All About Engagement Party Planning

Engagement Party Planning To Share Your Pre-Nuptial Joy With Close Relatives and Friends

10 Engagement party planning tips to make your engagement party a big success and the talk of the town.

Want to plan an engagement party to announce to the whole world about the most important decision of your life?

Here's 10 Engagement Party Planning Tips:

1. Announce it to your Loved Ones

You should tell your parents of your decision, ideally in person before anyone else. It is time for them to share your joy and this happy moment. You can then share it with your close friends and relatives.

2. Selecting an auspicious date and venue for the announcement

One important part of your engagement party planning is choosing the date for your engagement party, it can be simple but tricky. You may want to hold it at least six months ahead of your wedding so that the celebrations are close enough for friends and relatives to remember and not too near so that you don't get stressed up working on two very important events of your life.

There are so many choice venues for your party! It may be a simple and intimate affair at home, a special corner at your favorite restaurant or a private room at your favorite restaurant or a barbeque at the seaside.

3. Have an alternative or contingency plan for outdoor events

If you are planning for an outdoor engagement party, do check on the weather. Choose the outdoor barbeque or picnic area where you can gather your small party at the eleventh hour to a sheltered bar or restaurant and continue your party.

4. Party games for your engagement party

Pick a few games and great party music to be included in your engagement party planning process. There are many good websites on party games. Include some ice breaker games where everyone will get a chance to get to know each other especially for all the relatives and friends of both parties who will meet for the first time at your engagement party.

5. Planning for the engagement party food

There were many things people gripe about at wedding and engagement parties - unfortunately theparty food is number one on the list. Food is an important part of your engagement party planning and it should be given high importance.

If you are planning to have pot luck, do co-ordinate all contributors' food so that you don't end up having two beef goulashes, three apple pies and 5 salads!

If you are not game to be the best chef in town, don't fret! Just let the restaurant or beach resort club take care of the food catering and setting.

Enjoy yourself and get to know his or her uncle Joe and aunt June instead of trying to cook up a storm in the kitchen.

6. Photography and video

Although this is not the wedding day, pictures do tell a thousand words and they do last a long time. Depending on your budget, you can choose to get your friends and relatives to take pictures and capture your special moments on video camera or get a professional to do both photography and video for both events (your engagement and wedding).

7. Looking for your dream home in time for your engagement party

House hunting for that dream home is one of the most stressful and it is also one of your biggest investment ever. Do look for a few good housing agents near your vicinity, get the National Accreditation Agency for Housing Agents list. Check out all the newspapers and websites for your locality.

Similarly, do visit home exhibitions and home project launches to compare prices. Ask colleagues, friends and relatives who recently bought houses or apartments for advise - this is one very important aspect for your engagement party planning especially if you intend to hold the engagement party in your new home.

Next is my favorite - shopping for furniture and fittings for our dream home. I spent a few months reading books and magazines on home decorations and went window shopping to get inspiration and ideas. If you wish to conceptualise and put together all your ideas for your dream home, be prepared to spent a huge amount of time shopping and comparing prices at the furniture malls. Don't forget to bring along your calculators.

8. What to wear to an engagement party

You don't want to wear something elaborate or similar to your wedding. Consider colors, smart casuals for beach and outdoor and evening gowns for a glamor night out. It all depends on the theme of your engagement party really. Some prefer the free and easy for all, no fuss just, focus on the happy couple.

9. Ask your best buddies to be the maid-of-honor and best man

What better occasion to choose and ask your best friend and buddies to be the maid-of-honor and best man? I'm sure they will be very excited to be part of the team.

10. Get friends and relatives to bring photographs

You can ask your childhood friends and relatives to bring photographs taken with you or your significant other in the past. You can then made a montage of events according to the dates (or estimates) and produce a slide show or a mini photo exhibition panel for your wedding day.

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