Engagement Party Etiquette

Easy Engagement Party Etiquette

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Hosting an engagement party?

After you have formally announced your engagement, you now want to celebrate by hosting an engagement party and need a refresher on engagement party etiquette.

Though the engagement etiquette varies from culture to culture, you can adjust and adapt to whichever you see fit.

Your First Steps To Hosting An Engagement Party

First of all, you must have the know-how to organize a party.

Organize a dinner to meet both families and have both families get to know each other.

Either host it yourself or have your partner's family host the dinner in a home, preferably his. This is because a home environment is a bit more comfortable and personal and it helps get both families get acquainted much more easily and quicker.

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This may be a little tricky if both parents and yourselves live on different continents but I feel this should be done before any wedding plans are made. In fact, do not speak about wedding plans at the party. Simply focus on getting comfortable and liking each other.

Having families that get along and actually liking each other gives you a better married life...

It may be tough, but get down to do it. It is a very thoughtful and elegant gesture and speaks volume about your character. That really is the essence of what Engagement Party Etiquette is all about. :) Looking at what gift to give when attending an engagement party? Read on below for engagement party gift etiquette.

The Engagement Party Etiquette 10

You might want to organize a little celebration of your engagement by throwing an engagement party.

If you have a sister or friend who is particularly close to you, they might offer to help you with that. Even though you help to organize the planning or perhaps do all the work, your sister or bestfriend can act as the host.

If your friends have been invited to what officially is an engagement party, some will bring gifts and some may not. Do not have the attitude of expecting gifts!

Whatever the gifts may be, thoughtful or thoughtless, accept them graciously.

Sometimes you'll be expected to open the gifts.

I suggest, you do so in private, or only in front of the gift giver, and only if she insists. Make an effort to be thankful and surprised even though it may not have the effect your gift-giver had been hoping for.

Engagement Party Etiquette Reminder Remember to pen your thank you notes!

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Elegant Engagement Party Etiquette

Elegant Party Tips

Be the elegant bride!

Offer your parents and his parents the opportunity to invite their friends as well to the party.

As much as our modern generation believes that our parties should be about us, parents of their time see their engagement of their children a celebration they would like to do with their friends

It is not necessary etiquette to organize an engagement party but sometimes its a more decent way to formally announce your engagement than newspapers, endless phone calls and mass emails.

Organize a little dinner party or cocktail party at your house for your friends and family. Do not mention too much about the purpose of the party until when everyone is gathered in between the party and have one of you (preferably your future husband) make a toast and announce your engagement.

The purpose of not officially announcing the purpose of your party is so to prevent your guests from bringing gifts.

Sometimes from the proposal to the actual wedding is an expensive affair, filled with engagement presents, bridal showers, wedding presents (then followed by baby showers) - you don't want people to be spending so much on you with presents you might not even like.

Elegant Engagement

Engagement Party Gift Etiquette

If you have been invited to an engagement party, please bring a gift.

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Pointers

• If you do not have time or do not know the bride well, bring wine, flowers or chocolate.
• If you do, make a special effort by buying something that represents the couple well - matching golf caps, his or hers pillow cases, a piece of asian art, a booklet of movie tickets etc.
• If you know the bride well and is your bestfriend, feel free to buy special gift that may involve a little tongue in cheek. This is a little tricky because it depends on her taste, her character and strongly on your relationship.
• Focus on the bride-to-be and offer your congratulations. It is not your time to make it about you even if something tragic happened to you. If you feel particularly down, do not go to the party risking to be like a looming dark cloud. Brave a happy congratulations and send flowers in place of you on that day.

Elegant Ideas For Bridal Shower Gift Etiquette

Those invited are usually expected to bring gifts.

(Though its never good manners to expect gifts.)

Do not fuss if your guests did not bring any. And oh, do remember to write thank you notes! It is very thoughtful to write a note or two about the gift, making your giver feel very appreciated.

If it is an all-girl affair, and you are invited, bring a thoughtful gift especially relating how close you are to the bride. Put aside your feelings and any reservations you have even about her choice of groom and focus on her happiness.

Again, if you are not too close to the bride and are only there for support of perhaps the maid of honour, bring wine, flowers, chocolate or a spa voucher. The Wedding Shower, Bridal Shower and etiquette Wedding shower etiquette, bridal shower etiquette

Engagement Party Gift Etiquette

Elegant Ideas For the Elegant Bride

As I have said, all these showers (and fuss) leading up to the wedding are expensive affairs!

I'd say keep it simple.

Sometimes your well-meaning girlfriends offer to throw bridal or wedding shower. For all I can say, should be the only time to do a wedding or bridal shower! In other words, don't bother organizing one yourself.

And later you might have to attend your hen's party.

It's not quite elegant to make too much of a fuss of yourself.

Usually this consists of a small party in someone's home, having some food, music and socializing.

Save everyone the hassle and make it a fuss free event. If you already have a bridal shower, do away with your hen's party. After all, I've never seen a mad hen's party involving firemen, drunkenness being particularly elegant.

An elegant tip is to combine the bridal shower and hen's party. Organize a masseuse to come to your home to give everyone massages or have your party at a spa or nail salon. Do this party planning with your maid of honor or group of brides maids, your bridal entourage.

You might be interested in:

1. Engagement Announcement Etiquette
2. Engagement Party ideas
3. All About Engagement & Wedding Rings Etiquette
4. Bridal Shower Gift Etiquette Page One
5. Bridal Shower Etiquette
6. Wedding Shower Etiquette
7. Engagement Party Invitation Wording

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Engagement Party Etiquette, engagement party gift etiquette, bridal shower etiquette, wedding