Whether you see it coming or not, getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments in your life. Starting from that day, you will be walking on cloud nine, consumed with wedding ideas and planning. For people like me who love celebrations, it will be nearly impossible to hold out until the wedding day for a big shindig. An engagement party is the perfect way to gather your friends, food, music, and a glass of champagne or two. Trying out some engagement party ideas can be the perfect test run for the real deal!

Photo courtesy of Appleye Photography

Stick to simple engagement party ideas.

An engagement party doesn’t have to be a big, elegant event taking up a lot of time and money. My own engagement party was held at a local ‘speak-easy’ bar. I invited my closest friends and had a 1920’s Great Gatsby theme to add an extra element of festiveness. Some other easy engagement party ideas are to reserve a party room at your favorite restaurant, the rooftop of a lovely hotel, or even your favorite aunt’s beautiful back yard. Dress up or down, decorate or use the locale’s natural beauty, order catering or throw a pot luck; whatever you choose to do, have fun celebrating with your loved ones!

Photo courtesy of Erin Johnson Photography

Use your party to start your wedding guest list.

Throwing an engagement party is the perfect way to get ahead on some simple wedding planning tasks. Your list of invitees for your engagement party is the perfect first start for your wedding guest list! One of our favorite wedding planning tips is to collect addresses at the party to use for future invitations and thank you notes. This will save you the headache of trying to collect them all later!

Photo courtesy of Appleye Photography

A fun-filled engagement party is a great time to experiment with décor or food ideas that you may like to implement into your wedding day. It’s also a way to celebrate one of the most exciting times of your life  with your loved ones. Keep in mind when researching wedding planning tips and ideas: the most important checklist item to accomplish is to enjoy your engagement and wedding!

How did you start compiling your wedding guest list? Share your wedding planning tips below!