What is a proper gift for an engagement party? Since this celebration is more informal than an actual wedding, you have the opportunity to pick a gift with which the lovebirds couple can have some fun.
Engagement gift ideas run the gamut from sentimental and serious to casual and funny gag gifts. There is no right or wrong when choosing what type of gift to give for this type of event; the gift giver is able to relax and really think about the couple being celebrated while she shops for a gift.
Gift giving is not required at engagement parties. That said, most people do choose to arrive at the celebration with at least a small trinket for the couple. If you know both members of the engaged couple, you can feel free to give each a small individual gift, although most people choose to buy for the couple.
If the couple has registered at local stores, use the list as a guide to purchase small items that will compliment the larger items on their registry list. An easy way to create a sense of continuity in your gift-giving is to purchase your engagement party gift and wedding gift at the same time. For instance, if the couple has registered for a cut crystal pitcher and matching glasses, you can give the couple the glasses at the engagement party and save the pitcher for the couple's wedding day.
If the couple has already planned out much of the wedding and knows what they plan to do for their honeymoon, you can give them a gift that ties in with those honeymoon plans. An engaged couple does, after all, get giddy thinking about a time in which they will be officially man and wife.
Gift ideas include baskets of favorite snacks and goodies, specialty gifts for their honeymoon or a keepsake of their engagement party for display in their new home.
Feeling stuck? These ideas always earn rave reviews from engaged couples:
 | 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're looking for guidelines on engagement party etiquette, learn what to expect and how to make the event work. |
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. |
