A Comprehensive Guide to Announcing Your Engagement The *Right* Way

OMG—you're engaged! This major relationship milestone has likely brought on a whirlwind of emotions, but first and foremost, it's time to share your happy news. You're probably so excited that you could shout it from the literal rooftops, but if a strategic approach is more your vibe, these engagement announcement ideas are just as good. We break down the *right* way to announce an engagement, including when to share (and who to tell first). Plus, we've compiled 15 fun ideas to creatively unveil your engaged era.

In this article:

• When to Announce Your Engagement
• How to Announce Your Engagement
• 15 Creative Engagement Announcement Ideas

When to Announce Your Engagement

The moment the ring slips onto your finger, you might wonder, "How do I announce an engagement?" Before you post that ring selfie on Instagram, there are a few engagement announcement tips and etiquette rules to keep in mind. First and foremost, you can announce your engagement *literally* whenever you want. If your first instinct is to FaceTime Mom and Dad, and then tell the family group chat, and then share online, you absolutely should. After all, why delay the good news?

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Of course, some fiancés might prefer to keep the moment private for a bit longer. When it comes to announcing your engagement, you don't have to share anything right away. In fact, you could prolong the secret and embrace the "soft launch" like so many others have done recently, including a few A-list celebrity couples. (Looking at you, Zendaya and Tom.)

If you are stumped on when to share the news, take a cue from other real couples. According to The Knot 2024 Jewelry & Engagement Study, which surveyed over 7,800 people who got engaged last year, 40% of fiancés who announced their engagement on social media did so within a day or two of the actual proposal. Some couldn't wait that long, with 28% saying they shared it online within a few hours. (Seven percent even did so immediately.) Of this group, 15% posted about it within a week, while 9% waited a bit longer to make it IG official.

The fact is that there are no steadfast rules dictating when you should announce an engagement. There are, however, a few etiquette tidbits that indicate how you should announce it. (Read: There really is an order you should follow when you finally decide to make it public.)

How to Announce Your Engagement

Design: Tiana Crispino

Once you've decided when to announce your engagement, you get to determine how you're going to do it. Here's our editor-approved guide to planning an engagement announcement the *correct* way.

Savor the moment.

Your engagement is one of the defining moments in your relationship, so try to soak in every second with your partner. It's exciting to immediately call your BFFs and family right after the proposal, but it's also okay to pause and keep this special moment between the two of you. Take a few hours—or even a few days—to bask in your just-engaged bliss. Once you tell your loved ones, they'll be thrilled to shower you with well-wishes. When you look back, you'll be glad that you intentionally set aside some time with your new fiancé.

Tell your VIPs first.

Before you share the happy engagement news with the whole world (read: social media), there are a few people you should personally loop in. Start with your immediate family, like your parents and siblings. If you can't see them in person, give them a call or surprise them with a video—they'll love hearing your voice or seeing the reactions on your face. From there, you can share the news with your closest friends and extended family members (like aunts, uncles and cousins). Can't decide who else needs a heads-up? Think of it this way: if you would want to be personally told about their engagement, you should consider telling them about yours.

Decide how—and if—you want to announce your exciting news.

Announcing your engagement on social media seems like common practice these days, but the truth is that you don't actually have to post about it if you don't want to. It all depends on what you and your partner feel comfortable sharing and how much you want to reveal about your personal lives.

If you both agree that you want to share your news on social media, it's best to wait until you've personally told your family and friends, including anyone who's a frontrunner for your wedding party. Once you've done that, a simple Instagram post with an engagement caption is an easy way to make things public. (It is the most popular platform for engagement announcements, after all, as our study found that 75% of couples who shared the news online did so on the 'gram.) Show off a photo from your proposal, snap a ring selfie or share a snapshot of you clinking champagne glasses with your partner.

Avoid oversharing too many details.

It's easy to be in the sharing mood once you tell your followers about your engagement, but remember to be selective about the details you post. After your initial engagement announcement, try to avoid giving too much away about your actual wedding, especially if you're only inviting a select group of people. Save the specifics for your wedding website and invitations to avoid upsetting anyone who isn't on the guest list.

Consider an engagement moon.

Before you go all-in on wedding planning, take some time to regroup and relax with your partner. Whether you jet off to a tropical location or plan a low-key staycation in your hometown, more couples are jumping on the engagement moon trend (it's like a honeymoon before your wedding) to enjoy quality time together before embarking on the wedding planning process. You'll only be engaged for a limited amount of time, so savor this phase of your relationship by treating yourselves to a well-deserved getaway.

15 Creative Engagement Announcement Ideas

Ready to share your happy news with loved ones or post the big moment on social media? Kick off your engaged era with one of these engagement announcement ideas.

1. Publish an Official Engagement Announcement

Go old-school by sending formal engagement announcements to your friends and family. Keep in mind that an engagement announcement isn't the same as a wedding save-the-date, but it can double as an engagement party invitation if you're planning to celebrate. Just be sure not to mail any announcements to people who you wouldn't ultimately want to invite to your wedding. Work with a pro invitation designer or head to a local stationery store to have engagement announcement cards customized and printed.

Another way to formally announce your engagement: Submit a write-up to your hometown newspaper or other local publication. You might have to pay a small fee, but you can frame your engagement announcement in the newspaper as a special keepsake.

2. Design a Custom Newspaper

You've probably seen those trendy wedding newspapers all over TikTok, and for good reason—it's like the cool, older sister of the aforementioned idea. The best part is that you don't need to wait until your wedding day to use one. There are plenty of retailers online that will create a custom spread to help you announce your engagement to your friends and fam. (We love this particular template from Etsy.) Plus, you can't deny that it makes for an iconic photo op.

3. Hard-Launch Your Wedding Hashtag

Who says wedding hashtags are a thing of the past? If you've got a quippy pun for your last names or your wedding date, add it to your online engagement announcement to level up your caption game.

4. Invest in New Personal Stationery

If you love sending handwritten notes and memos via snail mail, refresh your stationery to go along with your newly engaged status. (Here's a stunning, simple template available from $25.) Create a new monogram that incorporates your partner's initials or update your return address stamp to include both of your names. Or if you're planning to change your last name after getting married, you can add a cheeky header phrase, such as, "From the desk of Future Mr./Mrs. …" to your stationery. Snap a photo of your new paper goods and share them online as a cute engagement announcement.

5. Buy a Holiday Ornament

This cute engagement announcement idea is perfect for the holiday season. Depending on how much time you're working with, you can order a custom ornament with your names and the date of your engagement. Otherwise, try your hand at making your own using a classic round bulb and metallic marker. Once you're newlyweds, you can add a "just married" ornament to your collection.

6. Pop a Bottle of Bubbly

There are few things more celebratory than opening a bottle of sparkling wine and toasting to the special occasion. Splurge on a nice bottle of bubbly and grab your camera to capture the moment. Whether you go all out with a champagne spray photo shoot or you keep it simple with glass champagne flutes and a cute selfie with your partner, everyone will know right away that you're announcing some major news.

7. Buy Engagement Merch

Can't resist snagging a commemorative T-shirt every time you go to a concert or travel somewhere new? You'll love this creative engagement announcement idea, because it's a chance to have your very own merch. Order matching T-shirts or sweatshirts for you and your partner to wear for an engagement photo shoot. We have a feeling the pieces will quickly become some of the most-worn outfits in your closet.

8. Post an Engagement Ring Close-Up

It's hard to go wrong with the classic engagement ring selfie. The great thing about this engagement announcement idea is that there are so many ways to do it, and it can be as simple or as complex as you want. For the most low-key approach, find an interesting wall or scenic view to act as your backdrop (and put all eyes front-and-center on your ring). If you're feeling a little more creative, have your partner stand in the background with your ring focused in the foreground, or take a close-up of the two of you holding hands.

9. Plan a Pet Photo Shoot

Celebrate this exciting moment with an engagement photoshoot featuring your partner and your pet(s). Embrace your at-home routine and take pictures around your house, or head to a favorite spot, like a neighborhood park, your local farmer's market or your go-to beer garden. Incorporate a wedding-themed prop or two for your furbaby, like a new collar, an outfit or a sign to announce that their paw-rents are getting married.

10. Carve Pumpkins

If you live for spooky season, getting engaged during your favorite time of year is even better than the barista adding extra whipped cream to your PSL. What better way to announce your engagement than with a couple of carved pumpkins? Use stencils to carve an engagement ring, your initials, a heart or the date of your proposal. Or if you don't want to get messy, use paint, markers or push pins to decorate the pumpkins instead. Arrange the pumpkins on your front porch or use them in a fall-themed engagement shoot (flannel shirts and colorful leaves included, of course).

11. Create a Flashback Video

Lean into your hopeless romantic side by curating a video with flashbacks from when you and your partner first met. Include all of your favorite memories and photos from your relationship leading up to the proposal to show just how far the two of you have come. Depending on how long you've been together, the memories could span years or even decades.

12. Share Your Proposal Snapshot

Did your partner enlist friends or a surprise photographer to capture the proposal on camera? If you've got footage of the big moment happening in real-time, use it to announce your engagement. Everyone will love seeing your unfiltered emotions and watching how the proposal unfolded.

13. Post Your Wedding Planning Supplies

If you've already started wedding planning (we can't blame you—it's exciting!), take a snapshot of your supplies and share it on social media. Include items like your wedding planning book, an engagement ring cleaning kit and a copy of The Knot Magazine to give everyone a not-so-subtle clue about what you're up to.

14. Lounge in Pool Floats

For a summer engagement announcement, grab your swimsuits and head to the nearest pool. Bring a wedding-themed pool float or two and stage a photo with your partner—look for a float that's shaped like an engagement ring, a heart or a bottle of champagne. Whether you wear matching swimsuits is up to you, but we vote yes.

15. Get Creative With Sidewalk Chalk

This idea is a fun way to announce your engagement if you and your partner have kids together. Ask them to draw something wedding-related using sidewalk chalk, then gather your whole crew and pose for a photo with their newly created art.