How to Announce (and Celebrate!) Your Engagement

Recently engaged? Here's how to announce your engagement and celebrate one of the biggest milestones as a couple in a unique and creative way!

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting milestones for any couple, but it can be tricky to figure out how to announce the engagement. Newly engaged couples typically take a few days to enjoy each other’s company and keep the news to themselves.

Sharing the joy of being newly engaged to friends and family members is usually the next thing on the agenda. How you do this, of course, depends on your dynamics as a couple and how you want to announce your engagement to loved ones.

Nowadays, there are a variety of ways for you to share the happy news with your loved ones, and you can get as creative as you want for how you choose to announce the engagement. This season filled with love and excitement can get anyone giddy, so planning the perfect way to break the news is key to making your engagement extra special.

Tips on How to Announce the Engagement

Engagements are exciting and fun, but there are a few things you should remember before you announce the engagement with friends and family.

1. Surprise Your Loved Ones with the Wonderful News

We are living in the age of social media, and announcing your engagement on Facebook or Instagram may be your first instinct. However, it would be best if you personally break the news to your friends and family before posting about it.

Your closest loved ones must hear the news of your engagement from you and your partner. Begin by sharing the news with your children. If either one of you has children from a previous relationship, it is important that they learn about your engagement first. Having a new stepparent come into their lives is a big deal and would require some adjustment. Answer any questions they may have and keep them in the loop with all your plans.

Next on the list should be your parents or parental figures, then your siblings or close cousins, then your close friends and extended family members. To reiterate, your loved ones will be your support group during the wedding preparation period, so be sure to keep them in the loop for any help you may need while planning for your wedding.

Additionally, take care to practice extra sensitivity when announcing your engagement to friends who have recently become single or are going through a divorce. Avoid being “in-their-face” about it, but also avoid purposely excluding them. While they may still be hurting, they would still love to know about your momentous life update.

2. Let Your Friends Know Through Social Media

Now that you’ve told your inner circle about your engagement, you can proceed to let the rest of the world know by posting on your social media platforms. For a fun activity to do with your partner, consider doing a photoshoot together to highlight your engagement. Posting the classic engagement ring selfie with an engagement caption also never misses and is sure to get the rest of your social circle excited for you.

However, there are also things that you should refrain from doing when posting about your engagement on social media. Avoid posting about your ring cost or size, wedding details your inner circle doesn’t already know, and too much information on any pre-wedding events. These are things that only you and those close to you need to know.

Additionally, if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly way to announce your engagement, digital announcements and invitations are the way to go. These types of announcements perfectly capture the joy of the occasion while being good for the earth.

3. Announce the Engagement Through Snail Mail

If you’ve got an old soul, you can never go wrong with traditional announcements. Telling your loved ones you got engaged through the newspaper is always thrilling, and it’s always a joy to receive an invitation to an engagement party in the mail.

Many couples love the idea of sending invitations through snail mail because of its vintage charm and appeal. A physical invitation is often incredibly engaging and is bound to stand out in today’s digital era. If you do choose to use snail mail, consider using eco-friendly materials for your invitations.

Ways to Celebrate After You Announce the Engagement

After announcing your engagement, it’s time to celebrate with your loved ones. Be ready for brunches, dinners, and parties with friends who want to commemorate this milestone with you, but don’t forget to spend quality time alone with your partner. Here are some creative ideas for celebrating your engagement:

1. Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

The two of you might enjoy revisiting certain places that are significant to your relationship. You can visit the spot where you first met, where you had your first date, where you first said “I love you”, or any other place that holds a special place in your heart.

Doing this will help you look back and see how far you’ve come and grown together as a couple, and it will do wonders to get you even more excited to tie the knot.

2. Enjoy a Celebration Dinner with Your Family After You Announce Your Engagement

To celebrate your engagement with your family, take them out to a nice restaurant or cook a meal for them at home. Having your loved ones around the dinner table celebrating your engagement is one of the best ways to celebrate your engagement because you can just take time to talk and laugh together as a family.

3. Host a Game Night with Family or Friends

For a fun night with your inner circle, consider throwing together a game night. Game nights are great for bringing your families closer, and the competitive spirit in the air is sure to make any engagement party one to remember.

Here are some games you can play with your loved ones:

• Jeopardy with a Twist. It’s like the classic Jeopardy game, but instead of the usual categories, the questions will be engagement-themed.
• Couples’ Trivia. Your loved ones can ask you and your partner questions about each other, and the one who gets the most correct answers wins the game!
• Guess Who. You and your loved ones can write down facts about yourself on a piece of paper and put it all in a small bowl. Then, you can all take turns guessing who the piece of paper is talking about.

After You Announce Your Engagement—Start Planning Your Dream Wedding

Once you announce and celebrate your engagement, it’s time to begin considering other wedding preparations. You can start choosing a formal engagement party dress, your wedding theme, and your bridal party. You can also begin picking out dresses for your bridesmaids.

Afarose has a collection of gorgeous gowns that you can select from for your engagement and bridal party looks. You can even book a virtual appointment with them to get the perfect fit. Check it out here.