So you are now engaged and you wouldn’t mind shouting it from the rooftops thank you very much!
Back in the day, engagement parties were expected - but not everyone has a party these days due to simple economics. However, it is a very good excuse to:
- Have a party!
- Play decent music
- Show off the engagement ring
- Give you an idea of what size venue you will need for your wedding
- Invite those who won’t be at your wedding
- Gives each family an opportunity to know the other
We’ve got some practical guidelines to go by to ensure it’s a day to enjoy, not dread. And if you look relaxed, chances are so will everyone else. Just don’t overdo it, the big focus should be on the wedding.
When do we have the party?
Plan to hold an engagement party as soon as possible after the proposal – that way you can get everyone together and buzzing about wedding plans.
We can’t invite everyone from the party to the wedding!
Honesty is the best policy here. Any intelligent person knows weddings don’t come cheap and anyone you haven’t been in touch with for a long time shouldn’t expect an invitation. Perhaps after the party you can send them a message along these lines. “Thanks so much for coming to my engagement party it was really good to see you. It would be great to catch up some time once things have calmed down after the wedding and then we can talk for hours”.
Send out invites in plenty of time
If you plan to have your engagement party between Jan-March make sure people have lots of notice as numerous events are happening around this time to make the most of the summer. Also think about planning around school holidays and long weekends as well.
Do people bring presents?
Think about your family and friends and the feel of your party. Chances are your best friends will give you something anyway, probably something small and sentimental like a necklace. Keep things relaxed, this is a time to be together and it is not the show stopper - the wedding is.
Make the party memorable
Do play a good mixture of songs and do delegate someone to take photographs. We don’t mean a professional photographer, but someone you can rely on to take a decent photo and will get some great candid shots of everyone.
To hire or not to hire?
This depends on budget and how much you want to do or not do. You can get your party catered, you can hire a DJ or a band. Perhaps you are looking to hire one of them for your wedding and this could be the ideal time to “test drive” them?
What is the tone of this celebration?
It might be in a restaurant, a barbeque at the beach and think about whether children will be there or not. This is a precursor to you wedding so stamp your own individuality on it, just as you will, come your wedding day.