5 Tips for Hosting an Engagement Party

An engagement party is a great way to show your support and happiness for a newly engaged couple — whether it's a child, sibling, friend, etc. If you plan to throw your favorite couple an engagement party, there are several things you need to keep in mind. Here are a few tips to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that the engagement party will be something that the couple will never forget:

• Work with the couple to build the guest list. Typically, all of the people who are invited to the engagement party are also invited to the wedding. Make the guest list accordingly, so that there are no surprises for anyone down the road.

• Make a decision about gifts. Decide ahead of time whether or not guests should bring gifts to the party for the couple. Gifts for an engagement party can be a source of confusion for guests. They often wonder about the etiquette regarding bringing gifts to an engagement party. To avoid messy situations, explicitly state “no gifts please” on the invitation OR list where the couple is registered. Either way, guests will know how to handle the gift situation.

• Keep the decorations simple. Flowers are perfect for a table centerpiece. Something as simple as sun flowers would add to this sunny occasion. Another nice touch...set up a table with framed pictures of the couple at various stages of their relationship.

• Be prepared to give a toast at the party. As the host, you should be prepared to welcome everyone and thank them for coming to share in the celebration of the couple’s happy engagement. There may be other guests that are interested in making toasts. Try to find out ahead of time if others are interested in making engagement party toasts so you can allocate time.

• Take lots of photographs. As the host, you may be busy doing other things during the party so delegate another guest at the party to do it for you or leave disposable cameras out for people to take their own pictures. You can also hire a professional photographer for a few hours to provide the photography for the engagement party.