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Engagement Party Etiquette

Deepa Kartha
Planning an engagement party and don't know the right or wrong of it? Anxious about the smallest of things? Let this information make your life easier with complete information on engagement party etiquette.
A certain etiquette is very important while being a part of any occasion. Every occasion, specially a formal one, demands a particular code of conduct from the hosts and the guests. Weddings, engagements, baby showers are more conservative when it comes to certain rituals. If you want to be on the safer side of things, follow all the tips given here.

The Host

Traditionally, an engagement party was organized by the bride's parents, to officially announce their daughter's engagement.
However, nowadays, engagement parties are also held by the groom's parents, a close relative/friend, or even by the newly-engaged couples.

The Venue

Traditionally, engagement parties were held at the bride's residence. Today, they can be hosted anywhere from a close friend's home to a resort outside the city.

Date

The party should ideally precede the wedding by a couple of months. The date has to be confirmed with the bride and groom another couple of months in advance, since the invitations should go out in time.

The Event

Traditionally hosted in the evenings, today this party is also sometimes held in the morning or afternoon. Since most follow the traditional way of hosting an evening party, it would be better you do the same.

Guests and Invitations

An engagement party is usually an intimate affair involving close family members and friends. Formal invitation cards should be sent to the guests in time and should ideally reach them more than a month in advance.

Gifts

Normally, guests are not expected to bring gifts to an engagement party. However, you can send one in advance to the bride's place. If someone brings a gift to the engagement party, the couple should open it only after all the guests have left.

Other Etiquette

At an engagement party, every guest should be introduced by the host. Etiquette demands the oldest female member should be introduced first. You can talk about her relation with the bride/groom.
The father of the bride announces the engagement of his daughter and her fiance, and is the first person to ask the guests to raise a toast to them. Then, the groom-to-be says a few words about his would-be wife and her family, and raises a toast to them.
After this, the guests can also raise a toast to the couple. At the end, the couple can raise a toast to their parents and guests, to thank them for joining in their happiness.
There is not much to abide by, is there? However, remember that etiquette says that the couple should send thank you cards to all those guests who attended the party.