The engagement bomb

One of my favorite/most pathetic pastimes is contemplating the chain of communication I'd use if I got engaged.

Do you simply send a mass text message? Call parents first? Blog it, and then wait to see who reads?

I thought about the issue after reading a post by one of my favorite newly engaged bloggers. Her man popped the question on a Wednesday, but they kept things secret until Friday -- when they had already planned to go out to dinner with his parents. They wanted them to find out in person, rather than through a social networking comment.

Maybe in the big scheme of things, it's not that important.

Yet technology's rise seems to have increased your likelihood of hurting someone while making a big announcement.

I've heard stories of people who have announced an engagement or pregnancy with a Facebook status update -- and then received e-mails from friends saying they wish they'd been told in a more personal manner.

With any life milestone, I always tell my immediate family before telling friends and acquaintances. And with something like an engagement, I'm almost 100 percent sure I'd drop the bomb via phone or in person...not with something like a text message.

Weigh in, married readers: Who did you first call/text/e-mail after getting engaged?

For more marriage news, read Katie Holland's wedding blog here.