While millennials may not be buying houses or appliances the way their parents did, they are still getting married. When asked, many young couples say their primary goal of their wedding day is to throw a great party for friends and family. However, one pre-wedding tradition is still running strong: the engagement party. In the past, engagement parties were often thrown by one of the couple’s parents. These days, wedding traditions are more guidelines than rules. So, who should be throwing your engagement party?
Parents First
Traditionally, one set of parents will throw an engagement party. Many times, this is an excuse to get the family together to take pictures and admire the engagement ring. Additionally, this is a great way for a couple’s parents to meet each other before the wedding day. If your parents are willing to throw an engagement party, this is great news. Not only will it be a lot of fun– it’s like a wedding reception you didn’t have to plan!– it will make your wedding day better by allowing your families to have the awkward icebreaker conversations out of the way.
An Engagement Party That Doubles As A Couple’s Shower
In addition to the classic engagement party, some friends of the couple prefer to throw an engagement party that doubles as a couple’s shower. This typically happens when a couple has friends and family strewn across the country. Since it would be pretty expensive to fly to her hometown for a bridal shower, your hometown for an engagement party, then also have bachelor and bachelorette parties, the engagement party that doubles as a couple’s shower can make a lot of sense. For parties like this, friends or family tend to be the host. Either way, it’s an excuse to enjoy yourself and even receive some presents before the actual wedding.
An engagement party is a great excuse to cut loose with your friends and family before planning the wedding
Throw Your Own Party
The final option for recently engaged couples is to throw their own party. More often than not, this occurs when a couple has moved away from their hometowns and developed a close group of friends in their new location. Throwing your own engagement party can be a lot of fun, but keep it simple. Remember, you still have a wedding to plan, wedding rings to choose, and plenty of tasks for the groom to handle. When throwing your own party, a potluck is a great way to make it easy. Order a keg, purchase a couple bottles of wine, and ask friends to bring a dish to share. This way everyone has a chance to take a picture with the bride to be and her new ring in a casual, fun setting. On your wedding day, you’ll have precious few moments to visit with each person, and this is a great option for couples who believe their friends to be their closest family.
Have advice on throwing a great engagement party? Let us know in the comments!
