Should we have an engagement party?
So he’s popped the question, placed a ring on your finger and it is now official – you’re engaged to be married! Exciting times …and also a time that immediate questions start to be asked about the whole process to follow. One of the first will be “Should we have an engagement party?” Well, it’s one of those questions that may be best answered with a question …or a few actually …so ask yourselves…
Is it expected? – The answer to this is a resounding ‘No.’ Remembering that not all proposals are even made with an ‘engagement’ period in mind, engagement itself is not even considered to be absolutely necessary. Your family and friends will be happy to celebrate this time with you, but should not expect an engagement party and will understand that you have bigger priorities at this time.
Can we afford it? – The cost of your wedding, unless you are among the privileged few to whom money is no object, will be a major fact to consider …so do your sums before you even consider an engagement party, as it is a ‘nice to have’, rather than a ‘has to happen’. Remember there will be other parties as part of the run up to the wedding, which are considered to be traditional and more important than this one.
Are we ‘jumping the gun?’ – This is a question that some couples may might find absurd and even refuse to answer. They are engaged and therefore absolutely fixed on a fairly immediate marriage to follow! That may be so, but you may also be one of those couples that see engagement as a fairly long term, ‘trial period’ of cementing your relationship before an absolutely final decision of when to be married is made. If you are the latter, possibly having an engagement party is premature? It’s your call.
If we go ahead, do we invite everyone that will be at the wedding? – If you do, you will be the exception. Very few people can afford to have a very large engagement party, but that aside, an engagement party is usually an occasion just shared with immediate family and very close friends. It can be a small, cosy and far less costly affair. It’s not a bad idea to look for a versatile wedding venue that can accommodate an intimate party, as well as the main event, so you can get a feel for the place before the big day.
We hope that question “Should we have an engagement party?” has been answered for you with these questions, but always keep in mind that the only thing that is ‘set in stone’ about any wedding is that the Bride and Groom show up on the day and have the kind of wedding that they want to enjoy. Pretty much anything else is up to you, so go with your heart ….and your wallet!
For more advice on how to plan the before and the during the wedding click here to download our Ultimate Wedding Planner.