8 Tips for Planning an Engagement Party

Decide who is going to host. Hosting duties typically include paying for the event, sending invitations, and making a toast. Traditionally an engagement party is hosted by the bride's parents. However, you don't have to stick to the tradition. The party can be hosted by the groom's parents, both sets of parents jointly, other relatives, or close friends. You can even throw two engagement parties hosted by different people, one for your families and one for your friends.

Set a date. If you want to break the news about your engagement at the party, you need to throw it is early as possible because news travel fast. Even if you haven't told many people, someone might find out. The best choice for a small gathering is the weekend after the proposal. If you've already announced your engagement and just want to celebrate, give yourself about a month to get used to your engaged status and plan the party.

Determine the level of formality and choose the appropriate venue. You can choose from a lot of options, from a formal party at a country club to a low-key gathering at your backyard. Everything depends on the people you are going to invite and your own taste. Just don't go over the top. Remember, you have a wedding to plan, and your engagement party must by no means surpass your big day.

Decide on a budget. Determining the engagement party budget gives you a chance to practice before determining the wedding budget. Even if you are not planning anything fancy for the party, it is good to keep track of your expenses and be realistic.

Finalize the guest list. As far as the wedding party guest list is concerned, there is one firm rule: everyone who is invited to your engagement party should also be invited to the wedding. But it doesn't mean that everyone who will be invited to the wedding should also be invited to the engagement party. So if you are not planning a big wedding, the guest list of your engagement party should include only closest friends and family. Don't forget to send out invitations in advance!

Handle the gift situation. Most people don't know much about the engagement party etiquette and they might be confused whether they should bring gifts or not. If you don't expect them to bring gifts, you should explicitly state it on the invites. If you do want to get presents, make a preliminary list and make sure all the guests see it.

Think about the menu and décor. The menu will depend on the level of formality, but most engagement parties don't involve a full-fledged sit-down dinner. Keep it simple. The same applies to the décor. By the way, the décor of your engagement party don't have to match the décor of your wedding.

Organize toasts. Typically the host is expected to toast the engageв couple and the couple toasts the host. The bride and fiancé's parents usually toast, too. If you have an informal engagement party hosted by friends, the order of toasts doesn't matter much, everyone is welcome to make a toast at any time.