Broken Engagement
Occasionally, an engagement is broken. This is difficult, but if one or both have reservations about the marriage, it is better to break the engagement than to enter into the marriage.
- Legally, the person breaking the engagement has no claim to the engagement ring.
- Engagement gifts such as an heirloom engagement ring should be returned.
- If the engagement is broken near the wedding date, guests must be notified by note or telephone call (No detail is needed).
- Gifts must be returned.
A short announcement should be placed in the same newspaper that carried the original engagement announcement. It can state simply:
The engagement of Miss Beverly Garrett and Mr. Joseph Donaldson has been
terminated by mutual consent.
If either the bride or the groom dies before the wedding, invited guests must be notified and gifts returned. The announcement in the newspaper should state:
The wedding of Miss Jane Rodgers and Mr. Theodore Jones will not take place
due to the death of Miss Rodgers.
