Engagement party at your home: how to be prepared?

The wedding is a big occasion. Before it, there are usually a lot of little traditional celebrations, so if you feel like it, you can pay attention to some of them. Additionally to the traditional bachelor and bachelorette festivities, you can plan a celebration on the occasion of your engagement – let there be +1 celebration of love in your life!

If you decide to organize such a party, then our tips will help you in this pleasant business.

First of all, the location of the party must be wisely chosen. Let’s first discuss the most common options.

1. A fun ride in a limousine

You can arrange an extravaganza and book a limousine for the whole evening, inviting close friends for a ride around the city and to your home (just remember to stock up on champagne). 

Those couples who have already experienced these happy moments know that, on their wedding day, one won’t ever enjoy their limousine and its comfort, as they are constantly followed by photographers and cameramans, their heads being filled by a million stressful details and tons of organizational fatigue. Therefore, this kind of party can be the one to make you feel the joy of such pleasant extravagance.

2. Cafe or field trip

You could book a table in a cafe and celebrate in a more traditional way. Or you could get out and party in the heart of nature (if the weather permits), organize a barbecue, bring some red wine, and, after the announcement of the last awesome event, open the champagne.

3. Boat trip

A cool alternative would be a boat trip along the river – quite affordable + original (you could also have dinner there!).

4. Cocktail party

If you really wish to organize something different, consider a home party. Yes, perhaps many are used to celebrating such solemn events loudly and on a grand scale, but homeliness and comfort will only add to the importance of the moment. They will give a special feeling of the creation of a new family. 

Invite friends over to your house for a cocktail party. On a day like this, it’s not a sin to order some food from a restaurant so as not to stand at the stove all day and fall asleep when guests arrive.

5. Evening with the family

Sharing your joy with friends is a great idea, but maybe it would be a good idea to spend such an evening with your family. This holiday is important, first of all, for the two partners and their parents. It makes sense to combine this event with a discussion of wedding issues. It would also be great if the parents of the future newlyweds already know each other, so that the atmosphere would be relaxed, and communication would be easy and calm.

Now let’s get to the specific details of such a home celebration!

The time

Dear newly-made brides, there’s no rush! No need to set up a celebration on the same day when a ring from your beloved appears on your finger. If you’ve got some time to spare, take your time: in terms of the rules of etiquette, you have three months from the date of the engagement to celebrate this event.

The type of the party 

Consider the format of the celebration: do you want it to be a simple, family-ish gathering or you’d rather invitel a ton of people and have some fun? Do you think it is better to divide the groups and celebrate separately with your family and then with your friends, or do you think it’s a good idea to combine the groups at one event? The venue and budget depends on the scale and the format of the event.

The budget

Do not forget that the wedding itself is a very costly pleasure, and if you add a lot of events to it, the amount of money to be spent will be completely astronomical. Therefore, distribute the costs over time – it is more convenient if there is still some time left before the wedding and all celebrations follow at a certain interval.

The guests

Immediately outline the circle of people to be invited to the celebration. It would be impolite to ask someone to come and share this joyful occasion with you, and then not invite this same person to the bigger event. Think ahead.

The place

Such occasions are usually consecrated to restaurants, which are more official and expensive. A home party is destined for a small number of guests and warm, family gatherings. A country would be just perfect for such an occasion. In its yard, you can place some tables from j&m furniture and organize some music. You can also rent a house with a veranda at some recreation center and have an informal barbecue.

Try to arrange the celebration with the organizers of the future wedding celebration- it is quite possible that they will give you a good discount. 

Party topic

The funniest celebrations are the themed ones. Your party is the perfect opportunity to “rehearse” your wedding and try your talents at hosting an event. There are two options:

1. At the wedding, you will continue the topic set at the engagement party.
2. The engagement party will have a completely different topic than the wedding.

The first option is good if you have doubts about your chosen topic and want to, as they say, try it out on a mass audience. The second option is great if you like more than one topic: this way, you can bring two of your creative ideas to life at once.

An engagement party is also a great opportunity to test your chosen wedding professionals, such as decorators, photographers and the catering service.

Entertainment for guests

If you want to bring many people to your party, not all of whom are familiar, it is best to take care of the games and dances schedule beforehand. Here is a short list of cool options that will help all your invitees have fun.

• Fun outdoor games
• Live music
• An interesting and unusual show or master class for guests
• Video clip with your love story
• Photo banner or photo zone

The menu

Ensure a proper amount of food and beverages for all those invited. Speaking of, you can also order some of the dishes that will be present in your future wedding menu. 

Remember a few more important details. 

In order not to embarrass yourself, think over the list of guests in advance so that you do not invite people that don’t get along to such a party. 

Moreover, do not combine this event with other occasions, especially with a bachelorette or a bachelor party, as the original meaning of these events is drastically different.