The Best Time to Tell Your Family that You’re Engaged

Different cultures have different traditions with regards to engagements and weddings. In most cultures, however, it is a must to start with the immediate family when it comes to spreading the good news. When it’s time to tell people about the engagement, of course, you’ll want to begin with the people closest to your heart – your parents, siblings, and grandparents. But, when is the best time to tell your family that you’re engaged?

The truth is, there really is no “perfect” time to announce your engagement. Sharing the big news is totally an individual decision and depends on the circumstances. The more important question is, who gets to know first, and how do you tell them that you’re already getting married in a few months.




•    The People Who Really Matter

After saying yes to the critical question, traditionally the woman’s family is informed first, then by the man’s. Typically, the woman’s parents are the very first people to know, followed by the siblings, then the grandparents. If there are any children from a previous marriage, however, then they should be the first to receive the news. Close friends should also be told about the engagement, although they should never be on the topmost part of the list.

•    How To Tell Them that You’re Engaged

The best way to tell your parents that you’re engaged is to pay them a visit and share the news personally. If distance is an issue, however, a telephone call would be enough. Just make sure that you make the announcement together to give them the feeling that you’re really into the relationship and that you’re more than happy to tell them about the engagement. The same is true for your siblings, grandparents, and other relatives. Communicating via phone is completely acceptable as long as you don’t leave anyone out in the list.

If you have too many people to call individually, you can go digital and take advantage of today’s technology. There are now several apps available for making virtual cards, complete with paper, backgrounds, stickers, etc. Announce your engagement using one of these amazing apps and send them via E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

You may also want to share the happy news via print. Many newspapers have a space for announcing engagements – sometimes for free, and sometimes for a fee. Be sure to ask your local paper about fees, requirements, and guidelines before deciding on it. If you think it would help to make an announcement via the local paper, by all means go for it.

If you’re lucky, your parents or close friends might throw you a party where you can share the happy news. Engagement party is a fun way to tell the world that you’re getting married soon. Although it is not absolutely necessary to invite everyone to your wedding, it is always better not to invite anyone to the engagement party who won’t be invited to the wedding. You don’t want to offend anyone so think about your guest list wisely.

In Closing:

Your engagement ring’s a sight to behold and you can’t wait to share to the whole world your fairy tale love story. There is no best time to announce your engagement, really. But there are quite a few people that need to know about it first and a few fun and exciting ways to share the news with them.