Engagement Announcement vs. Save the Date?

summerbis

This may seem like a silly question, but I honestly don't know the answer: What's the different between an Engagement Announcement and a Save the Date?

My thoughts:

> An engagement announcement is typically to announce your engagement (and potentially invite people to an engagement party?) when you're having a longer engagement. A StD would follow closer to the wedding date, and then an invitation would be sent six months prior to the wedding, to officially invite the guest.

> A Save the Date is to let people know to keep the specific day of your wedding available and should be sent around ten months prior to the wedding date, an official invitation to follow around six months prior.

Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

kmmssg

I have never received an engagement announcement in my 52 years.  If I got one, I would expect to be invited to the wedding since the happy couple finds it necessary to send me an announcement.

Wait and do STD's.

Ali092011

Engagement announcements individually mailed to people are not necessary or proper. If you want to announce the engagement, put it in the newspaper. The only engagement-related thing you could possibly send is engagement party invitations, and you don't send those, whoever is throwing the party for you does. (You should never throw your own e-party.) Engagement parties are generally held almost immediately/ASAP after the engagement becomes official.

The purpose of STDs is just that--to save the date. They're not required, but they can be a good idea if you have a lot of guests traveling from out of town or you're getting married on a holiday weekend. These are sent out six to nine months before the wedding. One thing to consider if you're thinking about doing STDs is that every single person who receives a STD must be invited to the wedding. So if six to nine months out, you're still not firm on a guest list, skipping STDs is a good idea.

Invitations go out six to eight weeks before the wedding. It is poor etiquette to send them out any earlier than that--you can't expect guests to know their schedules that far in advance.

BellaBella11

Generally noone does engagement announcements unless you want to send family that are out of state a surprise announcement. Save you money and do save the dates. There is no right or wrong time to do save the dates. Im having a destination wedding in europe so as soon as I decided on the save the date design i sent/mailed them out so people are have on the calendar and not txting me every other day "when's the wedding in italy again"? People need enough notice to take off. Therefore our invitations will be sent out in january with a may 25 wedding date. We are RSVP one month before. In reality if you haven't bought your plane ticket by then, then more than likely you are not going. Two weeks before the wedding my fiance is calling all of our italian invites for confirmation. Save the dates is the "informal wedding invite". Give it to those who will be receiving the formal invite!

summerbis

Thanks for the clarification! This is all making much more sense.

Also, maybe it's a Southern California thing, but I know multiple couples who have thrown their own engagement party/get-together. One couple recently had their party at a local brewery and bought their guests a first round in celebration of the engagement. This may be unorthodox, but I think it's good to have an open mind about celebrating these things

banana468

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_engagement-announcement-vs-save-the-date?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:918e8912-24e5-4c55-8906-10b49926de38Post:5d619aac-cc1d-4335-b309-b6bab9579bb0">Re: Engagement Announcement vs. Save the Date?</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the clarification! This is all making much more sense. Also, maybe it's a Southern California thing, but I know multiple couples who have thrown their own engagement party/get-together. One couple recently had their party at a local brewery and bought their guests a first round in celebration of the engagement. This may be unorthodox, but I think it's good to have an open mind about celebrating these things :)
Posted by summerbis[/QUOTE]

Having an open mind is one thing.   Disliking when people throw parties in their own honor is not a sign of a closed mind.   It simply means that people are fans of etiquette and do not think one should throw a party in her own honor.

Ali092011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_engagement-announcement-vs-save-the-date?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:918e8912-24e5-4c55-8906-10b49926de38Post:5d619aac-cc1d-4335-b309-b6bab9579bb0">Re: Engagement Announcement vs. Save the Date?</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the clarification! This is all making much more sense. Also, maybe it's a Southern California thing, but I know multiple couples who have thrown their own engagement party/get-together. One couple recently had their party at a local brewery and <strong>bought their guests a first round in celebration of the engagement</strong>. This may be unorthodox, but I think it's good to have an open mind about celebrating these things :)
Posted by summerbis[/QUOTE]

I think if you're throwing a party for the sake of throwing a party and you happen to mention your engagement, that sounds okay. You could throw a BBQ for an end-of-summer type party, but don't make it all about you and your engagement. It screams AW since you're already going to have all eyes on you for your wedding. But if someone offers to throw you an e-party, you can certainly accept.

MyNameIsNot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_engagement-announcement-vs-save-the-date?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:918e8912-24e5-4c55-8906-10b49926de38Post:5d619aac-cc1d-4335-b309-b6bab9579bb0">Re: Engagement Announcement vs. Save the Date?</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the clarification! This is all making much more sense. Also, maybe it's a Southern California thing, but I know multiple couples who have thrown their own engagement party/get-together. One couple recently had their party at a local brewery and bought their guests a first round in celebration of the engagement. This may be unorthodox, but I think it's good to have an open mind about celebrating these things :)
Posted by summerbis[/QUOTE]

<div>If by unorthodox you mean rude, sure.  Just because someone does it doesn't make it ok.  People do rude and inappropriate things all the time.</div><div>
</div><div>An engagement announcement should never be mailed.  It goes in the paper.  A wedding announcement can be mailed after the event.  A STD (if used) is mailed to people in advance of a wedding invitation.  </div>

Kristin789

>>multiple couples who have thrown their own engagement party/get-together. One couple recently had their party at a local brewery and bought their guests a first round in celebration of the engagement.

Those multiple couples were hosting some kind of get-together.
Not engagement parties - which are for the families - see below.

The first engagement party is hosted by the bride's parents, to introduce the groom to the bride's extended family.

The other engagement party is hosted by the groom's parents, to introduce the bride to the groom's extended family.