The Engagement Party

If you intend to have a party to celebrate your engagement, the bride's family usually arranges this. It may be a large party for all friends and family, or a simple intimate lunch or barbecue in their garden for close relatives.

The engagement party should be held as soon as possible after the couple have agreed to marry. It would be difficult to maintain the secret for long and the party loses a lot of its appeal if it is held long after everybody knows the reason for it and all the congratulations and good wishes have been expressed.

At some point during the gathering, the bride's father should make the official announcement, giving a toast and welcoming the groom-to-be to the family. The future son-in-law replies on behalf of himself and his fiancée in proposing the health of their parents. The speeches are usually light-hearted as it is a happy occasion and other toasts may be drunk if the mood of the party permits.

The engagement party should always be kept as different as possible from intended plans for the wedding so that neither celebration upstages the other.

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