Engagement
Parties
Engagement showers and parties are a great way
to announce your engagement to the world. Your party offers an
excellent opportunity for families and friends from both sides get
to know each other.
Your
engagement party can be scheduled anytime after your engagement and
before your wedding day. The parties are scheduled within a couple
of months after the engagement. The party should provide an
opportunity for friends and family to celebrate the engagement
together. These are informal and relaxed gatherings. The main
purpose is for the families and friends to meet and become friendly.
Even
though traditionally the parents of the bride host the engagement
party, it can be hosted by anyone close to the bride and groom. The
engagement party can be held anywhere. I needs to be conveniently
located, the parent's home or a friend's home are both popular
choices. Usually the future bride and groom both host the party.
Both sets of parents can throw a party together for the bride and
groom. You should invite anyone that's important to you. This list
includes friends, family, school friends and coworkers. Remember
that you should only invite people to the party who will be invited
to the wedding too.
The
parties are informal events. The food is usually finger foods.
Oftentimes the party is held at a restaurant for a larger party of
people that aspire for more formal
settings.
Do
not use the engagement party to introduce the parents for the first
time to each other. It would be best to choose a more intimate
occasion when only the parents and bride and groom are present. A
pre-engagement dinner might be the perfect solution to introduce
your parents to each other. Engagement parties are fun and they can be
expensive. Engagement parties are more advisable for couples with a
long engagement.
Etiquette does not dictate that guests should
bring gifts to the engagement party. The engagement party provides a
good opportunity to start thinking about your gift registry. After
the party send thank you notes to all of your
guests!
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