Creative Ways to Announce Your Engagement

There will never be shortage of creative ways to announce an engagement, which often reflects the type of people getting hitched. It seems the idea of simply calling your loved ones is becoming more old-fashioned. In light of trying to be more unique and technology being a greater part of our lives, here are a few ways to personalize your engagement announcement:

Host a Party

This is particularly great for really outgoing couples, people who have large circles of friends or are known to throw the best parties in town. You can hold a surprise engagement party at a lounge, restaurant, dining hall or even in your own home. It could be just cocktails, some light refreshments or a grand feast. Either way, the atmosphere should not give out the secret until it’s time to make the announcement. And make sure the people you want to let in on the special occasion are present.

Start a Blog

This method of communication is very effective in getting the news out fast and getting swift feedback. With a blog, you can create a timeline of your relationship, including details of the proposal. Also, the blog can lead to a full-fledged wedding website, which is a great way to keep people updated on plans for the wedding.

Make the Announcement on Social Media

Why not? It’s just as fast as a blog, if not faster. Flashing an engagement ring with a cute little message on Facebook or Twitter never fails in drawing hundreds, if not thousands, of congratulatory comments. Plus, the social media announcement can be directed to the blog or website, keeping everyone current with the countdown to the big day.

Share Some Pictures

This is ideal if you proposed during a vacation. You can include pictures of the beach; landscapes or other points of interests you feel would convey the message. The pictures can be organized in an engagement slideshow, each image being a page in the story that culminates with the engagement announcement. You can create the slideshow on a photo-sharing website, such as snapfish.com or shutterfly.com. If you are more tech savvy, you can also post the slideshow to the wedding website.

Make the Announcement on a Holiday

If you and your spouse are more the shy type, you can decrease the amount of jitters by announcing it on Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas. A holiday announcement makes a lot of sense: family’s around, enjoying the occasion, and their happiness would be enhanced by news of the engagement. Plus, announcing your engagement on a holiday would only make it more memorable; family members would remember the occasion for years and years afterward.

Leave It All to the Pet

In a list of non-traditional methods of announcing your engagement, this one might be the odd one out. But think about it: If you have a dog or cat, especially one that family members and friends love — or at least tolerate — wouldn’t it be fun to see a chalkboard announcing the engagement wrapped around its neck. Besides, who doesn’t like pets?