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I said yes, now what? The rules for announcing your engagement

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So your liefie has just popped the big question and you’re bubbling and bursting with effervescence. Your happiness knows no bounds and you just can’t wait to tell everyone that you’re finally getting married.

But is it a good idea to tell the world about your impending nuptials immediately? And if not, then when? Who do you tell first and how do you announce it?

Here's a handy guide on what you should do:

If you’re going to tell someone immediately, make sure it’s the parents

At the top of the list of your nearest and dearest, your parents should be the first to know. Remember, your folks are the ones most likely to help you with some of your wedding costs, so telling them should be a top priority.

Before you do that though, be sure that you and your partner take in a little time to revel in the feeling of being engaged. It’s a significant moment for both of you.

Then, when you’re ready, you and your partner can sit down and let your folks know that you’re planning to tie the knot. Face to face is always best, but if you’re living in separate cities, video calls or phone calls work too.

The only exception, according to The Knot, is if you have kids from either your current relationship or previous relationship/marriages. In that scenario, they are definitely the ones who should know first.

Family and close friends

Next up, and depending on your relationship with your loved ones, comes family and your closest friends.

In this group, you should tell everyone who you think should know about your engagement before you decide to follow through with a social media announcement. So make sure you have covered all of your bases and informed all the people you need to know in order to avoid dealing with hurt and miffed friends who had to hear about it through more impersonal means like Facebook.

By the time you tell your family and friends, it might be a good idea to have a general idea of your wedding date and venue. According to A Practical Wedding, as overwhelming as the urge is to shout your engagement from the rooftops is, you need to consider the questions you’ll get in response to that.

Following messages of congratulations, people’s natural curiosity sets in and besides information about the actual proposal, you might get questions that you won't be able to respond to just yet. 

Following that, you can go wild on social media and shout it out to the world.

READ MORE: 4 things every bride-to-be should never do (unless she wants to)

When is the worst possible time to reveal your engagement?

Now that you have a general idea of when to announce and who you should tell first, there are a few caveats that come with when to tell people that you’re engaged. Certain circumstances will force you to delay telling people about your engagement or call for a little more circumspection - they are as follows:

-There’s been a death in the family

Sorry, but your happiness takes a backseat when someone is in mourning.

-At someone else’s wedding

It’s not only rude, but it makes it look like you’re trying to hog the spotlight. Of course, it’s a different matter if you have permission from the wedded couple, but generally speaking, it goes without saying that you should never spoil someone else’s wedding.

-When a friend has had a bad break up

While we don’t doubt your friend will be happy for you, talking about your engagement when your friend is dealing with the pain of a relationship gone wrong, is insensitive. Give your friend some time to come to terms with his/her breakup and tell her when enough time has passed.

So there you have it. A handy guide for when you’re newly engaged and aren’t sure how to navigate announcement territory.

Are you engaged or married at the moment? How long did you wait until you announced your engagement? Share your stories with us and we’ll feature on W24.

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