Engagement Party or Engagement Announcements? Which is Best?

You have just called your parents to notify them that you have just gotten engaged and your mother says: "We have to have an engagement party!"

At 1st, you're very excited about being able to tell all of your friends and family that you will be getting married but then it dawns on you, this is a BIG DEAL and requires almost as much planning as the actual wedding. So now you are left wondering; "Do I really want and/or need an Engagement Party?"

An Engagement Party is a wonderful way for your families to honor you and and your fiance. It is an event that may be used to connect with old friends and family that you haven't seen in a long time. Everyone that shows up will be there to show that they love you and support your upcoming marriage. Engagement parties can be as memorable as the actual wedding. And as beautiful as well!

The 1st thing that needs to be discussed with everyone involved is BUDGET. Will another party fit into your budget? Engagement parties can sometimes be as expensive and detailed as your actual wedding because everyone that comes to your engagement party will most likely be waiting for your wedding invitation. Granted, you won't be spending as much money on your party attire as you will on your wedding attire but you will still need to feed a large group of people, supply entertainment, and send out invitations. These things do add up very quickly. If budget is not an issue, then comes question #2...

Do you even want a party at this point? If you are on a short time frame from your engagement date to your actual wedding date, an engagement party may just not be convenient. Or maybe you just don't want to deal with the extra work it will be to plan it.

This is where the trusty Engagement Announcement comes in!

An engagement announcement can be as formal as a printed announcement in the newspaper and a mailed out announcement or as informal as an email stating that you are engaged with a link to your wedding website. In this case, the cost of an Engagement Announcement is much lower than a party.

But here is the BIG question: If your parents' are footing the bill, will it hurt their feelings if you turn down the party?

This is a hard one. This is where you may have to compromise. If it is your family's dream to formally announce your engagement and you know that it may create a sore spot if you turn it down, you may just have to give in and let them run with it. This is supposed to be one of the happiest times in your lives but it can very quickly become sour due to hurt feelings.

What you can also do if you're just really not into the idea of another party is sit down with them and tell them that you are very thankful for all of their help, love and support but you would rather concentrate on the wedding itself and having to plan another party just feels like it may your attention away from all of the other planning that needs to be done. This way, they know how you feel and you won't be hurting any one's feelings.

Which ever way your choose to let everyone know about your engagement, make sure it's something that everyone is comfortable with, especially you and your spouse-to-be!

Happy Planning!
Evie Johnson
Bridal Consultant and Event Planner
Exquisite Weddings & Affairs, LLC.