The "Who do you tell first!?" Game

We got engaged on December 19, 2011... 7 years nearly to the minute from the time we started dating.

Groom had been acting weird all day long, but I hadn't really noticed because I was studying for finals all day. My very last final of my college career was the next morning, and graduation was the next night. We also had my graduation party Wednesday and a trip to the East Coast to visit my family for Christmas starting Thursday of that week. To say we had a lot going on that week would be an understatement. I call it happy chaos.

So he proposes (that story to come later) and we get back to my house to show my Mom and sister the ring. Then as we were hugging, crying, and excitedly chatting we realized we had a lot of people to share our good news with.

 { My beautiful ring! }

We called my dad and Groom's parents first. That part was easy. Then we called my grandparents and his.
But who is next? How do you decide? We didn't want to upset anyone or forget to tell someone important. So here is what we did:

1. I asked my Grandma and Mom to call the rest of the family and tell them that evening.
2.We were able to skype my brother in Europe, where he is stationed in the military within a half hour of the engagement which was amazing!
3.Then I sent out a text message with the picture of my ring to my best friends. That way they got to see the ring and "hear" the news from us directly.
4.He did the same with his friends.
5.We made sure to call any other out of town family and friends within the next few days and waited to tell Facebook world for about four days.

6.Facebook is not how most people close to you want to find out you're engaged so we did that step last after we had told everyone we could think of. We asked everyone we told not to say anything on Facebook until we officially announced it there to make sure we had reached all our loved ones first.

This method worked well for us, and we ended up only missing a couple of friends.

My best advice for all of this whirlwind happiness and excitement is to not get so wrapped up in telling the "right" people in the "right" way that you forget to celebrate with your new fiance. You'll have lots of time to share your happiness with friends and family but that moment comes and goes quickly- take it all in!

-Bride