Congratulations, you’re engaged! This is a seriously exciting and happy time, so we hope you’re milking all the loved-up attention and getting pumped about what’s ahead.
While wedding planning is probably in your peripheral vision, the first thing to tick off your list is your engagement party!
Couples celebrate their engagements in a number of ways – from an intimate dinner with just the parents and in laws, all the way to a massive mini-wedding, inviting all the family and friends for a huge booze up. While we’re all for doing things your own way, we’ve found some money saving hacks for those looking for a traditional mid-scale engagement party, so that you reserve more dollars in your wedding budget.
Here are five ways to save money on your engagement party.
Riverland Group Venues present beautiful options for engagement venues for Melbourne couples. Find out more about them here.
Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel following their engagement announcement.
1. Send digital invites
Printing invites for your engagement party is someone unnecessary, as the engagement party is much more informal than the wedding itself. Opt for a Paperless Post, direct email or even a Facebook event if you’re keeping things super casual.
2. Host it at your
house or a
family/friend’s place
Removing the venue hire cost will potentially save you thousands. You can see opt for pro catering and bar service, but you won’t be paying the rental cost of the physical ground you’re standing on. However, if you’re an anti-DIY bride, be warned. Home engagement parties often rely on wrangling friends and family to help out with hanging decorations, sourcing lights, prepping music playlists and running the flow of food and drinks.
Jennifer Lawrence and her husband-to-be walking to their engagement party. You can see her wedding dress right here.
Pier One offers engagement party venues with breathtaking Sydney Harbour views. You can find out more about Pier One here.
3. Make it a BYOB
engagement party
If you’re having your engagement celebration at home and are frankly disturbed by the booze quote, then outsource the alcohol supply to your guests. Say that in lieu of an engagement present, simply bring along a bottle of your drink of choice. That way you just need to supply glasses (or plastic cups) and ice. Simple.
4. Be tactical about
the time of day
Often party costs will go through the roof when you host them over a key food time. We’re talking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Choosing a later start (say from around 7:30pm) most guests will assume that means they need to eat beforehand. Now you’ve got the dinner catering off your plate, you can just toss around a few canapés or bowls of chips, reducing your overheads massively. Just be sure to make it clear on your invite that you’re only providing ‘light refreshments’, ‘canapés’ or ‘nibbles’ so you don’t get stuck with a group of hangry guests.
Perhaps the most iconic engagement photo of our time – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement
A go-to engagement party venue for Brisbane brides and grooms, Six Feet Under Newstead which you can investigate into here.
5. Keep the guest
list tight
By Katie Stow
//
Editor of One Fine Day
