Engagement Party Ideas

Following tradition it is the bride's parents who organise and host the engagement party. And it falls to the brides father (or sometimes the fiance) to give the toast formally announcing the engagement. However, the grooms father may also have an opportunity to toast the couple.

The event can take any form that you choose. A lunch, a buffet, a dinner party or even a special trip, it doesn't matter as long as you're comfortable with the arrangements.

Invitations can be made face to face or written according to the level of formality of the event. As a point of etiquette, only invite people to your engagement if you intend to invite them to your wedding.

Sometimes the party is organised so that the announcement is a surprise to most of the guests, in which case, the invitations would have to be more general in nature.

If you don't want a traditional engagement party, there's an unlimited number of ways to celebrate. You engagement celebrations can be as simple or as elaborate as your imagination and financial position allow. Here are some ideas;

Indoors

If you would like to mark the occasion with a formal celebration, why not opt for an intimate dinner party. Invite your closest friends and family to enjoy this highly personal way of announcing your big news. This option is tailor made if you want to announce your engagement with a formal toast.

Alternatively, if you want to celebrate at home in more informal surroundings, hold an "open house" party. Decide what day you want to hold your party and then invite your friends and family to "drop in". This might be the best option if you know a lot of people as the invite can be loosely based on an afternoon through into the evening. After all, that's the nature of an open house - Anyone who knows you can drop in and wish you well.

Finally, if your personality is more exuberant, a fancy dress party can be a fun and novel way to celebrate.

Outdoors

If your get engaged during the summer, there are plenty of opportunities to take your celebrations outside. What about a barbeque, or a beach party? Or even a barbeque on the beach. Alternatively, if you have a swimming pool or know someone who does, you could hold a pool party.

Out On The Town

For many people, celebrations = champagne. So a champagne engagement party fits the bill perfectly. And there are so many types of vintage available, there should be one to suit your budget.

On a similar theme, you might choose to organise a cocktail party. And as a centrepiece to this elegant and glamorous party, why not concoct a special cocktail named after you and your partner.

Finally, you might want to consider a themed party. If you're going out on the town, most options revolve around the type of food on offer at your chosen venue. Anyone for chinese, indian, mexican, italian, french etc?

If you need help planning your wedding, Ellie Thomson can provide you with everything you need to know about all the wedding essentials.