Once you’ve decided to make your relationship a lifetime commitment, the next step is announcing and celebrating the news with your friends and family. It’s time for an engagement party!

An engagement party is a traditional gathering to celebrate a couple’s recent engagement. At this point, the friends and families of the couples get together and grow acquainted with each other in advance. Traditionally, the bride’s parents host the engagement party, but in modern times, the couple typically hosts their own celebration. The engagement party is best held before major wedding preparations begin, which is typically about six months before the big day.