How to Announce Your Engagement: 20 Top Tips and Ideas

From the moment you get engaged, you’ll be just about ready to burst with excitement and tell everyone you know as quickly as you can. You’ll be so excited, you may even be tempted to scream it from the rooftops (don’t worry, that’s one idea that doesn’t feature on our list).

The easiest thing to do is start calling and texting everyone – and while everyone will no doubt be excited to hear your news, there are ways you can go about it to add a little pizzazz to your major bit of news. From roping in your pet to hiring a flash mob, there are loads of unique, creative and fun ways you can tell the world about your engagement.

So, in this post, we’re going to do exactly that. We’ll cover the best time to announce your engagement and offer you plenty of ideas for how you can go about the big reveal.

When’s the best time to announce your engagement?

Once you’re engaged, you’ll be hit with dozens of things to do as you embark on the road towards your wedding. But, the first thing you and your new fiance should talk about after getting engaged is how you might want to reveal the news to your friends and family. Once you’ve figured that out, you can work on the when.

For example, if you can’t wait any longer and you have to tell them now, then a phone call is more than okay. But, if you’re into a bit of showmanship, you can hold onto the news for a few more days and plan something a little more unique.

Whatever you plan to do, we always recommend that your closest family should be among those you tell first. Then, wider family and friends, including those you want to be part of your wedding squad.

For more information, read our step-by-step guide to what you should do as soon as you get engaged.

20 creative ways to announce your engagement

Sure, you could just pop around to your parents’ house and flash them your brand-new ring. You could send a casual announcement via emoji in the group chat. You could give your Nan a ring and tell her the great news.

But where’s the fun in that?

Okay, so there’s no wrong or bad way to tell your loved ones that you’re engaged. But how you decide to drop the news is entirely up to you. If you want to make your announcement one that people will remember forever, there are plenty of ways you can do that too.

So, here are 20 unique ways you can announce your engagement.

1. Arrange a photoshoot

Many couples love to mark their engagement by organising a photoshoot. That may not be the most creative idea ever, but it’s what you do on the shoot that you can have fun with. Why not visit a castle or a fun fair or make pottery together like in Ghost? Your engagement photos are a great way to showcase your personalities and drop some hints about the theme of your future wedding.

2. Have your pet announce your engagement

For many of us, our pets are a huge part of our family, so including them in your engagement announcement helps keep them part of the celebrations. Whether it’s including them in a snap you upload to social media or asking them to bring your parents a note that says, ‘Mum and Dad are getting married’, there are plenty of ways you can rope in your pet. If you have a pet snake, why not let it model your engagement ring for some truly ssspecial photographs?

3. Get matching tattoos

Many people get tattoos to mark special memories, interests and loves. Why not get the date you got engaged as matching tattoos, then casually show friends and family your new ink? Tattoos would also look great if you decided to get engagement photos taken, with a couple of close-up shots to show them off.

4. Involve your family

Involving loved ones in your announcement can be a lot of fun. For example, why not ask your best man to come with you to tell your parents, but dressed in a smart suit so you can drop the news when someone asks why he’s overdressed? If the two of you already have kids, a t-shirt that says ‘future page boy’ or ‘future flower girl’ can be a cute way for the grandkids to reveal the news to Nan and Grandad.

5. Give family a personalised Christmas decoration

If you got engaged around Christmas, why not give close family a personalised Christmas ornament that announces your engagement? That way, it’s a gift and a lovely piece of news all in one!

6. Share a video of the proposal itself

If you got engaged in a public space, then chances are someone got the proposal on film. You may have even asked someone to record it ahead of time. Why not post the video to social media and watch the likes roll in?

You might even want to take some inspiration from celebrity proposals, with loads of big names sharing the moment they got down on one knee for the whole world to see. 

7. Share a photo of your ring finger

We’ve all seen photos of hands proudly showing off a shiny new rock. Why not do the reverse of that and share a photo of your hand without the ring, with the caption ‘something is missing from this photo’. It’ll get people wondering what it is, then BOOM – post a follow-up picture saying FOUND IT, complete with the ring in full view.

8. Host a family quiz night

If you and your family are fans of game nights, why not put together a personalised quiz? Make each of the questions about you and how you met, and have the answers spell out something like ‘WE’RE ENGAGED’ as the icing on the cake.

9. Wear matching outfits

If you’re up for a cheesy announcement, why not get matching t-shirts or jumpers that say ‘she said yes’ and ‘I said yes’, or that simply say ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ on them? You could even get them as matching pyjamas for extra cosiness.

10. Keep things subtle

Instead of outright telling your loved ones you’re engaged, why not drip-feed them information and drop hints so they can work it out for themselves? Share a snap of the two of you enjoying a coffee together – is that the sparkle of a ring next to the mug? No, it can’t be… it is! 

11. Immortalise yourself in artwork

Instead of an engagement photoshoot, why not commission your favourite artist to draw or paint the two of you with the engagement ring taking centre stage? Not only can you use it as part of your announcement, but it’ll be a lovely piece you can hang up in your living room afterwards.

12. Throw a party

Engagement parties are fairly common, but they’re traditionally thrown by the bride’s family. Why not ignore tradition and throw a bash so you can tell all your family and friends the great news together? Just imagine balloons and bunting hanging from the walls revealing, ‘she said yes’, or a cake with two sugarcraft figures on top, with one getting down on one knee to propose to the other. We guarantee you won’t have to buy your own drinks all night.

13. Create a scavenger hunt

For something rather different, a scavenger hunt can be a lot of fun, with the final reveal being that SURPRISE! You’re engaged!

14. Video announcement

If you have a smartphone, you have everything you need to create a cinematic announcement. You could piece shots together to create a trailer for a fake movie, which then ends with a wedding COMING SOON. You could even upload it to YouTube or TikTok, or if you’re feeling particularly brave, ask your local cinema to show it before a private film screening where you invite your family and friends.

15. A message in a bottle

There’s nothing quite as romantic as announcing you’re engaged, and what better way to deliver that message than via one of the most romantic forms of communication? A lovely handwritten note will also make for a wonderful little keepsake for your loved ones.

16. Flash mob

If you have a little budget to spare (which might not be likely with a wedding to plan) or you’re friends with some theatre types, an extravagant flash mob is a brilliant and energetic way to let people know you’re engaged.

17. Write a short story

If you consider yourself a writer, why not get a head start on your love story and write a romantic tale about two people who met, fell in love and got engaged? Sites like Amazon KDP make it easy to self-publish a book. You could even create a unique cover and have cheap copies printed to hand out to family and friends.

18. Write a haiku

If you don’t think your creative writing skills can stretch to a short story, why not have a go at writing a Haiku? A Haiku is a short-form poem with just three lines, where the first and last line have five syllables and the second has seven syllables. Something like this is all it takes (feel free to use this one if you’re struggling to write your own!):

I popped the question

I waited for her answer

Finally: a yes.

19. Take a selfie

This one’s a classic, but a photo with the two of you and the ring on show will always go down well. It’s also one of the only times you can take a single photo and not have to caption it to tell a story. You can let the ring do all the talking as your friends and family go crazy the moment it hits social media or the group chat. 

For help taking the perfect picture, read our post on the rules of the engagement selfie.

20. Hire a billboard

If you’re not one to shy away from getting yourself out there, there’s no better way to tell your family (and a large part of your local community) the news than by hiring an advertising billboard. For around £350, you could be the talk of the whole town by letting everyone know the two of you are getting married!

Start planning your wedding with Bridebook

After announcing your engagement it’s time to get started with planning your big day. Sign up to Bridebook today to use our free wedding planning tools and resources.

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Happy Planning!