Samples of Engagement Announcements

We've included formal, informal and fun samples of engagement announcements on this page because what's right for one person may not be for the other. We also provide some guidelines based on different family arrangements such as divorced parents, single parent, deceased parent etc.

Formality is great, especially when it deals with a sacred union, but a little fun can be just as appropriate depending on you and your relationship.

So think about you and your families and what kind of couple you are, and then decide which approach is best for you because announcing your engagement should reflect who you are as a couple.

If you already know what to say, that's great—but if you don't, hopefully you'll find some inspiration in these samples of engagement announcements.

Traditional Engagement Announcements

These samples of engagement announcements are slightly formal and mostly traditional. They would be well suited for just about everyone.

1. Mr. John David Church and Mrs. Laura Anne Church announce the engagement of their daughter Margaret Caroline to Phillip Richard Stevens on June the Fifteenth Two Thousand and Nine.
    
2. Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Jenkins of Boston Massachusetts announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Suzanna Amber Jenkins, to Mr. Jonathon Ryan Quick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Quick of Portland Maine. An April  wedding is planned.
    
3. Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Jenkins are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Suzanna Amber Jenkins, to Mr. Jonathon Ryan Quick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Quick. Susie and Jon are planning an April 1st wedding and request that you save the date. Formal invitations will be sent out closer to the wedding date.
    
4. It is with great pleasure that David and Mary Ellen Thomkins announce the engagement of their daughter, Caroline, to Timothy Smart of New York. Timothy is the son of Captain Edward Smart of Louisville, Kentucky and Mrs. Katherine Wilhoite of Charlotte, North Carolina. The ceremony will be held at The First Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 6 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Dinner and dancing to follow at the Schooner Yacht & Sailing Club. We will send invitations very soon, please hold the date.
    
5. It is with great joy that we announce the engagement of our daughter, Beth Lindeman to Peter O’Brien. Wedding details will follow soon.
    
6. Sean Dwyer and Lulu Foster are pleased to announce their engagement. The couple met at Northwestern University and are currently living in Seattle. The wedding will take place in May next year, at the bride’s parent’s home in Jacksonville, Florida.
    
7. Dr. & Mrs. Jack Campbell are excited to welcome Beau Stewart into their family when he marries their daughter, Anne this Spring. Invitations will be mailed shortly.
    
8. Mr. John Harden & Mrs. Susannah Prentiss announce the pending nuptials of their beautiful daughter, Hope, to Dr. Joshua Schwartz. The couple will wed this September in New York City, where they both reside. Invitations will follow.

Less Formal Engagement Announcements

These informal samples of engagement announcements are most appropriate for the couple to announce their own upcoming nuptials. As soon as no parent or family member is mentioned, the announcement inherently becomes less formal.

1. We have chosen the date of April 1st for a very joyous occasion—our wedding!  We hope you will save the date for us. We can't wait to share our wedding day with you! Love, Suzanna Jenkins and Jonathon Quick.
    
2. Jon has finally popped the question and I said Yes! We will be getting married next summer and hope to see you there! Love, Susie Jenkins and Jon Quick.
    

Fun Samples of Engagement Announcements

Humor can be really charming in an announcement if it reflects the personalities of the couple. These samples of engagement announcements all come with a good dose of fun!

1. Rebecca Jenkins and Ben Fox are going to marry. FINALLY.
    
2. Couple Alert: Brad Baskin and Cecelia Harper are now engaged. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, via text, email, cell phone, or even snail mail—coming soon to a chapel near you! Oh yes—we are registered EVERYWHERE.
    
3. Dear Diary: “Today Jeff asked me to marry him. I said yes. Love, Rachel.”
    
4. Caitlin King and Stephen Shilito have exciting news: They were engaged to be married last Saturday night. Those of you who know Stephen are probably quite surprised, but if you looked into Caitlin's eyes—even just once—you would ask her too.
    
5. Dear Friends,
   
   Jim has been acting strangely. He disappeared a couple of Saturday afternoons, and then last night he was all nervous and sweaty. I suspected shenanigans—so when he told me he needed to speak to me about something, I thought it was over between us. When he got down on one knee I thought he'd dropped something. I started to help him look, but he stopped me and pulled out a box with a ring inside. He asked, "Will you marry me?" I looked around, then realized he was talking to me.
   
   What should I say?
   
   Love,
   
   Desiree

Family Situations & Engagement Announcements

We don't all have the standard nuclear family so these samples of engagement announcements address the different types of family situations we may find ourselves in.

Bride's Parents (Or a Single Parent):

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith of London announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica to Mark Hill of Manchester, son of Michael and Mary Hill also of Manchester. Very proud grandmothers are Andie Smith and Margaret Hill. Thrilled siblings are Charlie Smith, Zach Smith and Richard Hill. An August wedding is planned in Costa Rica.

Divorced Parents:

In this case the mother of the bride announces the engagement and the father is mentioned in a separate line as follows: "Miss Jessica Smith is also the daughter of Dr. John Smith."

Remarried Divorced Parents:

Ms. Jane Kent and Mr. Jack Mackenzie announce the engagement of Ms. Kent's daughter Jessica to Mark Hill, son of Michael and Mary Hill...... Miss Jessica Smith is also the daughter of Dr. John Smith.

One Deceased Parent:

In this case the living parent (and their spouse if they remarried) announces the engagement and acknowledges the deceased parent as follows: "The bride is the daughter of the late (parent name)." Or, "Truly missed at this time is the late (parent name and title) father of the bride."

Both Parents Deceased:

If both parents of the bride are deceased then a close friend or relative may announce the engagement. In such a case the announcement will begin as follows: "(name of relative and relation to bride) is happy to announce the engagement of Jessica Smith, daughter of the late (names and titles of parents) of (City) to Mark Hill of Manchester.....

We hope that these samples of engagement announcements have proved helpful to you. Hopefully you can now see that although there are some rules, YOUR announcement should reflect your own personalities and what feels right for the two of you.