Engagement Party Planning - Steps, Tips and Ideas

Do you need tips and ideas for engagement party planning?

Saying "We are engaged" is a special feeling and, in more cases than not, calls for a celebration, usually in the form of an engagement party.

With some smart planning, you can organize an engagement party, large or small, to announce to the world that you are engaged. By planning smart, you can eliminate the stress that accompanies putting on an event such as this. Read on to get some tips on how to plan a perfect engagement party.

Tips and Steps for Planning Engagement Parties

Here are some basic tips and steps for engagement party planning.

• Budget: The last thing you need upon getting engaged is to be worried about all the expense involved from engagement to the actual wedding ceremony. If you create a realistic budget, you can plan accordingly without worrying about finances. Having a party budget will also help dictate how large or small the engagement party should be.
  
  
• Engagement Announcement: Once you have decided on an acceptable budget, you can move on to creating your engagement party announcement. Your budget will have allowed for a professional printer or handmade announcements. Either is nice, but if planning a large celebration, perhaps spending a little more on a printer is a wise choice. If you are planning an intimate gathering of family, hand crafted announcements would add a lovely personal touch. Be sure to include all pertinent information, such as time, venue, date, and anything else that is relevant to the engagement celebration.
  
  
• Select A Date and Venue: A key ingredient in engagement party planning is to select a date as well as a venue for your event. Choosing an auspicious date for the ceremony is always fun, for example; you can consult a Chinese calendar to find a date that will 'bring the couple a happy life'. It is traditional to hold your engagement party at least two months prior to the actual wedding. Keep this in mind when looking to book a venue. Some venues that specialize in weddings and engagement parties require at least a month notice to book, so try to book as quickly as you can after picking a date. Weather could affect your choice; you wouldn't want a garden party in the middle of winter. Venues can be as simple as your parents' backyard to a ballroom at the Hilton. This aspect of engagement party planning will depend on how many guests you are planning to invite.
  
  
• Party Activities: As happy as you are to let everyone know about your engagement, an announcement can only last so long. To keep your guests interested and entertained, most engagement parties will have music, food, sometimes dancing, and even games, to keep everyone busy and having fun. Once you decide on the type of atmosphere you are after, casual or formal, the rest for this aspect of engagement party planning will fall into place. The party hosted in your parents' backyard to family and intimate friends could easily be a barbeque meal as well as a walk down memory lane with family all relating stories of the happy couple's childhood.
  
  
• Photography and Videography: Moments like this are always worth capturing and storing for years to come. Make sure to book a photographer and / or a videographer. At the very least, have a good supply of disposable cameras on hand for guests to take pictures and return to you.
  
  
• Menu: No party is complete without delicious food, and this must be taken care of for your engagement party planning. Your menu should take into consideration the length of the engagement party. This will tell you if appetizers are enough, or if finger foods are appropriate. A party lasting more than a couple of hours should probably have more than just chips and dip, while you would not want to try squeezing a three course meal into an hour-long event. As part of engagement party planning, do your homework and ensure you provide for vegetarians, allergies, or any other special dietary considerations for your guests. Your budget will help guide you in selecting an appropriate menu.
  
  
• Dress: It will be your call to decide on a formal or casual engagement party, or something in-between. Make sure you include this information on your announcement so that guests can come dressed appropriately for your event.
  
  
• Guests: As with most everything else involved with your engagement party planning, your budget will dictate how large or small your party will be. Family and close friends usually make up a more intimate gathering, but will also expect to be invited to a larger party as well. The size of your party is entirely up to you and your soon-to-be spouse, and perhaps this will be the first big decision you will have as a couple!

You should now have enough confidence to start planning a wonderful engagement party for yourself, a friend, or a family member. For more help with engagement party planning, you may wish to read the rest of the related articles on this website, or use the search function on this website.

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