There are a variety of ways that you can announce your engagement. One of these ways is to send out engagement announcements. Sending engagement announcements is not really a mandatory step anymore, it is more formal and traditional than other methods, but it comes across as thoughtful to let individuals personally know of your engagement. If you do decide to use formal announcements there are some things you need to keep in mind. If you have a tighter budget this might not be the best way for you to announce your engagement as it is an extra expense. If you do want to go forward with the announcements, you will need a completed wedding list as an early stage. Engagement announcements must be sent to everyone that will be invited to the wedding.

Even though you do not have to follow specific written guidelines for the announcement you will need to convey the message of your engagement.

Engagement announcements do not need to follow specific writing guidelines, you just need to convey the message of your happy engagement. However most engagement announcements fall into two categories, formal or informal. If you are planning a formal announcement you would include the names of both the bride and grooms parents in the announcement.

For instance:

Mr and Mrs Timothy Smythe are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Annabelle Ann Smythe, to Jeremy Mason Adele, son of Mr And Mrs Stefan Adele. An October Wedding is planned at St Paul’s Church, Lewisville.

Or:

Mr and Mrs Scott William Hughes and Mr And Mrs Luke Roberts are pleased to announce the engagement of Kalie Susan Hughes to Nathan Owen Roberts. An October Wedding is planned at St Paul’s Church, Lewisville.

However, many people are now opting for informal announcements, especially if they are older or paying for the wedding themselves. Informal announcements do not mention the parents.

For instance:

Melanie Adams and Gary Hubert are thrilled to announce their engagement. A March Wedding is planned.

Or:

We are committed to one another forever. We are delighted to announce our engagement.
~~Jessica and Victor~~

Keep in mind that you may also need to use alternative wording if the parents are divorced.

For instance:

Instead of using Mr and Mrs Joseph Stevens you would use Mr Joseph Stevens and Ms Victoria Hall.

It is also okay to include step parents as long as they are labeled as such. Finally there is no reason not to mention a diseased love on such as saying Mrs Ursula Tasks and the late Peter Tasks are pleased to announce….

Lastly, some other guidelines to follow are to ensure you choose your wording carefully to show that this is an engagement announcement and not a wedding invitation, and to remember to do this promptly after the proposal is accepted.
.