An engagement party flags off your pre-wedding festivities and is a time to share your news. One of the many pre-wedding parties to come, it can be casual, formal, a little get-together, or a fully sophisticated affair. And we know you’ve got lots of nagging questions like, who throws the engagement party? Any idea of what to expect at an engagement party, and what rules guide a modern engagement party?
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s An Engagement Party?
This is an occasion thrown in honor of a newly engaged couple within two or three months of their engagement. In traditional times, the bride’s parents hosted it. But these days, the couple, friends, family, or even colleagues do the honor. The party is what it is, a celebration that brings all the potential wedding guests together.
They meet, have fun, get acquainted, and hope to see more of each other. The couple, on the other hand, gets to hang out with people who be key elements of the big day. The party doesn’t have to be anything over the top. Go for simple engagement party ideas that will help guests unwind.
Who Throws The Engagement Party?
Bear in mind that there’s no rule which says that there must be only one party to celebrate an engagement. There can be as many parties by whoever wants to throw one. Again, whoever hosts the party, foots the bill.
That said, the persons with the first hosting honor are the bride’s parents. And then the groom’s parents can decide to host one. It can also be a case of joint hosting by the parents. Surprise parties could be organized by friends too. Or the couple could decide to host their party. Only remember that, at the end of the day, it’s all about the couple.
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Engagement Party Rules
Hosting the party or attending as a guest, there are engagement party rules to observe.
You can also check this FREE Download: Engagement Party Checklist
- Invite your guests through email or formal wedding invite. Do not use social media, except you create a closed group. This is to avoid hurting people’s feelings.
- Invite only people who you’ll invite to your wedding.
- Keep it small, and make it an affair of close family, and best friends.
- Unlike previously when engagement party gifts were not given at parties, today, couples now embrace it.
- Make the playlist of engagement party songs versatile. Ones that everyone’s age group at your party can relate to. You don’t want anyone missing out on the fun.
- Be sure to personalize your menu. Make it an affair of your favorite foods.
- Limit consumption of alcohol.
- Maintain lighthearted conversations focused on the event. This is because it’s a gathering of different people who may have never met. You don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.
- Whatever style of party you throw, keep the party simple.
- Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.
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When Do You Have An Engagement Party?
First feeling, excitement! You can’t believe you’re engaged. Bask at the moment. Then, you’ve settled into reality, and plans for the wedding are about to roll out. Between the last two scenarios is the perfect time for an engagement party.
We’ll put it between two to three months after the proposal, and at most, six months before the wedding. This ensures that it’s not too early into the proposal and not too close to the wedding. It gives ample time to invite guests and also meet your squad for wedding planning.
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Where To Have An Engagement Party?
It depends on four factors.
- The location of the hosts: A party will hold wherever the hosts reside. Unless there are a discussion and agreement for a change of venue, the couple will go to them. This also opens the couple to the possibility of more than one party.
- The location of the bulk of guests: This is another important factor, as it will be best to hold the party where most of the guests are residents. This is better than pulling them out of one location to another, for a party.
- The intended location for the wedding: In the reverse of asking all your guests to move from a particularly concentrated area, you can host your wedding at theirs. This rules out the stress of guests having to travel twice.
- The type of engagement you plan to have: If you want casual, then a home, backyard, or park is it. For a casual or semi-casual, a garden, restaurant, country club, or private hall suits.
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What To Expect At An Engagement Party?
There’s no setup rule of what to expect at an engagement party. The day and night’s aim is to have all the fun. But a few things could happen. The parents may be meeting for the first time, so an introduction is imminent. Guests will come bearing hearty engagement wishes to the couple. Families and friends from both sides will meet, have fun, and mingle. Icebreaker engagement party games are also a must feature for a fun engagement dinner party and engagement gifts giving. Also, the couple will begin brainstorming ideas with their teams for the wedding.
Etiquette and rules guiding the party help put things in perspective. All the important rules to help you sail through planning, you’ll find in this post. We’ve also answered the toughest questions that often put newly engaged couples in a dilemma. Whether you’re attending the party as a host or guest, this is a relevant post. Follow through on it and you’ll learn a thing or two about engagement party rules.
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