Planning the Perfect Engagement Party

fter you have made the important decision to get married the next step is to let everyone know. There is no better way to do this than with an engagement party. The engagement party not only allows you to impart the happy news to all of those close to you but also provides an opportunity for friends and family from both sides of the family to get to know one another. Traditionally, the engagement party was hosted by the parents of the bride or if they were unavailable to host the party then it might be given by the groom’s parents. Today there are no such restrictions on who may host the party and many modern couples prefer to host the party on their own. It is also quite appropriate for both sets of parents to co-host the party if they know one another and are well acquainted.

Depending on your situation you may also have more than one engagement party. This is particularly appropriate if the bride and groom live in different areas and may have different sets of friends. Generally, it would not be appropriate when both sets of family and friends live relatively close to one another; however.

Friends may also host an engagement party but it’s a good idea to make sure that one or both sets of parents or other family are not already planning an engagement party to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes.

Regardless of who decides to host the party the first step in the planning process is to determine your budget. Keep in mind that you need not spend a lot of money on an engagement party if your budget is tight or if you simply prefer to spend your money on the wedding instead. There are many ways to go about organising a wonderful engagement party on a tight budget.

Whatever your budget happens to be it’s a good idea to sit down from the beginning and make a list of everything that will be needed for the party. This can help to prevent your budget from spiraling out of control. Must have items that should be on the list include invitations, food, beverages, entertainment and decorations. If you are planning to have the party somewhere besides home you will also need to plan for renting a venue.

Don’t allow a limited budget to get your spirits down in planning your engagement party. The purpose is to celebrate your upcoming nuptials and allow everyone a chance to get to know one another better. You can do this just as easily with a casual affair at home as an elaborate party in a fancy ballroom. Other ways in which you can plan a nice engagement party on a limited budget include making your invitations. This can be done easily with a home computer as well as by simply writing them by hand. Offering a limited menu at the party is another good way to keep costs under control. Great ideas include providing a nice wine and cheese selection, a desserts only party or just hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Cooking the food yourself can also shave costs from the budget as well. Regardless of what type of food you plan to serve, do plan to end the meal with a nice cake. You might choose to simply have your names written on the top of the cake or select a cake with an edible photo of the two of you gracing the top of the confection.

An engagement party can be simple or elaborate and can even have a theme if you wish. If you are planning a specific theme for your wedding you might even think about kicking things off by incorporating elements from your theme into your engagement party. Popular, and fun, themes for engagement parties include beach/luau and Latin/salsa.

In terms of where to hold the event, there is also a lot of room for choices here as well. If you’re planning a casual and laid-back affair you might think about having at home. A self-serve style buffet as well as an outdoor cookout both work well for creating a casual atmosphere and are easy on the wallet as well. If you’re looking for something a bit more upscale consider holding the event in a favorite restaurant or even renting a ballroom. On the other hand, you might want to think about going with something more sentimental. In that case, consider holding the event somewhere that holds special significance for you, such as the location of your first date.

If you are planning a large and elaborate affair, and your budget can afford it, you might consider hiring an event planner to handle some of the details of the party. The planner can also help you to get a head start on organising the wedding as well.

The level of formality you have planned for the engagement party can help to dictate the type of food you serve. There are only two rules. The first rule is that you should make sure you have plenty of whatever you decide to serve. If you’re planning a somewhat elaborate event you might consider having a catered sit down affair, provided your budget can afford such an expense. The second rule is that you should make a point to provide some good quality champagne regardless of how formal your party might happen to be. While toasts are often spontaneous at an engagement party you can be certain that at some point during the event someone will want to offer a toast and it’s a good idea to have some good champagne on hand for such an occasion. While the party should not be so scheduled that you actually include toasting time on the agenda make sure that you allow sufficient time for toasts to occur. Traditionally, the father of the bride offers the first toast with the groom following up and then whoever else would like to offer a toast as well.

It is entirely up to you as to when you want to hold your engagement party; however, this important event is traditionally held a few months after the actual engagement has taken place. This is actually a matter of convenience because it allows you time to decide on a wedding date and provide Save the Date information for guests at the engagement party. More and more frequently, many couples are opting to have the party quite soon after they have become engaged. In some cases, grooms are even planning the engagement party as a way to propose to their beloved.

When it comes time to consider who should be invited to your engagement party you will want to make sure that you invite those friends and family who will be invited to the wedding. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should invite everyone who will be invited to the wedding but you certainly should not invite individuals you do not plan to invite to the wedding.

Gifts may or may not be exchanged at an engagement party. Generally, the couple should not expect gifts; however, and therefore it is not appropriate to place registry information on the invitation for the engagement party. There will be plenty of time for this in the weeks and months to come for the showers that will be planned for you leading up to the wedding. Some guests may bring gifts anyway and that is perfectly acceptable; however, you should wait until after the party is over to open the gifts in order to keep other guests from felling ill at ease because they did not come bearing gifts. Always make sure you follow up after the party with a thank-you note for guests who did gift you at the party.

Invitations to the event can be issued in person or may be printed. If you’re feeling particularly crafty you might decide to utilize a unique invitation that is suited to the theme of your party. Formal engagement parties will typically require engraved invitations; however. In that case; do be sure you allow sufficient time for the invitations to be printed. Depending on the vendor you use for your invitation printing needs this could take several weeks.

Ideally, it is best to request a RSVP for your engagement party invitations, especially if you’re working on a budget or you are planning a very formal affair. This allows you do know how many people will be attending and you can plan accordingly for food requirements. With formal invitations you can include a separate RSVP card and with informal invitations you can simply include a name and telephone number for guests to contact. Plan to issue the invitations approximately one month before the party.

For home parties, it’s a good idea to make sure you consider parking issues well in advance. You certainly do not want your event to be interrupted by irate neighbors who suddenly have strange vehicles blocking their driveways. Hiring a professional valet service for such an event can be well worth the cost and help to avoid any such problems.

Decorations help to set the tone for your event but if you’re planning a casual affair you need not go overboard and spend money that might be better suited elsewhere. For a themed engagement party in which the them will carry-over into the wedding you might think about investing in some décor items that can be re-used at the reception.

If there will be many people at the party who may not have met before, particularly members of the two families, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have some games and entertainment planned. Ice breakers work well for helping everyone to become acquainted and to getting things warmed up for the party. Once again, the level of formality you have chosen for your engagement party will often dictate the type of entertainment you choose. Volleyball is a great choice for less formal events while dancing would be appropriate for a formal occasion. If you opt for the latter make sure you plan to book a DJ or band well in advance of your party.

As the guests begin to arrive remember that it is appropriate for the couple to form a receiving line to greet guests. The receiving line can consist of simply the couple or the couple and the hosts and/or parents of the couple. Once the majority of the guests have arrived it’s time to start mingling. Remember that this will be the first time for many family and friends from both sides to meet one another so you want to make sure that things are kept flowing smoothly. Try to avoid the tendency to hang out in little groups. Circulate the room and be sure you speak to everyone at least briefly.

Games work quite well for helping everyone to feel at ease as well as get to know one another better. One of the most popular games for engagement parties that works particularly well is Couples Trivia. This can be easily accomplished by writing up some trivia questions about both of you and then posing the questions to the guests to find out how much they know about you. Good questions might include how you met, first date, how he proposed, etc.

Décor ideas include placing creative photo collages of you and your future spouse around the party as well as some quaint pictures of both of you growing up. An oversized engagement photo of the two of you is also a nice touch for the party as well. Another great idea would be to print up the story of how the two of you met or how he proposed if it was done in a unique and creative way. You can then either frame it and have it on display at the party or hand it out to guests as they arrive.

Remember that there are no hard and fast rules to planning a successful engagement party. The main goal is for everyone to spend some time together, celebrate your engagement and get to know one another better.