You're the groom, and just asked your girlfriend to be your wife. What was a private moment now becomes a bit less so, starting with the engagement announcement printed in a newspaper. GroomGroove.com dissects the whole process of the public announcement of the engagement.

Typically printed in your local newspaper or perhaps even in the Boston Globe, a public engagement announcement highlights that:

• Your father-in-law owns a small plastics company in Albany, and your mother is a teacher etc.
• The groom and bride are both off the market.
• Both sets parents are proud of this fact.
• The groom attended wonderful schools and is on the way to a successful career as [insert career] at [insert company name].
• The bride attended wonderful school and is on the way to a successful career as [insert career] at [insert company name].

GroomGroove.com is yet to be convinced of the appropriateness of the abundance of information in engagement announcements about the schools you attended or what your father-in-law does for a living. A classy engagement announcement should be as simple as a declaration of your engagement. (That's the point, right?)

When does it get printed?

The engagement announcement should appear in the newspaper soon after the engagement, and no later than three or four months before the actual wedding. Traditionally, the groom's parents pay for the privilege of gracing the newsprint of your local newspaper. That said, no matter who pays, it's a nice touch. If no one has taken the step of organizing it's publication, why not surprise everyone by taking charge?

What newspapers?

Some newspapers, such as the New York Times, no longer accept engagement announcements, but many still do, either in print or online. Most local newspapers are more than happy to separate you from your cash for this kind of classified ad!

The Engagement Announcement's Prettier Cousin: Engagement Pictures