I have been a bridesmaid two times in my life, and now, I am going to be one for a third time next October.
If you have never been a bridesmaid before, it is a little more than just showing up on the day of the wedding in your dress. You have plenty of appearances to make beforehand.
One of the first appearances is the engagement party. In this particular situation, my friend also asked my little sister to be the wedding planner, so I was more involved than ever.
When my sister first asked for my advice (this is her first wedding), I immediately Googled, “What is an engagement party?”
During my first bridesmaid experience, there wasn’t an engagement party; and in my second, it was just a simple event at a restaurant.
So, after a few bumps along the way, we figured it out. This leads me to this post…
I had so many questions when I started this plan, and I am sure if you are throwing an engagement party – you have them too.
What is an Engagement Party?
An engagement party is really whatever you want it to be. It is typically informal compared to the wedding and much smaller. The purpose of the party is to announce your engagement to your close loved ones and to kick off the wedding festivities.
Where Should You Have an Engagement Party?
An engagement party is low key compared to the actual wedding, so the venue can be someone’s home to your favorite restaurant in town. We ended up going with one of our favorite rooftop bars, but really you can have it anywhere. The key here is you are spending the bulk of your money on your wedding – so make this event simple and fun.
Who Throws an Engagement Party?
The answer to this question is anyone. Sometimes it is an event primarily for family and the wedding party, and sometimes it is an event for your close friends. It really depends on the couple. My friend is from out of town, so she wanted to just have a fun bar-hopping event with the people who care about her. She ended up throwing it herself with the help of her Wedding Planner.
Should You Have Food at an Engagement Party?
My personal opinion is you can have two types of engagement parties – a dinner or drinks and cake. You are celebrating, so if you are not doing it over a meal, there should be cake and a great time. We ended up getting a cake that revealed the wedding colors, and we had the event at a bar, so everyone was able to pick their poison. My other engagement party was at a restaurant, and I sat down with the bride and groom’s family and shared a meal. Both engagement parties were perfect for each couple.
Do People Bring Gifts to an Engagement Party?
Traditionally, people do not bring gifts to an engagement party. However, over the years, people have ended up bring a small gift (usually under $15). The most common gift I have seen is a bottle of champagne.
Who do you invite to an Engagement Party?
Whoever you want – just make sure if you invite them to the engagement party, you invite them to the wedding.
If you have any more questions, leave them in the comments below!
