more important! Let’s start with the FIRST celebration on your way to the aisle: the engagement party!
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He proposed! The ring was everything you ever dreamed of. He made the proposal the perfect mixture of romantic and funny. You cried, he cried, I cried (when you told me the story because let’s face it, I cry at everything love related)….anyway! It’s time to start working on your first big party as an engaged couple! It should usually take place no more than a few months after the question has been popped. That said, if you’re having a long engagement it’s okay to draw it out a bit. Just make sure it’s closer to the proposal itself than the wedding date!
Once you have decided when it’s going to be, it’s time to start drawing up a guest list. While tradition states that anyone who is invited to your engagement party should ultimately be invited to your wedding, plenty of couples break this rule out of an abundance of love for dear friends (and I am all for it!). Not every couple dreams of a big wedding, and for those who imagine being surrounded by an intimate group of select family and friends on their special day, a big engagement party can be the perfect way for others to share in the joy of your love without feeling left out.
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Now get those invites out! These can be as formal or as simple as you like, but suit the theme of your engagement party. Whether it’s the perfect vintage postcard or the world’s most adorable evite (Paperless Post, anyone!?) be sure to spread the word with enough notice for your most important guests. The rule of thumb is four weeks if your guests are local, six weeks if you have out of towners. Speaking of theme, if you’re like me and have about ten different wedding themes you wish you could use, this is the PERFECT time! Feel free to style your engagement party to be
completely different from the wedding itself. If you are doing a formal sit down dinner for your wedding reception, have a garden inspired engagement party with small bites and themed cocktails flitting about throughout the night. Keep your guests out of their seats with fun lawn games in lieu of dancing. Croquet, anyone?!
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But the biggest part of the whole party; don’t lose sight of the things that are important to the two of you. After all, this is the start of the most meaningful journey you will ever take. Whether that means having your father announce your engagement for all to hear, your fiancé making a toast thanking everyone for sharing in this special time, or a retelling the proposal story and bringing everyone to tears, make sure you don’t miss a single moment. (Having a
fabulous photographer on hand to snap candid pics of the night is always a great idea!)
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But that’s just the first of MANY parties on your path towards wedded bliss! To cover them all in one blog would be CRAZY PANTS! Check back soon when we tackle the next shin dig…Bridal Showers! To tea or not to tea, THAT is the question. (Okay, maybe it’s not THE question, but it’s a cute tagline…right?)
Check back soon!
XOXO
Elizabeth
