An engagement party is a wonderful occasion where tell your friends and family about your exciting news. Although it is customary for one of your parents to organise an engagement party for you, more and more couples are taking the initiative and throwing their own. But, before any of it can happen, it is best to go over an engagement party checklist to help you pull it all off with ease.

Set a Date

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Whether you or someone else ends up hosting it, the first thing you need to do before you organise an engagement party is to set the date. Obviously, if you aren't hosting the event yourself, you must consider your host's schedule. You should also consider guest availability, especially for close friends and family who may need to travel from out of town to attend. More than anything, we propose that you figure out when the party will be the most fun for you.

Depending on how long your engagement is, you may hold a celebration anywhere from a few weeks after the proposal to six months before the wedding. While a private and unexpected family gathering the weekend after the proposal is ideal for popping the cork, don't plan an all-out lavish party for the first month. Allow yourself some time to bask in your newly engaged status and process the reality that you're getting married before diving into party preparations. Waiting also allows you to see the size, style, and location of your wedding, which can help you decide on the sort of event you want to hold for your engagement party.

Decide on an Engagement Cake

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While these engagement delicacies should not be as big, formal, or decadent as the wedding cake, they should typically correspond with the tone of the occasion and serve as a sneak peek of what your wedding would look like. For this reason, you will find two types of the engagement cake design that appear at engagement parties: fun celebratory cakes, and more formal centrepiece cakes.

A fun cake can be made to match the theme of your engagement party or simply adorned in bright colours with the couple's names, proposal date, or the wedding date written in contrasting icing. For a formal engagement party, a formal engagement cake design is better. 

While the primary aim of a cake is to honour the couple's commitment and approaching wedding, it may also serve another purpose: it can serve as a trial run for the wedding cake itself. Many couples will choose a bakery or cake that they are interested in for the wedding, so they can try the taste, texture, and quality of the cake without making a big financial commitment. 

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Many bakeries make engagement cakes in a variety of tastes - possibly as separate layers or numerous tiny cakes - in order to provide the couple with a diverse set of alternatives and choices. This is a fun way to regular cake tastings that allows friends and family members to share their thoughts on various desserts. Some bakeries even provide discounts to couples who choose to work with them after having a positive experience.

While an engagement cake is a delicious new tradition for many couples, with the added bonus of trying the different wedding cake options long before the big day, it should not become the centre focus of your engagement party. Soon after you decide on the cake, it's time to choose the catering menu you will have.

Decide on a Menu

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The food is, of course, a crucial consideration when preparing for an engagement party. You don't have to provide a five-course sit-down meal with an open bar, but there should be something to eat and drink at your party. Passed appetisers or tasting menu stations, as well as an eat-when-you-want barbeque, will work. If you're not offering a full course, choose a time in between usual meals and specify it on the invitation so your visitors know what to anticipate. Another suggestion is to personalise the food and drinks by including dishes from a memorable date or trip, such as sushi rolls and sake cocktails for a Japanese-inspired meal.

Dress for the Occasion

Your first party as a newlywed couple requires a special dress code. Keep the party location and setting in mind while you shop for something special. Aside from the obvious, for the bride-to-be, select something that won't overpower your wedding appearance but is unique enough to make you stand out among your guests. A sundress is appropriate for an outdoor event, whereas a cocktail dress is appropriate for a more formal occasion. While the groom-to-be is not required to wear a suit and tie, he should equal his partner's level of formality. Remember the several additional festivities you'll have to prepare for, from the bridal shower through the rehearsal dinner.

Create the Guest List

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The size of your guest list will be determined by your budget. But don't allow this fact to dictate your actions. Begin by identifying everyone you want (or need) to invite, then worry about financial constraints afterwards.

After you've compiled a complete list of names, categorise them into an A, B, and C list. Your A list will contain people who must come, such as parents, grandparents, family, and close friends. The B list is your second most important VIP, and if financial concerns emerge, your C list will be the first to go. Once you've finalised your guest list and determined how many people you'll invite, it's time to choose a place.

Choose a Location

Engagement parties can be as big or as small as you want, and as formal or as casual as you want, allowing you a lot of leeway in terms of choosing the location. A celebration at your parents' house or in your friend's backyard is a nice low-key alternative, whilst the private dining room at your favourite restaurant is an excellent choice for something a bit more intimate and formal.

enfThe restaurant or your backyard is a traditional location for an engagement party, but there's no reason to limit your choices to just two alternatives. You can choose from an art museum to a beach, or consider a country club or hotel rooftop for a more formal setting.  The location you choose, like the wedding site, should reflect the formality of the party you want, so if you're thinking informal, your backyard or a local park is a fantastic alternative.