes

#OurProposalStory

#We’reGettingMarried

#TyingTheKnot

#MeetMyFiance

Afterward, you can use your preferred hashtag to find others making inspirational posts. Their poses, matching outfits or visual color themes might help you plan your big day or further engagement announcement content.

Pose for a Photoshoot

Many couples hire a photographer to take pictures during or after their proposal. You could place them in photo albums or get classic couples’ portraits to celebrate the occasion. Either way, it’s an excellent opportunity to mark this moment.

You’ll also get to know which photographer creates images you like. If you want their aesthetic in your wedding photos, ask if you could sign for a package deal. Photographers often provide engagement and wedding pictures in a single package to save clients a decent chunk of change.

The average national cost for a wedding photographer hovers around $2,000, which doesn’t strictly include engagement sessions or a full day of wedding coverage. Your package deal could have everything you need to minimize your budget.

Send Digital Announcement Cards

Wedding stationery websites and free graphic design sites create an opportunity for digital cards. Create one announcing your engagement and post it on social media or send it via email. It’s a great way to start considering which colors and motifs to include in your invitations.

Mail Printed Announcement Cards

Whether you order professional cards or make an announcement graphic, you can always order printed copies. There’s something special about receiving an engagement notice in the mail in a digital world.

According to the latest update, USPS charges 66 cents per standard envelope if it weighs 1 ounce or less. You’ll need more than one stamp if it’s more than that. Keep that in mind as you consider how many envelopes you’ll need to send.

Pro tip — if you want to send announcement cards, keep a spreadsheet with any addresses you use. You’ll need them when sending RSVP cards and thank you notes after your wedding.

Write to Your Newspaper

Newspapers still publish engagement announcements for anyone who writes to them. Contact your local paper if your loved ones would get a kick out of it. You can cut the notice out and save it in a scrapbook or picture frame.

Throw an Engagement Party

When everyone learns about your engagement, their love and support might inspire you to host a party. Couples often host gatherings to savor the moment a bit longer. Invite people by word-of-mouth, text or email.

You could hold a potluck dinner in your home, rent a room at a local restaurant or book an afternoon at a local park for a picnic. It depends on what you’ll enjoy and what will cause the least stress.

Cherish Every Moment of Your Engagement

Announcing and celebrating your engagement should be a fun, exciting experience. Go with your gut. If creating invitations or hosting a party feels stressful, there are other ways to mark the occasion. Discuss options like these with your fiancé to plan the ultimate engagement experience.

Author bio: Cora Gold is a wedding writer and editor of Revivalist magazine. She aims to inspire couples to achieve the wedding of their dreams. Connect with Cora on LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.