Once you’ve accepted the marriage proposal of a partner, bask in the feeling for a while. The next thing to do after that is to start planning the engagement party and share the good news. A wedding planner can make things easier, but if you choose to DIY, then you’ll need to ask questions.
When do you have an engagement party, do you set up a registry, do you send out invites? These and many more important questions plague your mind, and failure to get answers can leave you overwhelmed. We’ve come to the rescue by answering all your engagement party questions.
Read this post to know where, when and how to plan an engagement party.
- What is the purpose of an engagement party?
The purpose of an engagement party is to share the good news of your impending wedding with everyone. The parents also get to meet each other, if they’ve never met. It’s also time for your wedding party (bridesmaids and groomsmen) to meet each other and start a rough plan for your wedding. It also gives friends and acquaintances the opportunity to meet. And lastly, you celebrate!
2. What are the engagement party rules to follow?
While having fun, there are a few engagement party etiquette to observe. This ensures a great party without bad blood in the end.
- You must keep the party simple and intimate.
- Be prudent in your spending, and save up for the wedding proper.
- Be diplomatic towards everyone, so they don’t feel unwanted or uncomfortable.
- Do not introduce the parents before the audience if they’re meeting for the first time. Do it in private.
- Go slow on the alcohol for everyone.
3. When do you have an engagement party?
The perfect time to have an engagement party is a little while after the proposal and sometime before the wedding. This falls between one to three months after the proposal, depending on your chosen wedding date. This is because the excitement from the proposal is still there, and there’s no wedding planning madness yet.
4. Who hosts the engagement party?
Going by the traditional norm, the parents of the bride are the hosts. They do it to celebrate their daughter’s proposal. But these days, it doesn’t matter who throws an engagement party. From parents to friends, to siblings or even the couple, the floor is open to everyone. The main aim of the day is to celebrate the couple and bring loved ones together.
5. Do you need a wedding planner?
If the plan is to go all out, fancy and sophisticated, then you need a wedding planner. Couples who are also very busy or don’t care for the stress of planning can do with one too. Many wedding planners are open to planning engagement parties too, with a great package for that.
6. How many engagement parties can you have?
This all depends on certain factors. Some of which include proximity to your loved ones, your social circle, and people to host. You can have as many parties as your time permits if you stay away from the immediate family. They could give you a party, colleagues could give you another. And as a couple, you could host another. It’s all fun.
7. Do you create a wedding registry?
As soon as you announce the engagements, people want to start sending you gifts. So, it’s okay to set up your registry for the benefit of those who intend sending pre-wedding gifts. Mind you, it’s neither mandatory nor a norm. So, do not include your registry in the invite. Leave that on your wedding website.
8. Do you send out formal invites for an engagement party?
Put this down to the kind of engagement planning you’ve got in mind. Is it formal, casual, semi-formal or a simple get together. If you’re having a formal fancy party, then a formal invite will suffice. If it’s something in your home, a Facebook or WhatsApp group will work. If you want to host at a club or bar, E-invites create the perfect balance.
9. Who to invite to an engagement party?
You’ll take the host into consideration as they are the ones who pay for the engagement party. So the guest list will largely depend on them. But since the couple is a focal point of the party, it revolves around them. Hence, in all wisdom, keep the guest list to only those who will get an invite to your wedding.
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10. What do you do at an engagement party?
Asides the introduction of the couple and toasts, everything else is flexible. The engagement party is where loved ones get together and make acquaintances. They do this through conversing, playing ice-breaking engagement party games and more. And then for the wedding party, everyone involved gets to meet for the first time.
Here is the very information needed to plan a great engagement party. Read, and get answers to all your questions.
