Monday, September 3, 2018

Engagement Party

He asked . . .  you said, "YES!!!" . . .  So . . .  Now what?  You're engaged!  Congratulations.  Now what?

Now it is time to start announcing your news, planning your wedding day, and get organized.  The first step after getting engaged is to host an engagement party and take professional engagement photos. 

Why?  Great question!  Why host an engagement party?  The engagement party is the introduction for your two families.  Have your parents never met?  Grandparents?  Cousins?  This is the time to bring everyone together and let relationships between your family members build - before the wedding date. 

Who should host the event?  Traditionally - the bride's parents.  Modern-day?  Anyone who is involved in the wedding day.  We have seen Made-of-honors, groomsmen, parents of the groom, the bride and groom themselves host the engagement party. 

Where should the event be hosted?  Someplace intimate and private.  This is a smaller event - usually restricted to family members and very close friends.   Restaurants, parent's homes, small party centers, church centers, the bride and grooms home *(if they have one together already), picnic in the park, or even an activity center or arcade room.  We have even seen a successful bowling alley engagement party.  We have photographed destination weddings where they do host a larger engagement party locally for the guests who can't make the out of town wedding. 

When?  This really depends on many factors.  Most often than not, the party is right after the engagement.  I've seen the couples that start calling family right after the proposal and do it that same night.  Do you have people coming from out of town?  Make sure to work with their schedules for picking a date to host the engagement party.  The engagement party should be the first event celebrating your up-coming wedding.

Don't confuse the engagement party with the bridal shower.  The engagement party is usually a more social event with just food and toasts - not really any games or gifts.  The bridal shower is held closer to the wedding date, has games, more guests, and presents.  Engagement parties are to introduce family members to each other.

Many couples will usually hire a professional photographer to help make their announcement public.  It is very important for the bride and groom to have called all important family members before posting an image on social media making the announcement public.  Why call family first?  "Heard it through the grape-vine." No grandma wants to find out that their grandchild is getting married via someone else.  Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brother all love to hear directly from you.  Make them feel loved by letting them know with a phone call or a snail-mailed letter.

How do I use my engagement photos for the engagement party?  The couple will often use a professional image at the engagement party and to invite guests to the event with a photographic invite mailed to guests. 

Guest Book using engagement photos

Guest Book using engagement photos

Guest Book using engagement photos

Guest Book using engagement photos




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