If you're planning a long engagement, when should you have the engagement party

Question

My stepson just got engaged to his girlfriend. He was asking about the etiquette for having an engagement party. I know the bride's parents are supposed to host it, but since they are not planning on getting married until they are both done with college (at least 2 more years, maybe longer) should they have the engagement party now to announce the engagement? Or should they wait until they set a date and formally announce the engagement then?

Answer 1

The party should be as soon after the engagement as possible.  When you have a long engagement, you usually have some leeway as far as how soon after you can plan the party.

We are having nearly a 2-year engagement and because we live out-of-state from much of our family and timing was tough, my Mom opted to hold our engagement party August 2008.  We got engaged Christmas Day 2007 and the wedding will be Halloween 2009 so the party is still well over a year before the wedding.

Answer 2

There is no should about who hosts it -

They can have the party now - the purpose of an engagement party is really for close family on both sides to meet the couple and the bridal party.

However, they don't even have a date set, so it seems moot.

Perhaps skipping this event would make much more sense; not everyone has engagement parties.

It's silly really to be engaged for so long - usually a couple is engaged just as long as it takes to plan the wedding...

Answer 3

I think it could seem weird for the guests to come to an engagement party a year after the couple is engaged. We are having a year and a half engagement, and we had our engagement party about a month and a half after the actual proposal. I say celebrate now! :)

Answer 4

Well, an engagement party is to announce and celebrate the engagement, thus you have the party right after the engagement.