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CONGRATULATIONS! You’re engaged!! Get ready to embark on the most exciting journey of your lives in preparation for your wedding day. With such exciting news as getting engaged, I bet you’re ready to scream it from the top of your lungs, loud and proud! Before you tell the world, take some time to brush up on what’s considered proper etiquette when it comes to these special moments. It’s very easy to make a simple oversight and hurt someone’s feelings. Here is a brief overview of what’s considered proper and in poor taste when it comes to announcing your engagement:

Who should be the first to know? 

If there are no children from either relationship then your parents should be the first call! Bride’s parents first then groom’s, and in the situation that your parents are divorced the one who raised you should be told first.

If either of you have children from a previous relationship, they should be the first to know. Do it with your fiance present and let them know it’s ok to react honestly. Give them time to get used to the idea of this new family situation.

The Formal Announcement

After you’ve informed any children and parents, it’s time to let the world know the big news!   The most traditional way is with an announcement from the bride’s parents. In the situation of divorced parents, the parent who raised you will make the announcement.

• The Traditional Announcement: “Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Hall of Alpharetta, announce the engagement of their daughter, Alexis Jane Hall, to Bradley William Smythe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Smythe of Rye, New York. A June wedding has been planned.”
• If Bride’s parents are divorced and both announcing: Mrs. Amy Hall of Alpharetta, and Mr. Matthew Hall of Athens, announce the engagement of their daughter, Alexis Jane Hall, to Bradley William Smythe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Smythe of Rye, New York. A June wedding has been planned.”
• If Bride’s parents are divorced and one is announcing: Mrs Amy Hall of Alpharetta, announces the engagement of her daughter, Alexis Jane Hall, to Bradley William Smythe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Smyth of Rye, New York. Miss Hall is also the daughter of Mr. Matthew Hall of Athens.”
• If Groom’s parents are divorced: Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Hall of Alpharetta, Georgia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Alexis Jane Hall, to Bradley William Smythe, son of Mrs. Elizabeth Smythe of Greenwich, Connecticut, and Mr. Zachary Smythe of Rye, New York.”

Social media has been the process of getting the word out easier and faster. Before you go posting the life event to Facebook, make sure you’ve informed those closest to you by mouth. Aunt Sue doesn’t want to learn of your engagement on Facebook. It can be quite insulting to not properly inform your entire family and closest friends before posting the news on social media outlets.

The Celebration

Now that everyone knows the exciting news, it’s time to throw a party! These parties used to be formal must-dos with many guests, but today they have become optional and much less formal.

• Who throws the party? Anyone can throw the party, family members, friends, or even you and your fiance. Each set of parents may even want to throw separate parties.
• Who do you invite? Everyone in the wedding party should be included in the party, along with family members and close friends.
• Gifts: Some gifts may be given, but are not required. Wait until after the party to open them in order not to make guests who didn’t bring any feel uncomfortable.
• Registering: Proper etiquette includes registering for smaller gifts such as frames and champagne glasses, which saves bigger gifts for actual wedding presents.

Monetary Issues

• Approach each family separately so that neither feels put on the spot.
• Be Specific: Put together how much you think the wedding will cost, ask how much each feels comfortable giving, and which aspect they would like to cover (band,rehearsals).
• Discretion: Try to keep who is providing what under wraps. This discourages competitive feelings and keep those who aren’t contributing as much from feeling bad.

Now that you’re engaged, let the fun begin! Before you dive into the details, it’s a wise idea to invest in a professional wedding planner. Their job is to consult you along the way and make sure you’re covering each and every detail while thinking logically through the execution of the big day. They’ll help you with securing the perfect wedding site and vendors to designing the decor thought your special day. Most importantly, they’ll be there on your wedding day to oversee each and every detail that has been planned, ensuring all runs smoothly so that you can relax and enjoy every moment.

If you’re planning a destination wedding in the Hilton Head, Savannah or Beaufort areas, Embellished Events is here to assist your every need. From, “I will” to “I do,” we’ll help you have a successful and stress-free wedding experience so you can enjoy the fun in planning the most important day of your life.

Best Wishes and Happy Planning!
xoxo
Jen

Embellished Events
Luxury Wedding Planning and Design Serving Hilton Head, Savannah and Beaufort
Phone: (843) 757-7762
Email: Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

According to The Wedding Report, 40% of engagements take place between the months of November through February! That statistic comes as no surprise considering all of the romantic holidays and celebrations that take place in that time frame.

With engagement season upon us, many of you are probably planning to pop the question in the coming months.  Proper etiquette should be exercised daily, but most especially during special occasions like weddings. As you layout in your head the perfect proposal for your soon-to-be fiancé, consider these 10 tips and pieces of  etiquette advise:

1. Ask for her father’s permission – After all, a gentleman prides himself on manners, etiquette and tradition. Plus, most women still prefer you ask her parents before you ask her. It’s important to know she has her parent’s blessing in your marriage.
2. Make it personal – Incorporate something personal to you two in the proposal plan. Maybe it’s the restaurant you ate at on your first date. Maybe it’s the same mountain you skied on your first vacation together. Maybe it’s the location where you said, “I love you” for the first time. Maybe you plan a trip to a dream vacation spot you’ve always talked about and pop the question on the first night. There are so many blogs out there with fun and creative ideas. Try to incorporate a personal element into whatever you decide to do.
3. Don’t tell anyone (except her parents of course) – You never know who might slip up. The surprise element is important to woman even though they will probably have an idea when it finally happens.
4. Make it genuine, not pretentious – Don’t be fooled by the glitz and glam of recent Hollywood engagements. Women appreciate things that are simple, beautiful and romantic more so than extravagant and over the top. You don’t need to rent out a sports complex or fly her across the world on a private jet to the top of the Eiffel Tower to create your perfect engagement story.
5. Hire a professional photographer to capture the engagement on camera – Make sure they setup somewhere in a discreet location. They can use their extra long lens on this occasion so that they’re plain out of sight.
6. Propose in private – Being on stage in front of family adds unnecessary stress to an already emotional day. Plus you want to have time to relish together in this once-in-a-lifetime moment without others “oohing” and “aahing” all around you. You’ll have plenty of that in the coming months.
7. Speak from your heart – Tell her the story of when you first knew you loved her and tell her why you want to spend the rest of your life with her.  Don’t rehearse your speech to the point it sounds scripted. Plan out the main points you want to say and let the rest of it flow freely from your heart.
8. 3 Musts – 1) Get down on one knee (if you’re able) 2) Say her full name and 3) Say, “Will you marry me?”
9. It’s ok to choke up – After all, you’re about to ask the most important person in your life to marry you. Emotions are sky high on this special day so let that cup runneth over and shed those tears of joy!
10. Plan something romantic to follow – Even if the proposal doesn’t come off as a complete surprise, I can guarantee you she’ll have no idea what lies ahead for the day/night/weekend. Book a room at the local B&B, escape for the weekend to a destination unknown or head to your parent’s cabin in the mountains. You can  keep it as simple as cooking her favorite meal for dinner. Just make sure you have plenty of candles and a special bottle bubbly to celebrate.

Cheers and congratulations to you on this exciting new chapter you’re about to begin! After she says, “yes” and you’re ready to start planning the perfect Hilton Head wedding, Embellished Events is here to assist you in every way. It would be our honor and pleasure to be by your side during this exciting journey. Our passion for luxurious design, expertise in wedding planning and careful attention to organizing details help bring your fairytale wedding to life.

Happy Planning!
xoxo
Jen

Embellished Events
Luxury Wedding Planning and Design Serving Hilton Head, Savannah and Beaufort
Phone: (843) 757-7762
Email: Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

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