Top Tips For Planning An Engagement Party

You're still reeling from the proposal and relishing telling your loved ones that you're engaged. But before your head starts spinning with wedding planning, why not host an engagement party to celebrate in style? Engagement parties are a great way to kick off the wedding festivities, bring your two families together, and put your party-planning skills to the test! So stay with us as we've compiled everything you need to know about planning an engagement party.

Decide who's hosting

Traditionally, the bride's parents host the engagement party, but do what feels right for you. It may be that both sets of parents host or that you and your partner take it on. When we say host, we mean send out the invites, arrange the food and drink, make the speech, and essentially foot the bill, so chat through and decide on what sort of gathering you want to throw. It may be that you hold a couple of celebrations, especially if you and your parents and/or parents-in-law live quite far away from each other. Therefore, you could host a formal party for family members, and then you and your partner host your own party which could be a more informal gathering for your local friends. To be honest, there's no right or wrong answer so go with whatever you fancy!

Pick a date

This is completely your call. You may want to host a surprise engagement party, which may take place quite soon after the engagement, or let the dust settle and give yourselves time to define your guest list and venue, etc., so go for a date that's a month or so after the engagement. Try not to wait too long for fear of the engagement party planning interfering with actual wedding planning!

You should consider who you really want to be there, so you need to let guests plan to attend, especially if they are travelling from out of town. When setting your engagement party date, think about public holidays and when guests may be away or find travel more tricky or expensive due to holidays.

Determine the budget

If you're a newly engaged couple taking the reins on hosting, be careful not to blow your wedding budget on an extravagant engagement party! As tempting as it may be to push the boat out, this is a pre-wedding event at the end of the day, and the best is yet to come. Whatever your budget, this is the perfect opportunity to put your budgeting skills to the test ahead of the wedding day.

If you're having the party hosted for you, then talk numbers from the off so you know what you've got to play with and there are no nasty surprises down the line! Deciding on a budget early on will help you narrow down potential venues, catering options, the number of guests you can invite, and what other details (if any) are a priority.

Creating the perfect guest list

Budget decided; now it's time to create your engagement party checklist so you know exactly what you need to get organised by when. The good news is that there are no rules when it comes to defining your engagement party guest list other than whoever you invite to your engagement party should also be invited to the wedding. So, it would be sensible to draft a rough guest list so that you can feel confident that all of those guests will be invited to the engagement party and wedding day. If you're not sure on the wedding guest list yet, it's safer to have a more intimate engagement party and just celebrate with close friends and family to save any embarrassment down the line. If your engagement party is being hosted for you, ensure you are aligned with the guest list, and everyone is happy with who will be attending.

Find a venue

Now that you know the budget and rough numbers that your hosting, it's time to find a venue for your engagement party. Anything goes, really, but it depends on the vibe you want to create. It may be a more relaxed party, so consider a pub or a garden party, or for something more formal, a restaurant or glam engagement party venue. It's nice to differentiate this pre-wedding event from the wedding itself, so choose a venue that perhaps you know will be completely different from the wedding.

A few things to consider when you're on the hunt for the perfect engagement party venue is the decor. Will you need to add a lot, or are you already happy with how the venue looks? Engagement party decorations are, of course, important but will add to the cost, and depending on the venue you choose, it may be an unnecessary task to fulfil. Engagement party etiquette states that engagement gifts aren't necessary. Still, some guests will undoubtedly bring cards and presents, so arrange a small table with a box and sign so guests know where to leave anything they have kindly brought for you.

Craft the perfect menu

Depending on the style of the engagement party, food and drink are a must and can be as casual or as formal as you like. A table with picky party food is fine if you're throwing your celebration in the evening. Drinks-wise, again, it's your call, but a glass of something is always a nice gesture on arrival, and then a paid bar is generally expected.

Alternatively, if you fancy something more formal, like a sit-down dinner party, that's fine, too. Whatever you choose, make sure you communicate with your guests so they know what to expect and can plan accordingly.

Send the engagement party invitations

Get your engagement party invitations out as soon as sensibly possible. To guarantee the best RSVP rate, send them a month to six weeks in advance, especially to give out-of-town guests time to plan their travel and accommodation. The kind of invitation should match the event you are hosting; therefore, an online invite would be best if you opt for a relaxed backyard BBQ celebration. But if it's a formal party, then go for formal invitations. Don't worry if you haven't defined your wedding theme just yet; your engagement party invitations don't need to match your wedding stationery suite.

Define any duties

Again, this depends on the kind of celebration you want to hold, but even the most informal of events still require planning and a certain amount of assistance from your nearest and dearest. Decide if you want anyone to say a few words; if so, when will this happen, and do you need to arrange any technical equipment? Who is going to help with the decor, not only putting it up but also clearing it away? Someone also needs to take charge of taking the gifts; all these small tasks could be planned in advance to help with a stress-free party.

Find yourself an outfit

Whether you're buying something new or raiding your wardrobe for the perfect look for your engagement party, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to what to wear. Firstly, you may have a few other pre-wedding parties to dress for, so don't blow the budget on your engagement party look. Dress accordingly to the venue; if it's an outdoor party, avoid stilettos and take a layer for later to keep warm. Communicate this to guests, too. Both you and your partner should select outfits that are special enough that you'll stand out from your guests but both match the party setting and venue.