Engagement Party Etiquette
When you first become engaged, your mind will be racing with thoughts of who to tell first, how you’re going to show off your ring, and you will imagine rehashing the proposal story (which will still be very fresh!) But another thing and probably one of the foremost things that you will think of is how you are going to celebrate! Perhaps you want to get together with a few close friends to talk about the proposal and upcoming nuptials or have a huge bash to spread the word to everyone you’ve ever known, there are a few things to think about before you start booking venues for your engagement party. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to engagement party etiquette.
Know Who to Invite
Before you decide on who is going to come to the engagement party, you should know who is going to be coming to the wedding, or at least have a general idea of some people that absolutely will be there. This is because etiquette states that no one that is not invited to the wedding should be invited to the engagement party, so that you can avoid hurt feelings and people feeling left out. That being said, not everyone who is invited to the wedding needs to be invited to the engagement party.
Registering and Gifts
Many people don’t know whether to register for the engagement party or not and while it’s certainly okay, and actually encouraged to register with at least one retailer, it’s certainly not okay to tell people where you are registered. Use your parents and your closest friends to spread the word about where you are registered. If you do it yourself, you will look like you are asking for gifts. It’s also important to exclude any registry information or gift information from the invite.
Although it’s not to be expected from guests that they bring gifts to the engagement party, many will in order to offer their congratulations. After accepting them, thank the guest profusely and tell them that you will be opening gifts after the party. As you are opening all the gifts, be sure to keep track of who gave what so that you can send them a thank-you note and specifically mention their gift. It’s also important to send thank-you notes to those who came but didn’t bring a gift. They took time out from their lives to help you celebrate and it’s nice to let them know that you recognize that.
Time to Pay
If you decide to hold your engagement party in a restaurant it’s important to understand that you are responsible for the bill. You invited your guests and so it’s rude to ask them to pay. If this is too pricey an option for you, consider having the party at your house or a friend’s.
When it Comes to Toasting
Your engagement party will be the first of many in the wedding planning process where you will be able to test your toasting skills. When people offer their congratulations in a toast to you, don’t raise your glass. There’s no need to toast yourself. It’s also proper to stand up after a person has toasted you and respond in kind.
