What you have to know to celebrate your engagement

Here’s a bit of history…

Wedding proposals have changed, just like weddings themselves throughout the years. And if we consider the times we’re living in after the rise of COVID-19, now more than ever should we unleash our creativity and find solutions to ensure our events comply with government restrictions.

A proposal is a prelude to a significant life decision. It’s the blissful moment that kicks off the most exciting time of your life: planning your WEDDING!

In earlier times, proposing and getting engaged was a way to get the bride’s father’s consent, but we’ve come a long way since then. An engagement party is a private, intimate event to celebrate the wonderful news and share a beautiful moment with your loved ones. And, let’s be honest, it’s a good excuse to throw in another party before the big day. The fact that it’s a small gathering with family and, perhaps, close friends, makes it easy to plan and allows you to spend more one-on-one time with your guests, which can be quite the challenge on your wedding day. The engagement party’s style will depend on your unique personality as a couple. Nowadays, there are plenty of ways to celebrate your engagement, from an unforgettable surprise party to a classic dinner at a restaurant or, if you’re traditional, at the bride’s parents’ house.

Are there ways to plan a safe engagement party during the next months?

Our answer is YES, of course there are!

How can I plan my engagement party this year?

First of all, I’d like to reassure all the couples who are planning on getting married this year. The best advice I can give is to try your best to stay calm, resilient and open to change. Given the circumstances, although things are looking quite promising, nothing can be confirmed with certainty until later on (spring-summer). It is essential not only to maintain a good balance between staying positive and being realistic, but also to come to terms with the idea that this situation is here to stay. The sooner we adapt to it, the better. But under no circumstances should we lose the joie de vivre and laughter that come from planning this unforgettable day of our lives.

Although everything is still uncertain, vaccines reveal light at the end of the tunnel. We’re hoping that it’ll only get better and that we’ll be celebrating weddings from the beginning of May 2021. There’ll probably be restrictions up until 2022, but we believe they’ll be lighter and that every couple will have the chance to celebrate their love as they truly deserve.

What should we keep in mind, and what are the alternatives?

In order for your party to be safe and comply with regulations (which are still unknown in the short/medium term), we advise you to:

• Move your event from night to day: this way, you won’t have to worry about cutting the party short if there were to be a curfew.
• Celebrate outdoors: people usually prefer it, and given the circumstances, many will feel much more comfortable and grateful for the fresh air.
• Choose the venue depending on the event’s level of formality:
  • The terrace at the bride’s parents’ house, if the space and weather allow it (for traditional couples)
  • At a beach restaurant or at a rustic house in the countryside (for less formal couples)

Here are our ideas for a safe and unforgettable engagement party

Option 1: formal and elegant with a twist

For more traditional couples, organised by the bride’s family

When?
6 to 3 months before the wedding.

Dress Code
Since it’s a formal event, dark suit for men, cocktail attire for women.

Where?
Both families are invited to eat at the bride’s family’s house or at a restaurant, with a simple but prime-quality menu.

What kind of menu should we pick? If the groom’s family is from another city or country, the proper thing to do would be to present a traditional menu with winks to their cuisine. This kind gesture shows a great deal of respect towards the new family and will surely make them feel special.

Who should we invite?
As a general rule, only close family – parents, brothers and sisters – should attend. Depending on the chosen venue and the restrictions at that time, the couple’s best friends, as well as cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles can join towards the end of the event (again, if the restrictions allow it).

How to propose?
According to old-fashioned etiquette, the marriage proposal should happen before food is served, and it should be the groom’s father to ask the father of the bride. Gifts should wait until after dessert.

What’s a good gift?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that traditionally, the groom is given a watch and the bride an engagement ring. However, you could also consider getting her a bracelet or another jewel and him a tie clip, cuff links or other collection items.

What happens next?
After gifts, the bride announces the wedding date and her father proposes a toast to wish happiness and a promising future to the couple.

Did you know that…?
Tradition says that the groom should send the bride a bunch of white roses symbolize purity) on the day of the proposal, and it would be a wonderful idea to also gift a smaller bunch of flowers to the future mother-in-law.

Option 2: intimate, informal, surprise proposal party

Just for two, or maybe not…

This kind of event is private – usually secret – and is a big surprise for one of the two. Lately, many girls have been taking the first step and proposing to their future husband themselves. We wanted equal rights, didn’t we?

When?
Since the only person who knows about this is the one that will propose, anytime is a good time to drop the big question. But there’s no doubt that the best time to propose is on your anniversary, during Christmas holidays or on birthdays.

Dress Code
None. You might both be fancier than usual that day because you thought you were going on a romantic date, but it all depends on the creativity and ingenuity of the person planning the proposal… Incredible situations have started crossing your mind already, am I right?

Where?
Some people might prefer a romantic, intimate evening or even a trip, while others like to go crazy and throw a big party for their proposal. The limits are only in your mind!

Who should we invite?
It’s usually just the couple, but sometimes, right after the “YES, I DO!’, friends and family pop out and join the fun. They’ve usually helped plan the big surprise. This is exactly what happened with our lovely couple from California: Jamen & Alejandro.

What’s a good gift?
Although the gift of all gifts is the diamond ring, anything goes in marriage proposals. Truth be told, the money value of the ring isn’t all that important, and a symbolic gift of great sentimental value will be as perfect to seal the deal.
And if you’re up for some extra fun, why not have a party after the proposal with your closest friends and family to celebrate the good news and help both families to get to know each other better before the big day? It could be part of the surprise. Doesn’t it sound amazing?

Needless to mention, the party should observe the protocols and restrictions in force at that time. This could be a great occasion to announce the wedding day and venue, as well as hand out invitations.

And if you’re planning it together, you could also throw a party a short time after your engagement, and why not, take everybody by surprise and announce the big news. But just so you know, you’ll have to come up with a solid excuse to gather everyone together without raising any suspicions. Perhaps someone’s birthday?

And last but not least…

• Decorate tables with fresh flowers and choose your tablecloths, place settings and silverware with care. Just like you look after your appearance, you should make sure your table and any other area where you’ll be hosting your guests look beautiful, whether it’s a chillout area or another space.
• Play the right music at the right time.
• Imagination has no limits, and neither does love. So go ahead and create memories of a lifetime that you’ll share with your children and grandchildren one day. That’s why we recommend you hire a professional photographer to capture all the emotions and remember the start of your new life together. Your wedding photo album can begin with your engagement party and end with your honeymoon.

And lastly, we’d like to end with a reflection from the bottom of our heart. We’re big fans of the law of attraction, so we truly believe that many couples will celebrate their love this year and that their special day is getting closer and closer. Remember: “What you believe, you create”. Don’t give power to your circumstances, you’re in charge of your own destiny. Your life must carry on, stop putting off or cancelling your plans, because if you keep waiting for the perfect time, you’ll be waiting forever.

For further information, be sure you don’t miss the article on Hola.com: ‘Can I celebrate my engagement in 2021?’ Here’s what the experts have to say.