How does an engagement party work

For something more casual, someone's home, backyard or a favorite local bar are all great choices. Traditionally, engagement parties were cocktail hours hosted by the family of the bride. Nowadays, the affair can be as big or small, formal or informal as you'd like!

Part of the fun of an engagement party is tailoring it to your precise vision. Some parties are incredibly formal and are hosted at country clubs and in ballrooms.

Others are more relaxed, with backyard barbecues and tubs of beer on ice. Whatever your vision, be sure to communicate your hopes to the person hosting the party. They'll play the biggest role in determining how formal your actual engagement party is. Unlike bridal showers, engagement parties aren't typically as gift-centric despite the fact that some guests will likely want to send or bring a gift.

That means you probably won't devote any time to opening gifts in front of the group. Instead, this party's mostly about eating and drinking, catching up with old friends and introducing your families and different friend groups to one another.

It's not uncommon for the host or one of the couple's parents to say a few informal words of congratulations, but a toast definitely isn't required. You could also play a few fun engagement party games like Wedding Bingo or a just-engaged version of The Newlywed Game.

If the party's outside, set up lawn games or a fun DIY station to keep everyone entertained. As with any event, your wardrobe will depend on the setting of the party. Aside from the obvious don't wear an evening gown or tux to a backyard barbecue , keep it simple enough that you don't outdo your wedding look, but special enough that you feel special. We'll put it this way: You'll like be taking tons of pictures, so wear something you love and won't mind being photographed in over and over again.

If you have a specific dress code for guests think: "cocktail attire" or "jeans are fine! Read on for more engagement party style ideas. There's no need to plan a five-course meal with a four-hour open bar. Anything from passed apps or tasting menu stations to a family-style buffet or casual cookout will work.

Or get creative and serve up dishes that mean something you. Are you two known for hosting friends for a home-cooked Italian dinner every Sunday? Sounds like a great place to start. As for dessert, serve it if you'd like, but it doesn't have to be an expensive tiered cake. Consider gourmet ice cream sandwiches, assorted baked goods or seasonal sweets like candy apples or cotton candy.

Gifts aren't traditionally part of the engagement party experience. Still, some guests will inevitably show up bearing presents.

It's a natural inclination to want to celebrate your good news! Given that gifts are somewhat inevitable, you and your partner may want to start putting together a wedding registry even earlier than anticipated.

Don't feel like you need to have your full registry completely finished before the party. Simply add a few things you know you could use — just in case someone wants to surprise you with a gift at the engagement party. Like your invites, don't feel any pressure to rush into choosing your wedding colors or theme just so your engagement party can match. You might even consider picking a style or theme completely different from your wedding vision to mix things up. If you're planning a formal ballroom wedding, maybe go for a laid-back backyard party with vibrant colors, DIY details and an outdoor setting to celebrate your engagement.

A few small arrangements from your local florist can dress up any space and it's a great way to try out a potential florist for the wedding. All of this said, if whoever's hosting your engagement party has a mind to go big or go home, they're welcome to as long as you sign off on it, of course. You can get started with these 8 things every couple should do after getting engaged here! Get your own personalized wedding planning dashboard to keep track of all your wedding tasks, budget expenses, and more.

When Should you Host your Engagement Party? The last thing you want to be doing is planning two big events at once! Who Should Host an Engagement Party? Who Pays for an Engagement Party? Etiquette Guide. Everything you need to plan a stress-free wedding—in one beautiful place. One-time payment. Unlimited access. Lite Create and publish your own unique wedding website. Sign up for free. Get Standard plan. A cocktail party hosted by the bride's parents at their home is the classic example, but it is by no means the only option.

Part of the delight of an engagement party is that it allows the host room for improvisation and inventiveness. Some engagement parties are very formal think country clubs! A casual backyard party with homemade food and fairy lights will also do the trick. The traditional rules of etiquette dictate that guests invited to the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding.

However, the guest list will likely be shorter. Often the idea is to make this a more intimate event than the wedding itself. But this is no longer the only accepted approach—times have changed! Now, since many people throw small weddings or hold their destination ceremonies far from friends and even family, the engagement party often includes people who may not be invited to the eventual nuptials. Pro tip: For a traditional party like one given by the bride's parents , both families should definitely be invited, whether or not all members will be able to attend the event.

Everyone at the party will want to have a chance to speak to the happy couple, so create a space where the bride and groom and their respective parents!

Once the party is underway, there is also the matter of toasts. At informal events hosted by friends, of course, anyone can make a toast at any time. Certainly, the engaged couple will also want to make a speech of their own before the end of the event. Even though gifts are not customary at an engagement party, some guests will inevitably arrive bearing them.

This is a natural impulse: It is part of the celebratory nature of weddings and parties. With this in mind, the couple may want to compile a preliminary wedding registry gift list—then, the couple's parents can inform any gift-happy guests about where this info can be found. For an informal party given by friends, it is unlikely that the guests will arrive with anything more substantial than a bottle of wine or some flowers, the same tokens they might bring to any festive event.

Giving an engagement party is a special act of generosity and affection on the part of your family and friends. Among the many memorable stops along the road to a wedding, it is the first and has a special significance.

Traditionally, engagement parties are hosted by the bride's parents, but really anyone can throw the engagement party. Some couples even choose to throw their own celebration! As with all of your pre-wedding parties, anyone who makes the guest list for your engagement party must also be invited to the wedding. This is particularly the case if the engagement party will be hosted by the two of you or by your parents. Deciding whether or not to send formal invitations to your engagement party depends on the type of event.

If you have a little time and are hosting a seated dinner, paper invitations are an elegant option. Going more casual? Opt for an e-vite with a playful theme. The great thing about e-vites is that the design options are endless, so you can choose a formal design for a fancier engagement party.

While it's A-OK to complete a registry for guests that want to bring a gift to your engagement party, it's not appropriate to include registry information in your engagement party invitation. Instead, include registry links on your wedding website or rely on word of mouth.

Just remember that giving gifts, while certainly customary, is not mandatory for engagement parties. Having more than one engagement party is quite common, especially if the bride and groom are from different places or live far from home and want to have a party with non-locals, too.

If your friends or a coworker want to plan something informal, like after-work drinks, you can invite a larger group without worrying about an etiquette faux pas.

Whether you got engaged over the holidays or any other time of year, you have the option of combining your engagement party with another celebration. Just try to avoid holidays for which people will have other plans and will be focused on family traditions, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or a date like Valentine's Day when people will want to make plans with their special someone.