Create your ideal engagement party by using these tips.

The tradition of the engagement party dates back to the era when marriages were celebrated as a spiritual allegiance ? not just between couples, but between families. They were also used to acknowledge the legally binding element of love. The engagement party says in a very formal, group setting: we are agreeing to be married. An engagement party can be a nice added festivity in the power of your relationship.

The Purpose of the Engagement Party

The traditional engagement party serves to help announce the big news and celebrate it ? and give the two families a chance to meet, mingle and get to know each other. With this in mind, as you begin to look at engagement party ideas, it is wise to consider what type of party will make you and both sides of the family comfortable.

Party Style

The bride and groom can host the party themselves, or a friend or other family member can undertake the hosting duties. Your engagement party ideas should also bear in mind your budget and your personal style.

The engagement affair can be formal with printed invitations and reply cards; a casual backyard barbecue; an intimate dinner; a pool side soiree; a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres; or anything in between. You could decide to do something totally out of the box, like an engagement party that is a twist on game shows like The Newlywed Game or The Dating Game.  
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Party Location

Additional engagement party ideas might be an easy-flowing gathering or bite to eat at the couple’s favorite restaurant. A wonderful idea for the celebration is to share the romantic undertones of the union by announcing the engagement at the scene of the first date. If your first date was at a large sporting event or similar event, the coordination could get a little tricky. For the couple who enjoys outdoor activities together, engagement party ideas might include a picnic, a hike to a special destination where a party scene is set or even an evening camp fire.
 
Engagement Party History

Engagement party ideas for history buffs could become lessons in announcing love in the past as much as a celebration. For instance, flouncing was a special party held for an engaged couple to meet with friends of both families and establish a formal contract.  Should either party in the union have a change of heart, they could lay claim to half of his or her property.

In old Germany, to make the engagement official, the couple exchanges betrothal rings in the presence of the family and guests. In the Danish culture, a Gate of Honor is erected in front of the bride’s parents’ house. It consists of a long garland of branches put up as an inverted ‘U’ to form an archway.

Remember that the engagement party should not outweigh the coming wedding ceremony; pick two main things you want to accomplish in hosting an engagement party and then develop your ideas and plan your event based around that.