When it's time to announce your engagement, you'll want to start with the people closest to you—parents, siblings, and grandparents. If this is a second marriage for either party and there are children from the first marriage, they, and most often the former spouse, should be the first to hear the news.

The most personal and immediate way to tell your family and closest friends is by telephone, but it may not be practical to call everyone else. If you have out-of-town friends with whom you usually communicate via e-mail, then it's perfectly acceptable to announce your engagement to them this way. Keep in mind, though, that some people prefer to hear big news over the phone, so if there is even the slightest possibility that someone you know will be offended, put him or her on your "to-call" list.

Another great way to keep everyone in the loop? Set up a wedding website. 

If you think emails are a tad too impersonal, but have too many loved ones to call individually, the new Martha Stewart CraftStudio App for the iPad is the perfect solution. Create a unique engagement announcement with colored and patterned “paper” backgrounds, your own photos, and pretty stickers, glitter, textured borders, and fonts. Then, share them with family and friends through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Download the app here.

Many times, a couple’s parents or close friends will throw and engagement party where the couple announces the big news. Some keep the reason for the party a secret, and announce the engagement during a toast at the beginning of the evening. Others send out invitations with the reason for the celebration detailed on the cards. Keep in mind: A guest at your engagement party will probably expect an invitation to your wedding, so plan this first guest list wisely.

Most American newspapers have a space where couples can announce their engagement (sometimes for free and sometimes for a fee). Newspapers require the information as early as four months before the wedding, and because the staff usually won’t know the exact date the announcement will run, you should count on checking the paper each day to find it. If you and your fiancé come from different cities or if any of your parents live in other states, you might want to print multiple announcements.

Many couples choose to announce their engagement as well as their marriage after the big day. Some just choose to announce their marriage and not their engagement. This is a completely individual decision and often depends on timing and circumstances.