Congratulations! Without a doubt, getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments of your life. You have decided that you want to spend the rest of your life with this person and overnight you have changed status from being simply a girlfriend/boyfriend to a fiancé! After the initial excitement (and perhaps shock) of being engaged has settled, you will inevitably want to share your fantastic news with those closest to you. If you are ready to share your news with your family, friends and the world at large, then here are a few tips on how best to spread the good news.

How to Break the News

When you are ready to share your engagement news with the world, you initially have to decide how you want to make your announcement. Here are your options:

♥ A personal announcement is always preferable if you live near the announcee. If possible, try to both be present when you make the announcement to family and friends; that way they can congratulate you both together!

♥ If logistically, you are unable to see the announcee in person, then a popular alternative is a personal phone call. This is the most personal way to break the news of your engagement to out-of-town family and friends.

♥ Sending e-mails is now an accepted method of making your engagement announcement. This is a quick and convenient way of sharing your news with all of your family and friends, particularly those who live in far flung corners of the world.

♥ Setting up a wedding website is popular as it enables you to share every detail of your proposal story with your friends and family all at once. These websites also allow you to swiftly communicate details about your upcoming wedding to all of your friends and family and even display your engagement photo on it. You can create a wedding website for free – have a look on the Internet. For example, www.TheKnot.com provides a great free wedding webpage with stylish designs and lots of helpful wedding planning tools.

♥ Some of you might find that writing a personal letter is the perfect way of announcing your engagement. Bear in mind that if you intend on writing letters to all of your family and friends, you might well end up with very sore hands! In certain circumstances where you want to share your engagement news with someone but would prefer not to speak to them in person (e.g. the family of your late spouse, a friend who is recently divorced, etc.), then a handwritten letter is wholly appropriate.

♥ Surprise your family with an announcement at a family dinner party.

♥ Alternatively, you might prefer to throw an engagement party that could be hosted by yourselves, by your parents or by friends. You can choose to either announce your engagement in the party invitations you send out or make a surprise announcement during the party. Engagement parties do not have to be formal, stuffy or expensive affairs – you could have a backyard barbeque or a drinks party at a local bar. A party is definitely a fun way to spread your engagement news, celebrate your newly engaged status and show off your engagement ring!

♥ Whilst mailing out formal announcement cards used to be the traditional way of notifying family and friends of your engagement, this is now becoming less popular. The reason for this is that nowadays, couples are realizing that by sending these cards, they run the risk of the recipient misinterpreting it as an invitation to their wedding. If guest lists are far from your mind at this stage of your initial wedding planning then err on the side of caution and do not send out formal engagement announcement notices. You can send out more details about the wedding later on when you have had a chance to decide who you would like to invite to your wedding.

♥ If you would like to announce your engagement to the general public, then you should consider a traditional newspaper announcement in your local paper.