Congratulations on getting engaged! It is the start of a beautiful chapter, but before you begin the wedding planning and start your life together, you need to throw an engagement party. It is not necessary, but most people do it, and if you want to celebrate your engagement, don’t let anything stop you from doing so.
But planning an engagement party is a lot of work, and it requires careful planning, especially if you are on a budget. That is why in this article, we will list some simple steps for planning your engagement party that too on a budget.
Let’s start with the steps now:
1. Decide on the host
Usually, the bride’s parents host an engagement party, but we are in the 21st century, so if you and your partner both want to throw a party for family and friends, it is great. Also, other family members or friends too can decide to throw you a party. It is up to you and your partner to decide what you want or even if you want an engagement party.
2. Finalize a date
If it is a love marriage, once your partner pops the questions, an engagement party happens, if it is an arranged marriage, the engagement will happen at the party. So, decide the date when which is right and convenient for you to get married. Pick a date when all your relatives and close friends can come and don’t pose a problem for you as well.
3. Venue and guest list
Don’t invite the whole clan for your engagement party, especially if you are on a budget. Close relatives, family, and a few friends are enough for your engagement party. The next thing you need to do is find a venue that is not that costly and which is also big enough to accommodate all the guests that you are going to invite.
4. Invitation
Going for a printed invitation or a digital one is up to you. But for an engagement party, a simple and casual invitation through email or a call is enough. If you still want to add a personal touch by handing out a printed invitation, make sure you go for something simple, unique, and classy. Don’t make the invitation as big as the wedding one. You can try Canva to make your Invitation cards.
5. Décor
Decor after food and drinks is another thing that can put a dent in your budget. If you have a limited budget, make sure you don’t go for extravagant decoration. Use simple floral decoration with some lights and so on.
If you have a bigger budget, get in touch with some event managers and get some quotes about different engagement decoration. Go with the one that suits you, you can also go with theme decoration. You can also use stage pyrotechnics to make it even more memorable, however, you must have the required permissions to do that.
6. Toasts and gifts
A wedding is incomplete without toasts from the groom and the best man. But what about the engagement party? Is it okay to toast in an engagement party? Well, of course, it is, if you feel like expressing your gratitude for everyone coming or wants to show how much the engaged couple means to you, the host can give a toast. If the host is the bride or groom, they too can give a toast. Once you start giving toasts, there might be other people who want to say something and were waiting for you to start. In case you are out of clue and filled with emotions seeing your friend getting engaged, take some help from beautiful engagement quotes and wish the best of future to the couple.
Also, most people come to an engagement party with gifts for the couple. Make sure to accept the gifts and be gracious to the person.
7. Drinks and food
It is the most expensive part of any party. Well, if you are already engaged, and this party is about informing people, you can set the time which is not around meal times so that you can serve small bites. But if the engagement is going to be held during the party, like in Indian culture, you will have to serve either dinner or lunch. If that is the case, opt for minimal cuisine and stick with wine or beer as they are the least expensive.
No matter who is hosting the engagement party, it is a joyous occasion and these steps can help you make it merrier.
