Engagement parties???

[jamaicabride10]

We decided to have an engagement party 1 month after our engagement. We booked a restaurant to have just the 2 families & asked everyone else to join us for drinks in a reserved area of a bar in a nice hotel. No formal invitations, only food for the families. We just wanted to celebrate with a few drinks.

Although engagement parties are not well known in Ireland...we even had several people(including my parents) asking what an engagement party is & why do we NEED to have one

I had to convince my family to go!!!

[lshaef]

Like a few of you have mentioned, your families had not met so that was a main reason for having an engagement party.  I'm in the same boat and a very generous friend is hosting our engagement party August 21st at her house.  She really isn't telling me too much about the evening except it is for adults only, cocktail hour from 5 - 8, she is paying for a bartender and I guess appetizers.  I really don't want  guests to bring gifts- I just want my friends and family to get to hang out for a few hours but she didn't put that on the invite.

 

So now, the big question is...what do I do for her and her husband for hosting this party!!???

[mochamakes3]

I just started helping my parents organize our engagement party. Our families live close by but we live 5 hours away so it's a good chance for everyone to meet. We'll be holding it at my parents house and will probably have about 30-40 people, which is not unusual for my mom. Planning on dinner, drinks and dessert.

 

I'm not expecting gifts, but I'm sure the odd person will bring something little. I might try to get our registry started before the event just in case someone wants.

[Mandy Canada]

My mom planned a Mexican themed party at her house. It was a blast. She spent about $800 though on food, drinks, decorations, cake etc and we only went to the dollar store and Costco. I did not think about the gift thing as I would have said not to bring any, but our friends chipped in and got us a spa gift card and we got a few other small items and gift cards.

 

I think if you have some snacks and appies and maybe a punch or some drinks for people they should be able to bring the rest.

[Josie1073]

We had our engagement party in January of this year at a friend's Italian restaurant.  It was a luncheon in the late afternoon - but 3 course sit down lunch - it was so good!  We threw it ourselves for our families and close friends to meet.  It was about 30 people at $22 per person.  We did have a cash bar, and noted that on the invites.  We figured that since it was the middle of the afternoon, most wouldn't be drinking anyway, and the lunch included non-alcoholic drinks.  I hired a co-worker to be the photographer - she dabbles in amateur photography, and now I have wonderful pictures of both our families and friends.  We didn't say anything about gifts, but did register just in case anyone asked - and some family did ask.  We get married 12/2 of this year, and are having our AHR on 12/11, the day after we get back, at the same restaurant as the engagement party - this time a buffet dinner reception - we are circling back to the place where we first celebrated our upcoming union

[JanineA]

We are having an engagement party/AHR in October, a month before our wedding. We had some friends of mine throw us a surprise engagement party back in September after we got engaged but it was very small and really only my friends. So a mutual friend of both FI and I asked if they could throw us an even bigger engagement party with both of our friends and family. The guest list is the same invitees for our wedding. We are hoping those that can't make it to Turks & Caicos will make it to this party. We had to have it in October due to FI's practice and travel schedule. I'm not involved in the planning of it though as our friends want it to be a surprise again....sort of. I know it will be held at the Four Seasons, and I know the guest list is the same as our wedding, and that she will be incorporating the use of my wedding colors into it, but other than that I don't know much else about it. But I am excited! Its a non-traditional sort of engagement party/AHR but then again not much about us is traditional! LOL!

[J-me]

Our engagement party is on Saturday and I can't wait! From the time we announced we were doing a DW, we made it clear we didn't want a lot of showers, parties, etc. - but our (oh-so-awesome) wedding party is throwing us a 'Mexican fiesta' party - complete with fajitas, margaritas, etc.

 

They just sent out an invite and made it clear not to bring gifts.

[JayKay]

That sounds like a lot of fun!
 

Originally Posted by J-me 

Our engagement party is on Saturday and I can't wait! From the time we announced we were doing a DW, we made it clear we didn't want a lot of showers, parties, etc. - but our (oh-so-awesome) wedding party is throwing us a 'Mexican fiesta' party - complete with fajitas, margaritas, etc.

 

They just sent out an invite and made it clear not to bring gifts.