Engagement parties aren’t a huge thing in the UK. However, they are a really good idea. It’s a chance to celebrate your engagement with people you love. In turn, it gives your friends and family a chance to meet the friends and family of your loved one, if they haven’t already. This helps to avoid some of the awkwardness when people first meet on the big wedding day.
If you are wondering what an engagement party is and if you should have one – this blog post is for you. It will help you better understand what the party is for. We also look at who should be invited, if invites are needed, and if gifts should be expected.
There are no strict rules to what an engagement party should look like. It could be a large family meal out, a garden party with a BBQ and games or a hired hall with disco. It’s an opportunity for people to celebrate the proposal and get to know each other. There could be games, food, drink or a disco. It really depends on you and your partner, and what you both want.
Traditionally, an engagement party will take place shortly after the engagement. They can also take place at least a few months before the wedding. Anyone that is invited to your engagement party should be invited to your wedding. This is general good manners. It’s a pre-wedding party, so those being invited to the wedding should be at the engagement party, and vice-versa.
Deciding if you should send invitations or not really depends on who you are inviting. Are all of your guests on Facebook or email? If so, you may prefer to send invites that way. After all, professional invites and postage costs can really add up. That said, formal invitations really set the scene if it is a more formal engagement party. If you are having a laid back and casual engagement party, set the scene with more laid-back invites.
Gifts shouldn’t be expected or asked for at your engagement party. However, you may get one or two. Have a space available for them to be placed, but don’t make a big deal of it. You could have a link to information about your wedding on the engagement invitation. This could then have your wedding gift list on. Guests may choose to purchase something from that gift list for your engagement.
Here at Elite Events ECL we are professional party planners. We can help plan and arrange your engagement party for you. All you’ll need to do is turn up and look fabulous. We can do the rest for you. We can sort the Wedding too if you like!