engagement party etiquette

Situation: Engaged Dec.99. Engagement party Oct.2000. Wedding July 2002. We are making a SMALL "apartment" in his parents basement & will be living there within the next few months . Bedroom, livingroom, kitchenette, NO bathroom as we will share that. Due to lack of storage & not knowing the type of house we will have 4-5 years from now, do we have to register for this party? We would need so little, I think it might be a waste. Am I wrong? What is the proper thing to do? Val

How far in advance to reserve depends on the time of year and where you are. A few brides a while back were a bit panicky when they needed more rooms and the area was all booked. If it's a popular vacation time, or there are conventions or other events around, you may have trouble getting the rooms you want, but some places won't reserve more than 10 - 12 months in advance.

engagement party etiquette

We had a small engagement party with Fi's parents and grandparents immediate families - about 20 altogether, and received cards and checks, no gifts other than a lovely frame from his mother, and crystal toasting goblets from my parents.

If you expect some will want to give gifts, you might want to register for some practical items you can use immediately, such as bed linens or some nice down-filled pillows - something that fits with any decor. Maybe items for the kitchenette like a George Foreman Grill (they're great to use - convenient!) or a toaster. Luggage doesn't have to depend on a future home's decor, or maybe you could use a CD player or small TV in your apartment - consider an electronic or department store that would have those.

It never hurts to give guests and idea of what you'd like IF they ask. Otherwise, you might end up with a lot of vases and candlesticks that you won't have room to store right now.

gift certificates work too

Just let the MOH, BMs and future MIL and your mom know that "IF" anyone is thinking of p urchasing a gift, that in the living situation you have now, a gift certificate would work much better. Then specify the place; bed,bath,beyond, Pier One, macy's, sterns, or even home depot!

Remember to take time to breathe- if you can- go for a walk with your honey...or watch a movie. Towards the end comes all the little things...who needed a hotel rm and didnt reserve one..who you thought was coming and isnt...dresses that may be late, tuxes, etc. try if you can to have the batchleor/ and lette party the wk b4 the wedding...so u can really enjoy...the party coming up!

Hope this helps! (and 2 days after your rsvp date is FINE to start calling all those stragglers!)

engagement party etiquette

We didn't register for our engagement party and nearly everyone gave us money, which we started our first joint account with. I think it also depends on how big your party will be. Ours was very small and people were basically invited by word-of-mouth. If you're having a big party, you may want to register or, as was already stated, ask that people give gift certificates in leu of actual gifts.

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engagement party etiquette

Our party is going to be fairly large & it's being given by our parents. We will probably register for the bedroom things we need & th e little bit of kitchen stuff & other then that the moms will mention gift certs. for us! Thanks guys!

The tasting went great-we are going with the two-star menu. First, we tried a sampling of the hors d'oeuvres that will be passed around during the cocktail hour-everything was fantastic, especially the baked clams.