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The Best is yet to Come

October 1, 2017

In between love, laughter and happily ever after comes the engagement party. While there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the sparkler on your ring finger, sharing your joy with family and friends tops the list. The engagement party is the perfect opportunity to dip your toe in wedding planning.  The best is yet to come! Here is what you need to know about planning a prewedding soirée.

The engagement party is usually scheduled three months after the big announcement. This will be the first of many times to bring together your friends, family and loved ones with a lively celebration.

Caitlin wore an off-the-shoulder fitted dress by Sara Rose with a perfectly bridal flower crown from Morgans in Bloom.

After the invites were sent, we were blown away from the response and were on our way  to planning an intimate get together for 70 of our closest friends and family! It’s easy to get lost in the vast amount of options you have for venue, caterer and so on, which is why you must always go with your first instinct. I can remember celebrating almost every monumental moment at my parents house, and it was my first pick to hold the afternoon fête.

My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are it.”

Engagement Party Checklist

1. Choose a host

Traditionally, the bride’s parents throw an engagement party, but there’s no rule for who should host or how many engagement parties one can have. It’s entirely appropriate for anyone close to the couple to take on this role, or for several people to host jointly.

2. Pick a date

When celebrating your engagement, try to pick a date that’s reflective of your proposal glow. Two to three months is ideal, enough time to plan. You’ll want a date that definitely works for parents and close family.

3. Select a venue

The venue you choose should depend on the size and vibe of the party you’d like to have. We chose to have an open house to accommodate all the guests we looked forward to seeing – from small children to puppies and close friends! You also need to have a rain plan. The day before our shower,  the weather report said 100% rain. We were prepared to have the soiree inside or out but it ended up being a glorious afternoon!

4. Make a list and send invitations

Engagement parties are an opportunity for both sides of the family and close friends to mix and mingle in a relaxed environment. Golden rule: you should only invite people you plan to invite to the wedding as well. Mail or email invites three weeks to a month before the event if you can.

5. Plan a menu

What’s a party without cake and champagne? We opted to cater in a mini buffet and serve sparkling rosé and the groom’s favorite beer. Sticking to these fan favorites kept everyone happy and cheers-ing into the early evening.

6. Prep the venue.

Make sure you have enough seating for everyone – you may need to order any extra tables and chairs. Decide the aesthetic of the party and choose decor to match!

There is something truly special to be said about being surrounded by all of the people you love all in one place. By the end of the night, my cheeks honestly hurt from all of the smiling and laughing.

All photos were taken by are fantastical, wonderful, brilliant, talented photographer Alexandra Gerard. Follow her on Instagram @itsyagrlgerry. 

   

7 Comments / Filed In: AISLE STYLE
Tagged: 2018 wedding, bling, blingbling, bridal fashion, bridalfashion, bride, bride to be, bridetobe, caratclub, chicago bride, chicagobride, diamond, diamond ring, diamond rings, diamonds, engaged, engagement, engagement announcement, engagement party, engagement photo, engagement photography, engagement photos, engagement pictures, engagement ring, engagement ring shopping, engagement rings, engagement session, engagementphotography, engagementphotos, engagementring, engagementsession, esesh, fiance, groom, hedidgood, inlove, isaidyes, loverly, Martha Stewart weddings, martharings, marthaweddings, michigan, pear diamond, pear engagement ring, pear shape ring, pear shaped ring, peardiamond, petoskey, pink, pink diamonds, pink engagement ring, proposal, proposal story, real bride, realbride, realwedding, ring selfie, she said yes, shesaidyes, shopping, soloverly, steve madden, summer wedding, the knot, theknot, theknotrings, wedding, wedding advice, wedding blog, wedding blogger, wedding colors, wedding influencer, wedding inso, wedding inspiration, wedding planning, wedding. ideas, weddingideas, weddinginspiration, weddinginspo, WEDDINGPLANNING COMMENTS Kathy Jecklin says September 13

Comments

  1. Mikki Donaldson says

    October 2, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    You make the big day sound and look simple. Appears you all had a wonderful time. I love your ring! Congratulations, by the way. I’m sure you will have a happy life moving forward.

    Reply
  2. Cait says

    October 2, 2017 at 5:35 pm

    Those are the vest kinds of days when your cheeks hurt ha! Looks like a blast!

    Reply
  3. Melissa says

    October 2, 2017 at 8:51 pm

    This is so cute! I love the idea of an engagement party. Unfortunately I didn’t get one since our families lived really far, but yours was lovely!

    Reply
  4. Marissa says

    October 3, 2017 at 3:34 am

    Aww this looks like so much fun! I’m glad you enjoyed your special day.

    Reply
  5. Leah says

    October 3, 2017 at 4:37 am

    I wish there would have been posts like this 6 years ago when I got engaged! And that ring!

    Reply
  6. Rhonda Swan says

    October 3, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    Unstoppable and beautiful pictures!

    Reply
  7. Lucy says

    October 4, 2017 at 5:44 am

    I love that flower crown and the mother-of-the-bride cup. Everything looks beautiful of course, especially that ring!

    Reply

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Once upon a time... there were two best friends that lived in a Dollhouse. That's where the story began. While the pages of this digital storybook keep turning, one thing remains the same. Caitlin and Dani are by each other's side through the ups, downs and all the realness in between.

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