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When it comes to planning your wedding, we like to focus on all of your celebrations, not just the wedding day. Your pre-wedding celebrations not only set the tone for the big day, but they also require the same commitment + dedication as planning the wedding day itself.
Today we're sharing all the details on planning your first big event: The engagement party! Read on for more tips + tricks!
Date + Venue
Your engagement bash is the first festival on this amazing journey, which means it should be celebrated soon after your fiancé pops the question. We recommend taking a couple months to plan the event to figure out all the details. First, it is also important to think about where you’ll be hosting the party. Traditionally, the parents of the couple are the ones hosting the engagement party, but nowadays we see couples planning their own bash. There is no set of rules to where you should have your engagement party, so feel free to celebrate at a home, restaurant, or wherever. Just two tips to keep in mind when it comes to looking for a venue: make sure the venue fits the formality of the event + don’t upstage your wedding.
Invitations + Guest
When it comes to inviting guests to your festivities, there is no rule on who to invite + who not to invite. You can invite as few or as many people as you like, but one thing to note is that those you invite to your engagement party should be invited to your wedding! Once you have your guest list, date, + venue set, it is time to send out the invitations. The formality of the event should match the invitations; for example, if it is a casual event like a backyard BBQ then feel free to send evites compared to a sit down dinner at a restaurant where a paper invite is more suitable. Therefore, it is important to talk to your significant other to figure out how formal or casual you would like your engagement party to be.
Decor + Food
Another important detail is the decor + food. Now you may be stressed about what kind of decorations you might need, but remember that it is okay to keep it simple. Unlike your wedding, you don’t have to go big with your engagement decor (unless you want to), so you may keep it minimal while still looking elegant. Depending on where you are celebrating, our favorite decorations for any engagement party are white floral centerpieces, candles, + string lights. Remember don’t upstage your wedding decor! So now let’s talk about everyone's favorite topic, food! As much as you would like to have a 5 course meal at your engagement party, that may be a little over the top for this festivity. Some great food ideas are an assortment of appetizers + wine to give off a cocktail party vibe. If you want something with a little more food, then another great option is a family style buffet to feed all your hungry guests.
Dress Attire
Now the big question is what do you wear to an engagement party?! Do you dress in a full on gown/tux or keep it simple with shorts/shirt? The best option is to meet somewhere in the middle because your outfits shouldn't compete with your wedding attire, but at the same time you should still look presentable because all eyes are on you. For the future bride we recommend a mid-length white dress; it’s a great way to honor your new engagement while giving your guest a preview of what they’ll see in a couple months. As for the men, you can go for simple dress pants paired with a long sleeve button up. Since engagement parties aren’t super formal like weddings, it is okay to skip the tie.
Gifts
One more important thing to note: when it comes to gifts, they are not mandatory for an engagement bash. This event is more of a get together amongst friends + family, so therefore your guests aren’t required to bring a gift. That doesn’t mean that all of your loved ones will come empty handed but don’t worry, you’ll be surrounded by a sea of gifts on your wedding day.
