Why you should have an engagement party

It used to be that people didn’t see the point of engagement parties but nowadays it’s become a useful event for those who can’t attend the actual wedding or can’t afford to go. Plus the nature of the engagement party means that they are normally more casual than a wedding.  So you won’t need to spend a fortune on buying a completely new wedding specific outfit or a hat (that chances are you’re never going to wear again!).
 
 I was invited to one recently and I’m actually really happy the couple's throwing one. Because the truth is, I like them but I don’t like them enough to spend a large amount of money just to attend their wedding (which is happening in Spain). They know this, so they’re not going to be offended if they read this by the way! However, I do want to celebrate the happy news with them. So an engagement party is the perfect way to do that in my opinion anyway! Still not convinced? Then let me list the reason why you should have an engagement party…

 Pretty obvious really. Some people won’t be able to attend your wedding, sad and secretly kind of upsetting I know but the truth is sometimes people have other plans and priorities and though you’re wedding is important to you… It’s not going to as important to other people. This is also a good opportunity to let your mum invite all those ‘important’ people she was desperately trying to convince you to invite to the wedding.

 Now if you’re anything like me then you’ll secretly have plenty of different ideas for your wedding. Problem is unless you have the budget and sanity to get married several times then having more than one theme isn’t possible. Hurrah for the engagement party then! Because whatever theme you couldn’t have for your wedding you can use for this instead! For example, if you’re having a winter themed wedding later on, then why not throw a cute summer engagement party? You know you want to and don’t pretend that you don’t already have summer wedding ideas pinned on your Pinterest board…

 Planning a wedding isn’t easy no matter what budget you have planned. It still involves contacting several people, keeping account of monies spent, chasing people up, double checking, and copious amounts of shopping… Yeah the Hollywood movie montages may make it look like a breeze but it really is far from. So before the months of planning why not start off the by doing something fun?

 I thought about not adding this onto the list but every woman I know goes on a diet/work out regime before her big day. So if you’re going to be eating nothing but lentil soup and stir fry for 9 months then you deserve a big indulgent party before the torture starts. Of course, a hen do in-between the wedding and the planning will also be a great opportunity to indulge a little.

 Greeting guests, making small talk, making sure everything runs smoothly… Surely this is just more practice for the big day?  Doesn’t sound like a big deal but during the actual day you’ll be thankful that you’ve nailed the art of small talk and that you’ve seen how your friends (and his friends) behave during the party. After all, these people are probably going to be your bridesmaids and the groomsmen. So best see what they’re like in that situation now!