Engagement

Engagement? Congratulations! What a milestone in your life. You're probably so beside yourself you don't know what to do. This is one of the happiest times of your life. One thing you need to do for sure is tell everyone you can possibly think of! Joyous news should spread like wildfire, so start fanning those flames. So what are you waiting for? Tell away and away and away some more.

Go to Events Listed and post the blissful news of your engagement for the world to see. Just be sure to tell certain people in person first. It wouldn't be right for your mother, for example, to find out online. That would cause some serious head waves. She just wouldn't appreciate that at all.

A special announcement party

In addition to telling your mother and father, and your soon-to-be spouse's parents, each of you should tell any children either of you have. If you do have children, you should actually tell them first before the parents as this will directly affect their lives. Children first. Parents second. Are there any grandparents in the picture that would be upset if not told personally about your engagement? Of course any other relatives that are close to you and best friends qualify for the personal announcement.

However, even if you've personally told everyone on your list about your engagement, you should still post it online. It then becomes something visual, something personal, and something special. Plus if you are having an engagement party you can easily post that information and save yourself some trouble. Just go to Events LIsted and start posting. Your guest can respond back to you with a yes or no in regard to their attendance, you can post updates or changes, all with the click of a mouse.

Should you have an engagement party? Let's say that not everyone does. It just depends on things like:

How long will your engagement be? If short, don't have an engagement party because you're pretty much soliciting people for two gifts. No one likes that. It's overkill.

• Do you want to pay for another event? There's already the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, the reception, and the honeymoon.
• Do you have your wedding invitation list yet? If not, definitely don't. Anyone you invite to the engagement party should be invited to the wedding. You don't want to be forced to have wedding guests you don't really want.
• Do you need a way to introduce your two families to each other? This is a great way for your side of the family to meet your soon-to-be spouse's side of the family and actually get to know each other a little.

• Do you love parties - any reason, any time? Then throw it! Have a blow-out of an engagement party.

Whether announcing the engagement, an engagement party, or both, just go to the link above and announce loudly. And again, congratulations. We wish you well.