Guide to Planning An Engagement Party

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Of course you want to celebrate, and what better way than with an engagement party? If you want one, here are a few things you should know:

Hosting: Traditionally the bride’s family hosts it, but really just about anyone can, even the bride and groom themselves!

Planning: An engagement party should be held within three months of the engagement itself. Only invite those that will also be invited to the wedding(this rule holds true for all pre-wedding celebrations as well). When deciding on a place and theme for the party, keep in mind that an engagement party is supposed to serve as the first step in the blending of the two families, so you’ll want to be sure both sides are comfortable with your plans. Aside from that, anything goes, from an elegant black tie cocktail party to a backyard barbecue!

Gifts: Gifts are not required at an engagement party so you shouldn’t expect them. It’s fine to register as soon as you get engaged, but don’t put any registry info in the invitations. Save it for your bridal shower! If some guests do bring gifts, thank them and then put them aside until later. Don’t open them until after the party, otherwise you risk making those who didn’t give you one feel bad. If you do choose to register early and people ask for your registry info, it’s fine to give it to them. Just make sure you’ve registered for a selection of low and mid priced items to make it easy on your guests.

Finally, relax and remember this is supposed to be a fun and relaxed event. If you have grand visions for a lavish celebration, take a step back and relax. You’ve still got a wedding to plan, remember? You don’t want to accidently upstage the main event! So reign in those plans and save some of that excitement-you’ve got many more celebrations and some of the best times of your life ahead of you!

Did you have an engagement party? Tell us about it! We didn’t have one, and I wish we’d had. My in-laws gave us new living room furniture instead, which was wonderful and much appreciated, but I still wish we’d have had the chance to celebrate our long awaited engagement. Alas, my parents couldn’t afford to throw us one and neither could we. This brings me to an important point-if you don’t have an engagement party, please don’t feel bad. They aren’t mandatory, and there will be plenty of other opportunities to celebrate, I promise!