How to Plan a Simple Engagement Party for Your Daughter

— Tips for the new mother of the bride

So your daughter just got engaged! Congratulations! I’m sure she is glowing from head to toe. Hopefully you have met her fiance and approve of their happy union. There will be many exciting things to discuss and plan for the wedding, and you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Before you worry too much about the wedding, though, you may want to have a simple party to celebrate the engagement. It’s also a great way for the two sides of the family to be introduced and get to know each other. If you, as the mother of the bride, would like to plan such an event, here are some tips that may help you do it in an organized and economical fashion.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

STEPS FOR PLANNING AN ENGAGEMENT PARTY

1. Decide whether the party will be casual or formal

Do you want it open house style with people coming and going?
Will you serve light refreshments or dinner?
Will it be a casual potluck picnic or an indoor reception?

2. Decide on a date

It’s nice to throw the party as soon as possible while the excitement is still buzzing.
You could set the date as little as 2 weeks out for a small casual party, but may want to aim for 3 or 4 weeks to allow enough time for preparations and RSVP’s.

3. Decide on the location of the party

Try to choose a location that’s convenient for you and your guests.

If you are having a small engagement party with just local family and a few friends, you may want to host it in your home or back yard. This is usually the most economical choice.
You can ask everyone to bring some camp chairs for more seating.
Renting a shelter is fairly inexpensive and will save you having to clean your house. Yes! dditionally, there is plenty of room for outdoor games.
If you are planning to do the party outdoors, have a backup plan in case the weather decides not to cooperate.

4. Decide who to invite

The bride and groom’s immediate families should be first on the guest list.
Any other extended family members that played a significant role in their upbringing should be invited (grandparents, special aunts and uncles or close cousins).
Any bridesmaids or groomsmen that have been chosen or who are being considered should also be invited.
Be sure that whoever you are inviting also will be invited to the wedding, otherwise they will wonder what they did wrong.

5. Decide how you will send the invitations

Facebook event invitations
- Creating a private event on Facebook and sending the invitations via Messenger or email is a quick and inexpensive way to get the word out for a casual party.
- See this tutorial for how to set up a Facebook event and invite people.

Email invitations
- You can use a site such as Punchbowl.com to email stylish invitations
- This will save you the printing and postage costs.
- However, you may need to follow up by text or phone call since some people may not see or open invitations in their inbox.

Mailed invitations
- Many people like to receive invitations in the mail and have a physical copy to put on their fridge or bulletin board.
- You can design and print an invitation right from your computer using Canva.com or even on Word.
- Some may opt to order invitations from Vistaprint.com or get designs from Etsy.com, but I would recommend waiting until the wedding to spend money on custom invitations.

Information to include
- Whatever format you decide on, be sure to include the location address, date, start/end times, and your cell number for the RSVP or asking questions.

6. Decide what the menu will be

Potluck menu
- For a more casual party at your home or at a park, you can ask the guests to each bring a dish to pass. Include the request on the invitations and ask them to say what they are bringing when they RSVP.
  - You may want to consider using Signup.com as the invitation format if you go this route.
  - It works well if you, the host, provide the meat and drinks, then let the guests help with the sides and desserts.

DIY party food
- If you’d like to provide all the food yourself, consider having light refreshments instead of a full sitdown meal.
- If you are planning to provide a meal, keep it simple. Get some help doing the preparations and try to do as much as possible in advance.
- If you need some recipe ideas, you can check out these books on Amazon.

Party Platters
- Your local grocery store often can help out with preparing coldcut platters, vegetable crudites, cheese trays, or beautifully arranged fruit trays. They can also help you out with your dessert. This will cost a bit more than doing it yourself, but will save you significant time. Be sure to place your order early.

7. Decide what disposable products you will need

If you are doing the party food yourself or potluck style, you will need some disposable products. Be sure to add these to your shopping list. If you like to do your shopping on Amazon, click on the links below to see some ideas to add to your cart. (I will receive a small commission for anything you order through a link from my website.)

8. Decide on decorations for the party

You can skip the decorations if you want to keep things very simple and economical. It’s totally up to you.
Decorating with flowers, paper lanterns, lights, candles, or seasonal decor will make any occasion seem special. You can use what you have in your house or garden.
If you would like to hang a banner to let people know what the party about, that will add a nice touch. Here are some suggestions.
Balloons are also fun for parties.
- Engagement balloons
- LOVE-lettered balloons

9. Decide on entertainment

Entertainment is totally optional. If you want to keep it low key, don’t worry about planning anything. But if you’d like to add some fun activities, here are some ideas.
Party games
- Having a few engagement party games ready to go can help break the ice and get people laughing.
- Check out this article from TheKnot.com for some fun ideas:
  - Engagement Party Games
Music
- Having music playing in the background will help to set the mood. Choosing a playlist that everyone will enjoy can be tricky and time consuming. Using Amazon Prime Music can help. Just search for something like “Jazz Dinner Playlist” or whatever style you choose.
- If your party is outside, be sure to connect your music device to a portable speaker.
Outdoor games
- If the party is outdoors, consider setting up some games and activities people can enjoy. You may have some of these in your garage already, or could borrow them from friends or family.

10. Decide on the announcements

Whether the engagement announcement will be a surprise or not, be sure to plan who will make the big introduction. Often it’s the father of the bride.
Proposing a toast is a great way of getting everyone’s attention.
If the wedding date has already been chosen, or at least a time of year, this is a good time to let it be known.

CONCLUSION

Throwing an engagement party for your daughter and her fiance is not only a great way to introduce the two sides of the family, but it’s also a nice way to let your daughter and future-son-in-law know they have your blessing and you wish them all the happiness in the world as they begin their new journey together.

Happy planning!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

FREE WORKSHEET

I have created a worksheet that you can use to plan your daughter’s engagement party. It’s a free digital download. Just enter your email address below and the link will be sent to you.