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A: An engagement party is a delightful way to announce the happy news of a new engagement. It's often more casual than formal, and the guest list can vary from just family to family, close friends, and friends who may not attend the wedding.
Here are some guidelines to engagement parties:
*Anyone may host an engagement party for the couple. Usually, however, it is the bride's parents who do so.
*It may be any type of party, but it is most often a cocktail party or a dinner.
*The host, usually the bride's father, makes the engagement official by proposing a toast to the couple when all the guests have assembled. At a very large party, if the announcement is not a surprise, the bride's fiancé stands with her and her mother and is introduced as the guests arrive.
*The majority of engagement parties are restricted to relatives and good friends of both families, but you may invite anyone you choose. The people invited to the engagement party are often those who will be your top-priority wedding guests. Occasionally the engagement party is a large open house or reception.
*Engagement gifts have never been obligatory and are not expected from casual friends and acquaintances. Still, they are becoming customary in some parts of the country, usually given to the couple by family members and close friends. In this case, the couple sets the gifts aside and does not open them during the party. If the gifts are opened in front of all, those who did not bring a gift are made to feel uncomfortable.
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