Want to plan an engagement party to let the whole world know about the most important decision of your life?
Here are 10 Engagement Party Planning Tips:
1. Announce it to your loved ones.
You need to inform your parents of your decision, preferably in person, before anyone else. It’s time to let them share in your joy and this happy moment. After that, you can share it with your closest friends and family members.
2. Choose an auspicious date and place for the announcement
An important part of your engagement party planning is choosing the date for your engagement party. It can be tricky but straightforward. You may want to hold it at least six months before your wedding, so the festivities are close enough for friends and family to remember and not too close, so you don’t get stressed out from working on two significant events in your life.
There are so many various venues for your celebration! It can be a simple and intimate affair at home, a particular corner in your favorite restaurant or a private room in your favorite restaurant, or a barbecue by the sea.
3. Have an alternative or contingency plan for outdoor events
If you are planning an engagement party outside, check the weather. Opt for an outdoor barbecue or picnic area where you can gather your small party at the eleventh hour in a private bar or restaurant and continue your celebration.
4. Party games for your engagement party.
Choose a few games and excellent party music to include in your engagement party planning process. Include some icebreaker games where everyone gets a chance to get to know each other, especially for all the family members and friends of both parties who will be meeting for the first time at your engagement party.
5. Planning for the engagement party food.
There are many things people complain about at wedding and engagement parties – unfortunately, food is on the list. Food is an essential part of your engagement party planning, and it should be given high importance.
If you plan to have a pot luck, coordinate all the participants’ food so you don’t end up with two beef goulash, three apple pies, and five salads!
If you don’t want to be the best cook in town, don’t worry! Just let the restaurant or beach resort club take care of the food catering and setting.
Enjoy yourself and get to know his or her Uncle Joe and Aunt June instead of trying to cook up a storm in the kitchen.
6. Photography and video.
Although this is not the wedding day, pictures say more than a thousand words and last a long time. Depending on your budget, you can choose to have your friends and family take photos and capture your special moments on a video camera or hire a professional to take both pictures and video for both events (your engagement and wedding).
7. Search for your dream home in time for your engagement party
House hunting for that dream home is one of the most stressful, and it is also one of your most significant investments ever. Do start looking for a few good housing agents in your area, get the National Accreditation Organization for Housing Agents list. Check all the newspapers and websites for your place.
Also, do visit home exhibitions and home project launches to compare prices. Ask colleagues, friends, and relatives who recently bought houses or apartments for advice – this is an essential aspect of your engagement party planning, especially if you plan to hold the engagement party in your new home.
The following is my favorite – shopping for furniture and accessories for our dream home. I spent a few months reading books and magazines on home decor and window shopping for inspiration and ideas. If you want to work out and put together all your ideas for your dream home, you must be prepared to spend a lot of time shopping and comparing prices in furniture stores. Don’t forget to bring your calculators.
8. What to wear to an engagement party
You don’t want to wear something elaborate or something that looks like your wedding. Think colors, smart casuals for the beach and outdoors, and evening dresses for a glamorous night out. It all depends on the theme of your engagement party. Some prefer it free and easy for everyone, no fuss, focus on the happy couple.
9. Ask your best friends to be the maid-of-honor and best man
What better opportunity to ask your best friends and girlfriends to be the maid of honor and best man? I’m sure they will be very excited to be part of the team.
10. Ask friends and family members to bring photos.
You can ask your childhood friends and relatives to bring photos taken with you or your partner in the past. You can then make a montage of events based on the dates (or estimates) and create a slideshow or mini photo exhibit for your wedding day.
