The Bride’s Survival Guide: Engagement Party

Engagement party preparation could be lighter than wedding preparation but needless to say, it aims the same goal, to make it successful, memorable, and fun to all attendees.

Generally speaking, engagement party must happen within 3 months after the announcement, it could be later, but this event is best to happen when almost everything is still fresh.

Bride to be must not fret as if the party is well planned, everything will sail smoothly and preparation will be done in no time.

Tips For A Successful Engagement Party

If you want your engagement party to be successful, following the tips below is highly recommended.

• Set the timing

As previously discussed engagement party is best celebrated within 3 months after you make an announcement, but needless to say, there is no rule to follow in terms of scheduling this kind of party. You can do it anytime you want, but, there are some things you need to consider ensuring that you will achieve high attendance like the availability of your guests, the season when you plan to have it done and the location you plan to celebrate it.

• Style of the party

One of the things you need to decide on is whether to have a formal or informal engagement party. Do you want your guests to arrive in suits and long gowns or do you want them to come in their most preppy and comfortable outfits?

• Prepare the list of your guests

The list of guests is easier to complete for an engagement party than a wedding. You can be more lenient with it, and invite as many as you want. Headcount is not too big of an issue during the engagement party. Inviting people who are not invited to your wedding, because of the limitations on the number of guests, can be invited here.

Inviting people close to you or have been part of your journey as boyfriends and girlfriends can make the engagement party more meaningful.

• Send invitation as early as possible

Once you are already decided on the date and the people to invite on your engagement party, sending out invites as soon as possible is recommended. Sending invitations a month in advance can give your guests enough time to prepare and free up their schedules.

Invitations can be sent using different social media platforms, same as with RSVP, but for older generations, sending hard copy invitations is still recommended.

• Decide on the food to be served

Set your menu as early as possible. Come up with as many foods and drinks you can serve. You can hire a catering service to make the food preparation easier or if you are planning to prepare food by yourself, have someone to help you with cooking and serving the food.

Whatever it is you decide on, make sure that it will give your guests scrumptious and fulfilling meals.

• Plan a gift strategy

Unlike weddings and shower parties, engagement parties do not require people to bring gifts, but needless to say, there is nothing wrong if you think about ways to make sure that the gifts your visitors will give are something that you want and you can use.

Make sure that this information is cascaded in a way that is not obligatory or demanding.

• Plan for the venue

You can have the event celebrated in your house or you can rent a space for a more convenient engagement party celebration. Wherever it is you plan to hold, make sure that visitors will not have a hard time reaching the venue. Choose a venue that is accessible to both commuters and those with private vehicles.

Make sure that there is enough safe parking space for car owners to park their cars.

Tip: If the place is a bit hard to reach, providing a map is ideal.

• Think of a theme

Is it a masquerade, luau, or pajama party? Think of a theme that matches the event, the venue, the decorations, and the food. Make it appropriate to the party being celebrated, be creative and unique.

The engagement party theme does not necessarily be the same as with the wedding theme.

• Plan your budget

Planning your budget is very critical with an engagement party, as overspending is not the best way to celebrate this event. You have to work on it within your means as the expenses will kick in more during the wedding preparation, which will come right after this party.

Stick with the budget you set, and as much as possible, do not go beyond that.

• Take photos!

You do not need to hire a professional photographer to capture special moments on this day, if your budget permits well and good, and if not, you can use the camera of your phone to capture special moments of this event.

Check out our Bride’s survival guide.

Banner Image Credit: @vickycaptivatingcollective