Your finally engaged and ready to start planning! And what better way to celebrate your recent engagement then with an engagement party. Your engagement party is going to set the tone for your wedding, so here are some easy tips to keep in mind while planning.
All of these tips came from the Wedding Channel’s article Planning An Engagement Party. Make sure you check out the entire article and all the other great tips that the Wedding Channel has to offer!
The Rules
These rules are not set in stone, so do what is best for your situation. Typically the brides parents pay for the engagement party. Of course, if for some reason the brides parents aren’t able to do it you can look to the grooms parents for help. A good friend of yours can also host the party, just make sure you aren’t stepping on toes when you make any final decisions.
The Talk
This goes along with the first tip. If you are hosting the party from your newly engaged friends house talk to them and make sure they are not planning something themselves. You can also take this one step further and talk to both sets of parents to make sure they know you will be hosting and weren’t planning on hosting a party as well.
The Guest List
If your not sure how many people you want to attend the wedding make sure the guest list for the engagement party is small. If you already have that number in mind for your wedding make sure the guest list for the wedding includes your guests from your engagement party.
The Date
This is SO important. You want to make sure that you pick a date that works for everyone! There’s nothing worse then leaving out family members.
Pick A Spot
First things first… Keep the guest list in mind. The engagement party can either be held at a house or restaurant, you just want to make sure you have enough room. Get creative and set the tone for your guests on what they might expect for your wedding. It can be a casual party or formal. Check out this D.C. Engagement Party by Otto Schulze we featured last June. This is a nice example of how to set the tone for your engagement party.
Dollars & Sense
Write down all of the elements of the party: the invitations, the food, the drinks, the entertainment, and the decor; and come up with a realistic estimation. Sticking to your budget from the start will set you up for a successful party.
Another way to save on the party is to make it a “just desserts” party or serve only cocktails and hors d’oevres. If you go this route, just make sure you make a note of it on the invite so guests aren’t expecting a sit-down dinner.
The Invitation
Invitations will set the tone for the party so make sure you get creative. Something to think about when designing your invitations is a theme or your color pallet for the wedding. There’s nothing better then having a theme for your engagement party.
Eat & Drink
To save money you can have a pot luck for an at home party and just serve beer and wine because you can buy those in bulk. If your going to get the party catered make sure that you ask the caterer what the cost would be if they did the engagement party, rehearsal dinner, and wedding. They may cut you and deal and save you some money!
Entertainment
What is a party without entertainment? Its not a must-do, but it will go nice with your theme. Look at different options and decide what is in your budget and what will compliment your party.
Flowers & Decor
Decide what will be best for the type of party you are having. You can either make it a DIY project or hire your favorite florist. Just make sure the flowers and decor are elegant and go with your theme.
Make sure the day of the party you have fun and don’t stress yourself out. You can check out the complete list of tips by visiting the Wedding Channel’s Planning An Engagement Party article.
Photo courtesy of Furious Photographers.
