Plan an Engagement Party

The party can take any form that appeals to the couple. Be sure to consider budget and personality. If you are the bride and groom and are throwing the party, keep it simple, as it is an additional expense. Your happiness can be celebrated just as well with hot dogs and hamburgers as with canapés and champagne.

 Some fun party options are:

• A backyard barbecue
• A formal dinner party — either in someone’s home or at a nice restaurant
• A brunch
• A formal or informal cocktail party
• A potluck
• A wine tasting
• • A softball or touch football game between the families

Regardless of what kind of party you throw, think about little ways that will make this a personal and memorable event for the couple and the guests.

Consider providing monogrammed napkins, place cards, small magnets or other printable items with the date of the wedding and the couple’s names. If the wedding colors have been chosen, use them to decorate. This provides a subtle preview for guests of what is to come. If the couple has chosen an exotic honeymoon destination, serve food and drinks unique to that location.

Have the bride and groom tell their engagement story to the guests. There will be people there who have not heard the details, and this will save the happy couple from having to repeat the story. Plus, it's romantic!

Because this may be the first time the two families are coming together, set up some kind of fun trivia game about the bride and groom and their history. This can either be done as a large group game or as individual sets of questions at small tables.

Have someone on hand to shoot candid photos. A professional photographer isn’t necessary, but it will be fun for the couple to have photographed keepsakes of the event.

Make the engagement party as low-key as possible for guests by paying attention to social niceties. For example, the invitation should note that gifts are not expected at this event. Between the wedding shower and the wedding, guests will spend plenty enough on the newlyweds. The host should give a short speech thanking everyone for attending and celebrating the engagement. It's also the host's job to create a comfortable and inviting environment for guests.