Engagement party etiquette is much more relaxed these days. The commonly accepted rules for engagement parties are relatively simple and easy to follow. Just make sure you get these etiquette basics down and enjoy the celebration.
Bride's Family First
If possible, the bride's family should host the engagement party and invite friends and family from both sides. If the bride and groom's families live in separate city, it is traditional for the two sides to throw separate parties.
No Gifts, Please
Make sure the invitations emphasize that no gifts are expected. Gifts are for bridal showers and the actual wedding; the engagement party is just an extra celebration to spread the good news. If someone does bring a gift, open it after the party and send a thank you note.
Make It an Early One
If you hold an engagement party, make sure you do so at least six months prior to the wedding. Any closer to the wedding and your engagement party will make you look like an attention hog, what with the bridal shower, bachelorette party, bachelor party and then wedding itself. If you have a long engagement, feel free to hold the party a whole year before the wedding. If you have a shorter engagement-under six months-it's best to skip the engagement party altogether.
Be Careful With the Guest List
Only invite guests that you are sure you will invite to the wedding. No one wants to go to your engagement party and then get left out of the real deal.
Hand It Over to the Bride's Father
The bride's father should open the evening with a toast to the happy couple. The groom should then respond with a toast honoring the bride's family. After this, the bride should present the groom with a significant honorary gift, since she has the engagement ring to show off. Choose something that will last a lifetime.
 | If you and your partner are considering marriage or civil union, make sure not to rush it, and learn more about the legal implications of your commitment. |
 | You're engaged, and you're ready to share your joy with the world. But, before you spread the word of your engagement, talk to your partner about who will find out first and how they will hear the happy news. |
 | It would be a match made in Heaven if families always liked the fiancé. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen, and it is actually common to encounter one or more family members who don't adore your fiancé the way you do. |
If you feel like you can wake up next to your loved one for the rest of your life and have been together long enough to know the best and worst parts of one another, then a marriage proposal just might be the next step. |
No one ever wants to think that it might happen to us, but when an engagement is broken, who keeps the ring? Is an engagement ring a gift? Or is it a promise, that is broken along with the engagement? |
