Announcing your Engagement

Congratulations, you’re engaged! Your better half just popped the question and the two of you are bursting with excitement and emotion that you cannot wait to share. But pause. Take a deep breath and think before you send that Snapchat or post that photo of your new bling.

Announcing your engagement can be tricky, especially with how much we rely on social media these days. Follow this simple guide to make sure you are telling the most important people in your life first, before blasting it out to everyone you’ve ever met.

Family is First – as we all should know, each of your families should be the first ones you tell the good news to. Some of the time your families may know the engagement is coming and are waiting at the edge of their seat for your phone call. So call them first!

Friends are the New Family – if your family isn’t number one in your life or after you’ve shared the news with them, your closets friends should be next on the call list.

After everyone nearest and dearest to you has been personally told, including grandparents and other family or friends who may not be on social media, go ahead and post away. The great thing about social media is, it is a fast and easy way to share the news with everyone in your life. Just be sure you don’t offend anyone by positing it online before telling them in person or with a phone call. 

Save the Dates, Invitations & Wedding Announcements

Planning a wedding takes a lot of coordination and timing is key. Here are three ways to tell your friends and families about your wedding and the upcoming festivities as well as the proper timeline for each.

Save the Dates: Often more casual and simple then the full up invitations, these should be sent very soon after your engagement, traditionally anywhere from 6 to 8 months before the wedding date. This ensures your guests know your wedding is coming up and can plan for it, which is especially important if it is a destination wedding. Save the Dates are not necessary if you are planning on a short engagement. If you are getting married within 3 or 4 months, then you can get away with just sending the invitations.

Photo by Jacquelynn Brynn Photography

Photo by Jacquelynn Brynn Photography

Invitations: Invitations should be mailed out 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding date. The invitation is more formal than the save the date and includes information for both the ceremony and the reception. The formal invitation should also include an RSVP card. Wedding websites are becoming more popular and some couples take all of their RSVP information online now so be sure to include your unique URL in the invitation so your guests can find more information as well as RSVP.

Photo by Ben B. Photography

Photo by Ben B. Photography

Wedding Announcements: For some couples, inviting everyone that matters to them is just not possible. In this case, a wedding announcement can be sent out the day of or shortly after the wedding to everyone that wasn’t able to be there in person. Wedding announcements should be sent within one month of the wedding date and tend to be more casual like a save the date rather than an invitation.

Whatever method you choose to invite and share your special day with your guests. There is always an option to fit each couples’ unique style and timeline!