HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Celebrating a couple's engagement is a great way to honor them and a chance to kick off the whirlwind of wedding planning.
Whether you choose a small and simple gathering or a grand and formal affair, the celebration can take place without overextending anyone's wallet.
As with any event, hosting an engagement party on a budget begins with a plan.
- Decide Who and Where to Host
- Pick Food and Drink Selections
- Determine Style of Invitation
- Pull Together the Decor
The low down on what to do and how to do it on a budget.
More Engagement Party Ideas
We're In Love
Plan your party with the best-looking invitations on the web!
Traditionally, the bride's parents played host. Today, however, anyone can take on hosting responsibilities.
- To help cut costs at the start of planning, share the hosting responsibilities between friends, coworkers or members of the couple's families.
- Everyone can pool their resources or take charge of one aspect of the party (invitations or food, for example).
Providing food and drinks can be a major expense for an engagement party. You don't have to serve a sit-down dinner and full bar to have a good time. Instead, encourage meeting and greeting among guests with one of these low-cost ideas where simple hors d'ouevres, bite-sized sweets and a few select drinks are all you need.
- Afternoon tea
- Cocktails and dessert
- Weekend brunch
Invitations don't have to cost a lot to create excitement for an event. The rules for an engagement party are more relaxed than for the rehearsal dinner or actual wedding. Consider one of these budget-friendly options.
- E-mail invitations: For informal engagement parties, especially those with a close-knit guest list, sending an invite via email is fine and cost nothing but time. The website, Evite.com, has a good wedding-themed selection to choose from, like this trendy “Love Birds,” invitation.
- Print your own: Keep paper invitations simple by choosing solid color cards with minimal design. A design like this deep pink invitation featuring the names or monogram of the bride and groom is classic.
- Hand delivery: If you host an intimate gathering of family with a limited amount of planning time, consider hand delivering invitations to save on postage
When it comes to decorating, the first thing to remember is to keep the focus on the couple of honor.
- Collect pictures of them and mementos from special dates to display.
- Black and white photocopies of a favorite pose placed in inexpensive frames can serve as table centerpieces.
- Ask a creative friend (or one of the hosts) to paint the couple's first initials on blank artist's canvases. After the party, present them to the bride and groom.
Caring for Cut
Flowers
Flowers
"Bead" Perfect
Flower Vases
Flower Vases
On Throwing Parties:
How to Make Your
Ev...
How to Make Your
Ev...
Here is a great low-cost engagement party idea I found at Survive Wedding Season. It's for a wine tasting party.
http://surviveweddingseason.com/?p=420