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.

As a traditional event, throwing an engagement party is not as simple as inviting friends and family members and serving some food and drinks. There is etiquette that everyone is expected to adhere to in order to keep with tradition and acceptable customs.

Here are some engagement party pointers of which you should be aware:

 

Include the couple in the planning process

As news gets out easily through social media, the purpose of an engagement party has shifted from being an announcement to being a celebration of the couple’s decision. The bride’s parents can still host the party, but they are no longer obliged by tradition. If you are hosting an engagement party for the future bride and groom, keep in touch with them and include them in the planning process. Now is not the best time to pull off some surprises that would embarrass them.

 

Invite everyone that needs to be invited

The engagement party should be an intimate event that brings together the closest people in the couple’s life. You should send an invitation to immediate family members, close extended family, and good friends. These are the people who will be on your wedding list as well. Everyone you plan to include in your entourage should be invited as well. Even those who are far away should receive an invitation. You’ll never know who may want to make the trip just to share the special day with people they love!

 

Post or personally deliver invitations

The traditional way to send an engagement party invitation is via mail. Alternatively, the couple can personally deliver invitations to those they often see. For a less formal gathering, an invitation sent via email may do. However, avoid using social media to invite people because you may hurt the feelings of those who are not invited, such as the co-workers you see every day.

 

Be discreet about gifts

The couple or host of the engagement party should make it clear in the invitation that gifts are not usually given at the engagement party. However, guests may bring something if they wish. If you receive any gifts at your party, be sure that you thank the person and keep the gifts out of sight instead of displaying them on a gift table.

If you are invited to an engagement party and the invitation does not mention anything about gifts, come prepared with a gift card. Put it in an envelope and give it to the couple discreetly.

An engagement party is a good time for the couple to celebrate their recent engagement with family and closest friends. Everyone in your intimate circle should be invited even when if live far away.

At You Said It we have engagement cards that you can give to the couple to grace the occasion. If you know the couple very well we have funny engagement cards that will give you and them a smile.