What to Know Before Planning Your Engagement Party
First and foremost congratulations! This is an exciting time for you and your significant other. Now that the proposal is out of the way it is time to start thinking of another important task, planning an engagement party! While you do not want to take away anything from the big wedding day, this is a great opportunity to practice some event planning skills. Very similar to the wedding, you are going to want to find a venue, choose a date,create a guest list, send out invitations, decide on a menu, and stick to a budget.
Hosting
When it comes to traditions the bride’s parents usually host the engagement party. However, in today’s world it is entirely appropriate for anyone close to the happy couple to take the role. In the end there really is no right or wrong answer when it comes to planning an engagement party. It is also not unusual to have more than one engagement party. For example, if your parents wanted to just have one for family only, but your friends also want to celebrate you. Two parties make sense if you live in a different state or city from your family.
Set a Date
Whether you or someone else is hosting the event you are probably wondering when to have your engagement party. Just like the hosting situation there is no right or wrong answer. Obviously if you do not plan to host, being aware of your host’s schedule is important. Availability expands beyond your host, you should be considering your guests as well. That way everyone can make the appropriate accommodations and celebrate the next chapter of your life!
Depending on the length of the engagement you may throw a party a few weeks after the big question was asked or a couple months into the wedding planning process. While, it can be an exciting time you should take in the moment and your newly engaged status. Waiting provides you the clarity to really picture the size of your guest list, style and location of your wedding. Which will ultimately lead you to decide on the type of event you want to throw for the engagement party.
Determine Your Budget
If you are the one hosting, be cautious not to blow your entire wedding budget on this one event leading up to your big day. However, if someone else is hosting this obviously allows more flexibility. Having someone who you trust to host is a good starting point as it will be easier to communicate with them on themes and the budget. No matter if you are having a low key event or not keeping a budget is still a good idea to use as a benchmark. Also, the more specific your budget is the more detail can go into your guest list, venue, and decor.
Selecting The Right Place
Of course when planning an engagement party one of the most important steps is finding the perfect spot to have it. A home or restaurant are classic choices, but that does not mean that you have yours there. Any spot from an art gallery to even a beach is fair game. Just like your wedding venue, the place that you select should speak to the formality of the party you want to throw. So, if you are thinking casually for your event a backyard might be perfect for you and your guests.
Obviously, if you are having a hard time getting things lined up for your engagement party there are always professionals to help with your event. Art of The Event will work alongside you to ensure that all planning, decorating, and hosting is taken care of for you, so you can enjoy your special event.
Invitations
If you are pondering who to invite to your event, just know there are no rules or guidelines for this. The only tip to keep in mind is that any guest that is invited to your engagement party should be invited to the wedding also. This is important because it will have an effect later on when it is time to add up wedding guests. So really think about the size of the wedding you are planning on having. If you are not sure about who you want at your wedding that is ok, keep it to just close family and friends so no feelings are hurt.
Once you have a nice list of people that you want to share your special event with then it is time to send out the invitations. It is important to note that when planning and sending out your invitations you want to give your guests lead time to ensure they can make arrangements to be there.
Food
Another aspect of your engagement party is the food. No, you do not have to provide each person with a 5 course meal for the night, but there should definitely be something for everyone to sip and munch on. Anything from appetizers to a full on buffet will work. If you are not planning to serve a full meal, pick a time in between typical meals and make it clear on the invitation so everyone is informed.
Decor
There is no need to give yourself a headache pondering what you want to do for your decor. It does not have to match your wedding perfectly or at all. However, based on your budget feel free to look into a professional event planner to work with you. Art of The Event will assist with staying within your budget and creating and designing the perfect engagement event for you. Their services range from design sets to full blow custom pieces. On top of that, having a relationship with a planner will benefit you when you are ready to plan the wedding as they already know your taste!
Plan Your Next Event With Art of The Event
If you are getting ready to plan your engagement party, first off congratulations! This is an exciting time in your life and it should be celebrated accordingly. Having an event planner can really help take the stress off your hands. Our team will work with you to ensure that you have an amazing engagement party to kick off the new chapter of your life. Get in contact with our team by calling us at 781-670-9292 or by filling out a contact form on our website. We look forward to celebrating with you!
