Hi there! So you just got engaged? I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOU!! You are wanting to plan an engagement party at home? Again.. I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOU!
Seriously, there is nothing better than partying with your fav’s to celebrate such a special occasion!
This Post is all about how to plan an engagement party at home. Just a heads up though, these steps can be used similarly when hosting in a variety of places! Let’s get started.
1. Decide who to invite
Okay, yeahh, this is a big one. Knowing who you want to come to your shin dig is probably the most important part of your planning.
This will determine a couple of different things.. The main one is what vibe your party will have. For example, are you only having your family, or would you prefer to party with friends? A mix will be a balancing act.
Another way this will impact your party is when you will want to have your party. If you have people coming from out of state to celebrate with you, you may want to give them some time to get there!
The Cost is a huge piece of why you need to divide who to invite first. This will determine your head count and thus your budget. This is a good thing to keep in mind when you’re making your list.
Ultimately, I’d recommend inviting the people you really care about. Don’t skimp on invites for this event, it’s seriously meant to be a part-ayy. You don’t have to be as fancy with it, and you can have some FUN!
2. When to have it
As mentioned above, one of the reasons why you want to know who will be coming is because this decision will determine considerations for timing.
I have a whole article outlining when to have an engagement party, so if you are wondering when you want to host based on your engagement timeline, feel free to check that one out.
A brief synopsis is this: the shorter your timeline is, the sooner you’ll want to have your engagement party, and vice versa (or as I used to say as a kid: “visa versa” lol)
Besides that, you’re going to want to consider any out-of-town guests. You may also want to consider the work schedules of those you invite. (Maybe a lunch party isn’t best for those working 9-5 jobs.) Ya know!
Pick a date and a time, and just know that not everyone will be able to come, and be ok with that! Keep your expectations realistic- my absolute GO TO rule. Always.
3. Determine your menu
Mmmkay! On to the fun part! Picking the food, yay!
Do you prefer lots of sweets, or are you wanting a whole meal to be prepared for your guests?
This also has to do with the timing of your event. If you are hosting during a meal time, your guests may expect a meal. But if it’s in between or later at night, they won’t!
Do whatever you want though! If you like brownies and ice cream, do that! I had a friend who just served italian sodas with cookies, it was great!
A word of advice is to not spend too much money.. You are about to spend the most money you’ll likely ever spend on an event in a few months, so take it easy!
4. Plan activities to do
Are you a big fan of activities? Maybe you should consider preparing a few activities for your guests to get to know either yourself or your fiance.. After all, this event is often held to introduce your person to those who haven’t met them.
This part shouldn’t be too complicated. Honestly the activities don’t even have to be interactive. You could just hang baby pictures for people to guess who’s who.
If you want to have a cornhole tournament, do that!
Whatever you want for your party is great! Feel free to even delegate this to a close friend or family member if it’s too much to think about. If you don’t care to have activities, skip this step.
5. Pick decor
Yay!! This is such a fun part of the planning! You’d be surprised how much cute stuff there is out there for engagement party decorations! YEEE!
This is also an important one to decide if you want to go all out, or keep it simple. Both are great!
Here are a few tips in case you get stuck:
Use Pinterest!! Seriously this is your best friend in terms of inspiration. You can also google it… but let’s be honest, pinterest wins.
Amazon has great (and cheap) options that are super cute and will work in most homes. You can even get inspired by going on Amazon.
Balloons are a 100% must. Seriously. They are totally in, and they make parties feel a TON more festive. You may even consider making a balloon arch!
Pictures of you and your fiance are great to have scattered around! You can print for super cheap at Wal-Mart and get frames from the thrift store!
Those are just a few tips, but seriously, just have fun with it! Nobody expects perfection (again with the realistic expectations lol).
6. Make a playlist
Let’s be honest, the best parties are the ones with the best music. No doubt! Take some time to make a bomb playlist!
Spotify has playlists already made that you can either use or pick songs for your own playlist from.
Youtube also has playlists that you can use! All you have to do is literally search “engagement party playlist” on either platform, and boom there they are!
Find yourself some good speakers, and someone who is willing to man that station if needed (i.e. turn down the music in case of a speech) and there ya go!
7. Send out invitations
Ok, you’ve got your ducks in a row! Now it’s time to make some cute invitations and send them out! You’ll want to make sure they go out with enough time for RSVPs and any prep time your guests may need
When you are planning what types of invitations, don’t sweat it too much. This is just an engagement party after all, not your actual wedding.
This means that virtual invitations will work perfectly fine! As a caveat, if you have anyone that is in the older age group, you may want to either send a physical invitation, or give them a call.
I’ve found that Gam Gam doesn’t always get her texts… mainly because she doesn’t have a cell phone. Oops! haha
8. Ask for help you may need
Ok, so I know this may seem like it’s not all that important, but seriously. Do it.
You and your fiance are going to want to enjoy the event as much as possible. You want to be able to focus on your guests and introductions, not about if there are enough cupcakes set out!
Be sure that if there is anything that will need an extra hand to manage during the event has a specific person assigned to it.
Another tip: make sure those you ask are reliable. Seriously, there is nothing worse that having your helper drop the ball! Ahhh that makes me stressed just thinking about it.
9. Be flexible!
Remember how I mentioned how important managing expectations is? Well, I’m saying it again. Be flexible with your plans and remember that not everything will (nor needs to be) perfect!
If you have some of your besties out of town the night of your event, that’s ok!
The cake arrives a little late? Oh well! It still tastes amazing.
The more relaxed and flexible you are, the more fun you’ll have. You’ll find that you’re about to become a WHOLE LOT more stressed as you start planning your wedding. Your engagement party at home is not meant to add to that stress.
Another perk, and that the more relaxed and flexible you are, the more enjoyable the event will be for your guests! You and your guests will be able to have fun and let go of worries! What’s better than that? Not much.
As you can see, planning an engagement party at home is not terribly complicated. If you follow these 9 (fairly) easy steps, you’re going to have loads of fun!
Congratulations again on getting engaged! Don’t stress too much over this event, save up your mental capacity for the actual wedding… trust me!
Have fun!
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