He finally popped the question, and you are now wearing the most beautiful engagement rings in NZ. Your life couldn’t be better, and you are ready to share your joy with your friends and family. Throwing an engagement party in the ‘half-gallon, quarter-acre, pavlova paradise’ can help you announce your engagement and celebrate a new beginning to your life.
Throwing an engagement party isn’t as easy as simply calling up your friends and family and setting a date. There are certain rules of etiquette you will need to follow to make sure your party is a successful and memorable.
Etiquette For Your Engagement Party
After you have been given beautiful rings of engagement and are ready to throw the perfect engagement party, you should consider these helpful dos and don’ts.
Do Pick the Right Location- The wrong location can ruin an engagement party. Make sure the avenue you choose is has enough space for your guests to move around and sit, but not so much space that your guests feel as if they separated from all of the fun. Some excellent party venues in New Zealand include the Parehua Martinborough Country Estate in Martinborough’s wine region, the White Swan in Greytown, and the Boomrock near Wellington City and Johnsonville.
Do Send Out Invitations- The type of invitation you send after receiving your bridal rings will depend on the formality of your engagement party. If it’s black tie and requires an RSVP, send out formal invitations through the mail. If you are having a small, intimate gathering after receiving your rings for engagement with your closest friends and family, send a hand written invitation, an email, or make a phone call.
Don’t Invite the Wrong Guests- If you won’t be inviting them to your wedding, don’t invite them to your engagement party. If you make the mistake of inviting individuals to your engagement party, and then leaving them off the guest list, you will be setting yourself up for an ugly situation, where you will end up having to apologize and explain why there isn’t enough room for them at the wedding venue.
Don’t Expect Gifts- While it is acceptable to bring gifts to any type of special event, don’t expect your guests to bring gifts for you to the engagement party. Traditionally, gifts are given to the bride only for an engagement by close friends and family, and these gifts are sent directly to the bride-to-be’s home. If your guests do bring presents, keep the gifts in a separate area, away from the guests, and don’t open them during the party. Guests that might not have brought a present for you may feel bad if they see you opening gifts from others, and that isn’t what you want.
Do Send Thank You Notes- If you’ve never written a thank you note before, now is the time to become familiar with them, because a receiving bridal rings means a ton of thank you notes. After your engagement party, send notes to everyone who attended, thanking them personally for coming to the party and helping you celebrate the beginning of your new life. If a guest brought you a gift, make sure to say thank you for it as well.