Jennifer Lawrence and Katy Perry are among the celebrities who have recently celebrated their upcoming nuptials with fun engagement parties. While Katy's fiancé Orlando Bloom gathered their friends and family for a surprise party just moments after he popped the question on Valentine's Day, Jennifer and her husband-to-be Cooke Maroney celebrated with their nearest and dearest in New York. The Oscar-winning actress prepared for the big event by wearing a beautiful blush pink wedding dress especially for the occasion.
Organising your own engagement party can be a challenge, especially when you're already making a start on wedding planning. But we've curated the ultimate guide on how to throw an engagement party to help you get started…
Who hosts the party:
Traditionally the bride's parents host the engagement party, but nowadays it's more common for the couple to organise the bash themselves or for friends of the bride and groom to volunteer and get involved. You could host two — the first for relatives and close family friends, and the second for your own friends.
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Who to invite:
The engagement party used to be a more intimate event for the couple's nearest and dearest, but nowadays more couples are using it as an excuse to invite people that might not necessarily be included in the wedding — such as newer friends, colleagues, parents' friends — or people who can't travel far to the wedding. This is particularly true for informal parties hosted by the couple's friends for example. For a traditional and more formal party, guests who are invited to the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding as a rule of thumb, so it's best to organise your wedding guest list before you throw the engagement party. If the party is held at your parents' house, both families of the bride and groom should be invited as well as family friends.
Video: Get wedding inspiration from these stunning celebrity nuptials
When to have it:
Ideally the engagement party will come soon after the proposal while the excitement is still fresh, and before the stress of serious wedding planning kicks in. Give guests about a month's notice and schedule the party for about nine to eleven months before the wedding.
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Where to have it:
Most venues can work to set the scene for an engagement party. If the party is hosted by the bride's parents, a cocktail reception at their house is a classic option. You could alternatively rent out a private room in a restaurant, a bar, a pub, a garden or an estate.
The theme:
The theme of the engagement party will centre around the couple, but just make sure it matches the wedding theme. If you're having a beach wedding for example, a swanky cocktail party at an estate might outdo the actual ceremony. You could have a strict theme such as "vintage", or just loosely tie everything together with a colour palette.
The decor:
Everything to do with the couple and the all-important moment of saying "Yes" will be the theme of the engagement party. Decoration can range from bunting saying "Soon to be" or "He put a ring on it" to Polaroid photos of the couple and their friends. Tea lights, bird cages, balloons, confetti and floral arrangements are always a nice touch for outdoor weddings. You could even have a "Love Story" board at the entrance with the dates of the milestones in your relationship and your actual wedding.
The invites:
The most informal approach would be sending out an invite by email, but you may want to send paper invites in the post. You could ask your stationer if they have special rates and ask them to design your engagement invites, but don't worry if you haven't picked out your colour palette — they don't have to match the wedding invites.
The food and drink:
You don't need to host a proper sit-down dinner like the wedding, but instead have canapés, food trucks or buffet style stations where guests can mingle and help themselves. You could have burgers, fish and chips, meat skewers or even mini lasagnas. As for the drinks, you could keep beers in ice buckets or cold juice in jam jars if you're having a garden party.
The cake:
Cakes will most likely be the focus of the dessert at the party but won't be as lavish as the wedding cake. They will be much smaller in size and often have sweet details such as "She said yes!" or the couple's names imprinted on the cake. Dessert tables are becoming more popular so instead of cake you could have a selection of macaroons, cupcakes, marshmallows, ice cream or baked goods such as cookies in the shape of a diamond ring.
SEE: Best supermarket wedding cakes
The outfit:
As the bride, you don't want to outshine yourself before your wedding day, so pick a simpler outfit that will still make you stand out at the party. You may want to wear white, cream or ivory as a nod to your nuptials. A cocktail dress would work for a fancy bash, while a sundress would fit a more laid-back gathering. Guests should also stick to this rule and opt for more casual looks at the engagement party.
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