HOW TO ANNOUNCE YOUR ENGAGEMENT
Say it loud, say it proud: WE’RE ENGAGED! There are two ways to announce your newly alter-ed state: mail announcements to friends and family and/or publish an announcement in your local newspaper, both of your hometown rags or alumni magazines. Here’s when and how to make your proclamation public.
WHEN TO DO IT
Formal engagement announcements can go over the wire right away, but in some instances we recommend waiting:
HOW TO DO IT
If you plan to mail your announcements, call a local stationery store to have cards typeset and printed (this is a great way to screen invitation candidates). For public proclamations, call the publications where you want your announcement to appear and find out the name of the appropriate editor or department. Ask for their writers’ guidelines or a standardized form, if available. Also ask if there’s a fee for publication and whether they accept pictures, if you’re interested. Some publications only print actual wedding portraits, but if they will accept an engagement photo, get an 8x10 or 5x7 glossy taken of your engaged mugs.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
Typically, published announcements mention career details about the two of you, your parents’ names and places of residence, and your educational credentials (space permitting). Obviously, only include what you’d like the world to know. If you haven’t nailed down your wedding date or want to keep readers in suspense, you can include something like, "A June wedding is planned." Definitely do list the date if you’d rather publicize it now than answer a million "So, when’s the big day?" questions later.
HOW TO SAY IT
Usually, engagements are officially announced by someone other than the happy couple (unless there is no close relative to assume the honor). When composing your announcement, select the textual variations that best reflect your reality, including who will be "sponsoring’ (read: "hosting") the wedding and how (dys)functional your family is. Feel free to freestyle, depending on the audience. Need a helping hand? Some standard engagement announcement wordings:
The Bride’s Parents
Mr. and Ms. John Doe of Little Rock announce the engagement of their daughter, Jane Annette, to Jack Smith, son of David and Beth Smith of Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Ms. Doe, a graduate of Vassar College, is a professor at Barnard College in New York City. Mr. Smith graduated magna cum laude from Princeton Law School and works at Smith, Golden, his mother’s law firm, in Fort Lee, New Jersey. A June wedding is planned. (Or: No date has yet been set for the wedding.)
Singe Parent
Ms. Janet Jones announces the engagement of her daughter, Jane Doe, to Jack Smith . . . Ms. Doe is also the daughter of John Doe of Sioux City. (This line is close to the end of the announcement. Note: There’s no need to mention the other biological parent if he or she wasn’t involved in raising you.)
Remarried Parent, Sponsoring with New Souse
Ms. Janet Jones and Mr. Timothy Chapin announce the engagement of Ms. Jones’ daughter, Jane Doe, to Jack Smith . . . Ms. Doe is also the daughter of John Doe of Sioux City.
If One Parent is Deceased
The engagement of Jane Annette Doe, daughter of Mrs. Janet Doe and the late Mr. John Doe, to Jack Smith, son of David and Beth Smith of Tishomingo, Oklahoman, is announced by the bride’s mother . . .
A Close Relative or Friend
Here’s an example of appropriate wording if your parents don’t approve of your partner or are both deceased: Ms. Julia Doe announces the engagement of her sister, Jane Doe, to Jack Smith, son of . . . The bride is the daughter of (the late) John Doe and Ms. Janet Jones of Little Rock.
You’re Sponsoring the Wedding Yourselves
Jane Doe, a professor at Barnard College, is to be married to Jack Smith, a partner at the law firm of Smith, golden in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Ms. Doe is the daughter of Mr. John Doe of Sioux City, Iowa, and Ms. Janet Jones of Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Smith is the son of David and Beth Smith of Tishomingo, Oklahoma. A June wedding is planned.