The days between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day have come to be known as "Engagement Season." If you've recently become engaged and will be getting married in 2020, you may want to take a little time to celebrate this special moment in your life by throwing an engagement party.
Many couples get engaged over the holidays because it's a festive time when your friends and family are already gathered together and the romance surrounding Valentine's Day is simply irresistible to a romantic soul. You'll be very busy very soon with all of those wedding planning tasks for the big day. An engagement party lets you enjoy the thrill of getting engaged before the planning "work" begins. Here are a few tips for making your engagement party amazing.
Decide Who Will Host
Traditionally, the bride's parents always hosted engagement parties. Today, not many people choose to stick to tradition so it's perfectly acceptable for anyone that wants to host the party to do so.
Other relatives or close friends may want to throw a celebration to officially announce your engagement. Lots of couples even decide to throw their own engagement event. If the bride and groom, as well as each of their families, are from different towns, more than one party may be necessary.
Choose the Party Style
An engagement party can be a small get-together, a gigantic formal event, or anything in between. If you are hosting it in a fancy restaurant, the decorations will need to be a bit more formal. On the other hand, if you choose to have the celebration in a more casual venue or even at home, your party style can be anything you like. Have some fun with it, and make sure that no matter who throws the party, the feel of the event reflects the newly engaged couple.
Compile a Guest List
You will need to decide whether this is a party for only family and your closest friends or if you want to open it up to a larger group of people. One thing to keep in mind is that you should only invite guests that will also be invited to the wedding. An exception to this rule is if you will be hosting a small destination wedding that not everyone will be able to attend. In this case, the engagement party is a nice way to include them in some of the wedding excitement.
Pick a Time & Place
If this party will be the big announcement to everyone, then you will want to have it as soon after the proposal as possible. Even if everyone already knows, it's best to throw it within the first few months after getting engaged. That way you can begin focusing all of your attention on wedding planning after the party.
The party style can help you choose the time of day to host it. Afternoon brunches and backyard BBQs will most likely be informal. Cocktail parties can be casual or fancy, and evening dinner parties are most often a dressier occasion. As for the venue, that will depend on how formal your party will be, the number of people you want to invite, and the availability of the date you have chosen.
Take LOTS of Photos
You will want to remember every moment of this special celebration before the big day. Hiring a professional photographer will guarantee that you get lots of great photos from the engagement party. This is a great opportunity to get some wonderful pictures to use on your wedding website.
If you don't want to hire a pro, encourage your guests to share their pictures with you. Create a hashtag specifically for the engagement party or come up with one that can also be used for other wedding events too, including the ceremony and reception.
Get Ready to Toast
This is most definitely the type of party that requires a toast or two. The host will be expected to say a few words about the people they are honoring. The future bride and groom should say something too. If you can work the proposal story into the toast, that will save you from having to tell it over and over to each person individually.
Our online wedding store is not only "Where Brides Go, For What Brides Love" for the wedding itself, but also for all of the parties and events leading up to that special day. From the engagement party through the bridal showers, bachelorette parties, ceremony, and reception, WhereBridesGo.com is your one-stop-shop for nearly everything you need. Head on over, take a look, and get inspired to create the wedding of your dreams!
~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team
Post by Deanna Powell, Certified Bridal Consultant