Engagement Party

You are engaged!! 

Well the Engagement Party is the time to announce your engagement and celebrate with family and friends.  But recently I was asked what is the "correct" etiquette for an engagement party.  So here is the answer straight from the source of all wedding etiquette, Emily Posts Wedding Etiquette by Peggy Post.

Who Hosts?
The Parents of the Bride host the Engagement Party.

What kind of Party?
There is actually no standard party format.  The most popular types are cocktail and dinner parties,

Who is invited?
Generally the guest list is limited to the couples relatives and close friends.

How do you invite guests?
Written or printed invitations are normally sent, but for an intimate gathering phoned invitations are acceptable.

Do you open the gifts at the party?
Only if gifts are given by everyone should the gifts be opened at the engagement party.  After opening the couple should personally thank each guest. However, written thank you's are still required.

What type of engagement party is your family planning?

Children at the Wedding

This is a common topic that comes up when making your guest list for the wedding. How to inform guests that children are not invited, or how to set limits on the number of children invited. When discussing etiquette I also reference the queen of etiquette, Emily Post:

How to let guests know that children are not invited:

Simple. If children are not invited, the proper way to communicate this is to write only the parents' names on the outer and inner envelopes on your invitations. It is inappropriate to write "No Children" on invitations. If you would like the wedding day to be adults only the best way to convey that message is to spread the word to your close family and friends.

How to set limits when inviting children:

One option is to draw the line by setting an age limit, for example inviting children 10 and over. Other ideas include inviting only the children of close family members and/or children of the wedding party. Either way once you have made your decision make no exceptions, since doing so will cause more hurt feelings than staying firm.

To learn more about the etiquette of children at a wedding, as well as all other wedding etiquette questions, purchase Emily Post's Wedding etiquette.