Ideas for an Unforgettable Engagement Party
Before you two get giddy over the preparations for the grand wedding day, you have to announce your engagement formally through a party. In this gathering of family, friends, and loved ones, you will be congratulated and wished for the best in your new life together. This will also be a grand opportunity for you and your mate to introduce and welcome each of your families and friends in an intimate manner. Others who will be working closely for the wedding will likewise come to know one another.
As you plan out this big event, here are basic engagement party ideas that will surely make your gathering one of the most organized and memorable events ever.
- Hosting Responsibility
By tradition, the bride-to-be’s folks host the first party followed by the groom’s parents, but with the busy schedules everyone has these days, both parties usually plan out and co-host the event. In other occasions, some couples-to-be do not bother either of their parents anymore and just go ahead in hosting their own engagement party. At times, generous friends of either partner volunteer to host a simple gathering.
When friends host the party, they try to incorporate fun elements into an otherwise formal occasion, which is acceptable especially if the gathering is to be attended by family members and close friends only. In this case, the host/s can prepare fun games where the bride-to-be can wear a tiara and veil in symbol of her upcoming change of status. On the other hand, her mum can wear a mother of the bride sash while the groom’s mum can wear a mother of the groom sash.
Don’t forget to hire a reliable caterer to take care of the engagement party menu.
- Scheduling the Event
There is really no hard and fast rule when setting the schedule for the event unless you or your partner have strong beliefs lodged on Feng Shui but the ideal time is about nine to eleven months prior to the big day. It should be a time when everybody involved, including you, are in a carefree state just before the gory groundwork of the wedding sets in.
- Venue for Hosting
Partners may give due consideration to the proximity of their families and friends such that even if they are living in a separate state but majority of their families and friends live in their home state, they may consider to host the party home. If the couple has sufficient funds, they may opt to host two parties – one in their hometown and one in the city where they currently live or work. Once the place has been decided, the next consideration is the location of the party. First, consider how many people are attending. If it is an all-family, intimate affair, you may choose a secluded restaurant or a cozy cafe but if the whole state is invited, you may opt to hold it in the ballroom of a big hotel. It all depends on the length of the guest list. Still, if you have the space, you may want to host it in your ancestral home to have that homey atmosphere.
A candy buffet may be prepared to give the guests their regular dose of sugar fix. The host can arrange assorted candies in elegant apothecary jars, which may double as party favors. If other engagement party favors are to be given away, the hosts may opt to place the trinkets inside organza bags with gift tags bearing the names of the bride- and groom-to-be.
- The Guest List
Long ago, the guest list for the engagement party was the same guest list for the wedding. However, the trend has evolved today given the fact that most couples in this digital generation host their parties far away from home and that, some family members and friends could not show up during the wedding day. You are lucky if your friends are hosting the party, as everything will be informal. The invitations can be by email or any other social networking site.
In the event that your parents host the party, let them invite the family friends and business partners that you may not be able to accommodate during the wedding. To make things easier for you, sit down and carefully plan your wedding guest list then from there, trim down the queue for the engagement party.
It’s understandable that both of you are too absorbed in bliss and ecstasy as you dream of living your lives together soon but this is no reason to box out the details of your very own engagement party. Hopefully, with these simple yet practicable engagement party ideas, your engagement party will be a blast.