All About Announcing

Status update: Getting married! According to a 2012 survey on weddings and social media by The Knot and Mashable, one in 10 respondents said they updated their engagement relationship status within minutes of the proposal and one in four said they did it by the next day. But according to Jules Hirst, founder of Venice, Calif.-based Etiquette Consulting, Inc., before you announce your engagement on the Internet, there are a few people who should hear it from you first - ideally in person. “If the groom didn’t ask the bride’s father for his blessing, then the bride’s parents are the first to know, followed by the groom’s parents,” Hirst says. “Then any siblings, cousins, or close friends.” If a face-to-face isn’t possible, try FaceTime or Skype. If either set of parents are divorced, tell the mother first and then the father, adds Elena Brouwer, director of the International Etiquette Centre in Hollywood, Fla. “And if the bride or groom has children from a previous marriage, they take precedence to be told first, even before the bride’s parents.” After you’ve informed your nearest and dearest, experts agree that you can feel free to go public on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. Want to publish a formal announcement in a print or online outlet? The bride places her announcement in the town she lives in, says Hirst, and, if they wish, the parents of the bride and/or the groom (if they live in different cities) may submit the engagement announcement in their hometown newspaper. Check out the publication’s website for information and policies regarding announcing your news.