Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

As a guest I always feel its a lot to ask for 3 gifts in a short period of time. Generally I will give a small gift for the engagement (like a wedding book or something small), a larger gift for the shower and the biggest gift for the wedding.

But honestly I would have loved to have an engagement party thrown for me...not for the gift...but just for the chance to get together.

What i think is really odd is when engagement parties are just like weddings - complete with first dance, sit down meal, favors, etc.... It seems odd that you wouldnt want to make your eparty very different from the wedding.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't and that was fine by me!!! We didn't for a few reasons: 1) My bridal party, friends, and family are spending so much money on my wedding....with hotel, air, presents for both the bridal shower and the wedding, dresses, hair/make-up that I didn't want them to pay more for an e-party and get me another present. 2) I want my wedding to be amazing so any money that was going to towards an e-party I felt should go towards the extra mile wedding....3) With only a year engagement, I didn't feel that there was enough time or reason for one.... My bridal shower I think will be totally special... JMO. I can understand how someone would want one... And sometimes I can't wait for a party for me to come soon enough!

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't want to have one either.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

Kittyke-

I felt that way...and I had a hard time last year because I was invited to 4 weddings. Which meant 4 bridal showers, 4 wedding presents and two had engagement parties.

I just didn't want anyone else to feel like they need to get me presents...though my extended family will be gettng together over christmas at my Dad's house for a family holiday party, this will be the 1st time we are all together since I got engaged so that will be nice (almost like I got one!!)

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I agree w/ Stef on that the wedding isn't different than the eparty having the items you mentioned. If you don't make it different. I am doing it ALOT different than our wedding. No cocktail hour-just hors douevres being passed around the first 45 minutes. Its a 4 hour affair w/ a sit down (was given to us at same price as buffet style). DJ instead of band and dj. Those stupid things that are handed out by the dj. Favors-I can't do without them. My side sees it as an insult if they don't get one at any affair. These will be alot smaller though.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I think a different type of party for an e-party is nice.

Only one of my friends had an e-party. It was 6 months into her actual engagement which I thought was too long to wait since the engagement was just over a year. It was followed up with a bridal shower, bachlorette party, wedding, house warming/christmas party. The next year included a baby shower, christening, and baby's first christmas party! We all felt like she was holding us up

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't either. We decided that we only had an 8 month engagement and an eparty wasn't needed.
I also felt people spend enough money on gifts that they didn't need to spend more.

Instead, we decided to do announcements/save the dates as one... We were very happy with how they came out!!!!

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

My mom threw us an engagement party but it was more of a dinner and friends just hanging out. It was not formal at all. We received gifts but not a lot of extravagant gifts. I do think 3 gifts is a lot to expect from people.

sonicstef I always wonder the same thing when I see people have such extravagant eparty.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't really want an E-party (felt bad asking people to give us gifts) but my mom wanted to throw as a suprise one anyway. It was just a small dinner in a rec hall w/ immediate family and the bridal party. She specified no gifts bnut most people gave us a little something regardless.

edited to say: My friend had such an extravagent e-party and bridal shower which both felt like a wedding-it was kind of tacky because you almost felt obligated to give a large gift to all 3!

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I felt the same way as many of you. We announced our engagement and then had our moms and siblings get together so that they could all meet.

I usually dont attend eparty unless its family or close friends.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I didn't have one. My mom couldn't really afford to give me one and I would have felt bad if she tried to anyway so it wasn't a big deal. Many of our relative were really nice and gavve us gifts when we announced our engagement.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't, I felt we were older & didn't need one.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I didn't. We had a small get-together dinner. 1/2 about us 1/2 about a birthday. (Mine so I got gifts regardless)

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't.

It would have been a great excuse to have a little get together with family & friends, only b/c I enjoy being with them, but I was afraid they would feel obligated to bring something.

Kevin and I went to dinner with our parents & siblings when we returned from our summer vacation.

We received a number of gifts anyway.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

No engagement party here either. I just thought it's a little too much to also have an E-Party.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I didn't! It turned into another expense that I just didn't have the $$ for.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

FH's and my parents threw an e-party for us and we had the best time. We had a beautiful Greek Orthodox Engagement ceremony.
The gifts were not important to us. It was the people that were to celebrate our engagement with us that meant everything.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We didn't - had no desire for one. Some family members did give us gifts. M FI's aunt and uncle wanted to throw one for us, but we really didn't want one.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

We did not want an engagement party. We did have a nice dinner with both sets of parents several months ago. Alot of our family members sent us engagement gifts anyway.

Re: Who else, Did not Have a E Party?

I didn't have one either. Out engagement is about a year long and I feel it is alot to expect 3 gifts within that short of a time period.