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Engagement Rings Online: Ease The Fear Of Buying Rings Online

A lot of people may normally be scared to buy expensive things online especially if they haven’t tried buying any big stuff yet electronically. For that reason, buying engagement rings online might well be more fearful! Fortunately, it’s not going be a problem at all because there are always the legit ones, online companies that really give great service, navigation and guide to your budget all throughout the whole process of choosing your engagement rings online.

James Allen Engagement Rings

James Allen solitaire engagement ring

One of the greatest resources that we tested and chosen is James Allen. He’s been in the online jewelry business since 1998 and has received over 2,000 recommendations from iVouch itself and further gift sites. What we love most about his website is that you can design your own custom engagement ring where from there you can determine your budget, what type of metal and setting will best suit you or your fiancée, how can you choose the perfect diamond and so on. Plus, they also offer 24/7 online chat support to answer your questions straightaway.

James Allen engagement rings offer a 60-day money back guarantee, free shipping on selected locations and lifetime warranty to take care of your ring and keep the all-round customer satisfaction. Lastly, you can enjoy future packages like discounts and coupon code offers from time to time.

Buying Engagement Rings Online Is Safe

Definitely, it is safe to buy engagement rings online as long as these are from a jeweller that’s received a number of good reviews and ratings from the actual customers. It takes time to do your research on the real good ones yet it is worth it once you finally try and receive your quality product in no time.

Just think of the other stuffs that are getting sold online for those who can’t visit the stores locally. They receive the same quality without the hassle of traveling and checking if your product is available or not. These types of e-commerce businesses are really an advantage to give more convenience to buyers and at the same time, give equal security for products and services.

Where To Buy Engagement Rings?

Like mentioned, one of our best recommendations is from James Allen. You can get your engagement rings online hassle free and get the same enchanting experience of window shopping. There are many other choices around but if you don’t have an idea where to start then you can test James Allen rings out. Maximize the use of its interactive website using the 3HD player to view your ring in any angle. Once you’ve tried it, we’d love to hear from your experiences too and we hope this helps.

Engagement Rings For Women

In the past few months, we have covered a large selection of recommended engagement rings for women. We then have decided to compile all these posts here for your convenience. The engagement rings that we discovered to date are: Cartier Engagement Rings, Art Deco Engagement Rings, Gold Engagement Rings, Tacori Engagement Rings, Harry Winston Engagement Rings and Antique Engagement Rings. If you missed any of these posts then we recommend you see updates from here from time to time as we can add a few more. Here are the spotlights of these posts below:
 

I. Cartier Engagement Rings

Surely you may be eager to buy Cartier engagement rings very soon and so if you’re ready to buy them then here’s a sneak peek of their bridal collections:

• Solitaire 1895 – platinum setting with a center diamond, Solitaire 1895 is embraced by a wire body with four elegant claws that holds the radiant stone.

• Ballerine – this is a highly feminine Cartier ring that’s inspired by flower designs, curves and romantic arabesques with again platinum setting, center diamond and side diamonds.

• Declaration – this is also known as the most contemporary solitaire which has four tapered claws and elegant lines that gives a bit of modern, classic touch to women today with platinum setting, center and side diamonds.

• Honeymoon – infinite because of its roundness, it is the most refined ring that enhances its voluptuous curve of platinum setting.

• C De Cartier – this sits perfectly on the hand as the diamond follows the curves of this emblematic ring also known as Cartier C.

• Emblematic Rings – as the diamond joins the platinum Cartier solid setting, this establishes Trinity and Lanieres that both enhance the solitaire.

• Exceptional Rings – these are exceptional Cartier rings as these are considered exclusively embracing the harmonious diamond paving, perfectly cut solitaires and exquisitely elegant settings with full diamonds.

Where To Find Cartier Online?

Inside their main website, look through the Cartier catalog in France, United Kingdom, Spain, United States and other countries at Cartier.com.

Also, engagement gift ideas for brides are found at Cartier US bridal collection. Further selections include:

• Cartier Love

• Calibre de Cartier

II. Art Deco Engagement Rings

Definitely if you like a more unique touch of jewelry, status and treasure, Art Deco jewelry is going to be another beautiful experience as it’s designed to portray the class of the recent times. Great Art Deco engagement rings use pearls, colored stones, diamonds in platinum, while/yellow gold settings. Unlike today’s common gold rings, most Art Deco engagement rings widely use a combination of white, yellow gold and platinum with colored stones such as ruby, sapphire, emerald and diamonds to emphasize its beauty.

Now, even though it’s a little bit lost after that 1900s in the scene for some jewelry lovers, this is still going to be a great addition in your wardrobe or as one of engagement gift ideas to your loved ones to leave a new element in fashion. With its considered “newfound” sense of style, Art Deco rings gives every man and woman a more impressive look to blend in an uncommon ring with a number of other pieces making it dramatic yet elegant overall. The contrast of colors together placed on a metal ring make these truly unique items.

Finding Art Deco Rings?

Visit large Art Deco jewelers below:

• Art Deco Diamonds
• Laurelle Antique Jewelry
• Fay Cullen
• Heritage Jewelry

III. Tacori Engagement Rings

As there are certain aspects of Tacori engagement rings to pay attention on, you should look for the ring’s carat weight, color and style since these three are essential factors before making a decision in buying an engagement ring. Sometimes though, the smaller the diamonds the more valuable they become but that usually depends because the metal setting is also adding to its value and perfection. However, weight in carats which assesses the value of the diamonds is not just the size and look of it. Therefore, it is for you to have the idea that the size of the diamonds is not as important as the carat weight of diamonds to be preferred. This is where color comes in where the brighter it is, the greater it accompanies the diamond in it.

Wide distributors of Tacori jewelries are:

• Jr Dunns Jewelers
• Arthur’s Jewelers

IV. Harry Winston Engagement Rings

Harry Winston’s success to fine jewelry craft and design is such a result of style, study, effort and skills as individual gemstones and diamonds have been collaborated with its own gemologist, designer and craftsman to create impressively beautiful jewels. The most unique feature they have is the transformation of diamonds making highly dimensional sculptures and letting them float onto the settings. Harry Winston engagement rings for instance are definitely as aesthetic as possible.

Engagement Gift Ideas: The Rings

Engagement rings vary from sizes, shapes and also diamond sculptures to fit any fashion and lifestyle. You’re free to choose from Micropave Cushion-cut, Micropave Oval, Attraction Diamond Ring, Round Brilliant Solitaire, Emerald-cut Solitaire, Classic Round Brilliant-cut, Classic Emerald-cut, Classic Winston Oval, Classic Winston Pear, Classic Winston Marquise, Round Brilliant Three Stone Diamond, Emerald-cut Three Stone Diamond, and HW Diamonds in plain and micropave.

Want To Buy Now?

Visit various Harry Winston salons according to your country here.

V. Gold Engagement Rings

Gold carats normally are seen via the units ct, kt (karat) or K but most countries use either ct or kt in the market. Additionally, gold carats vary between 9kt, 10kt, 14kt, 18kt 22kt and 24kt where the higher the number is, the greater the content of gold is used in the final metal which makes up the more valuable, more expensive one. Definitely, high gold carats are top sellers for occasions like engagements and also weddings. That’s where engagement gift ideas come in through the engagement rings.

Hardness, Durability and Color

Now to finally choose an engagement ring, it’s not only the carat that should be measured. Next thing is to also see the hardness, durability and color of gold to suit both you and your loved one. To measure metal hardness, the Vickers scale is genius for that as it sends out higher Vickers for harder gold rings than less hard gold rings. 9kt has a Vickers hardness of 120 and 18kt has a Vickers hardness of 125. This shows 18kt as harder, but the difference is so slight that in practical terms 9kt and 18kt are much the same in terms of hardness.

But in terms of color, famous gold engagement rings are white, yellow and rose gold. The most popular is the yellow one followed by the white then rose. Others available are red, bronze and lime gold but those first three are most used on occasions. On the other hand, a jewelry can also be made in combination of one or two colors so they maybe called two-tone, three-tone or multicolored.

VI. Antique Engagement Rings

Platinum and white gold were the favorite choices for settings in the early twentieth century. According to history, one who first wore this type of ring was the Edwardian bride. That ring had a filigree design, a technique of piercing metal to create that intricate open-work look. From there, Art Deco wedding ringsdeveloped to have more geometric shapes in combination with diamonds set in steps in each side of the center stone. Afterwards, there came in the 1930s-40s bridal jewelry with much delicately engraved patterns and feminine carvings.

Since these pieces are antique, it’s important to inspect the condition of the piece as always. Look at the prongs holding the center diamond and any small stones. They should be all solid and secure in place. Also, the shank of the ring (the part which extends at the back of the finger) should have sufficient thickness. This can still be replaced in future as well but keep in mind that an engagement ring will be worn everyday so it’s wise to choose whether newly-made antique engagement ring or a real vintage ring in good condition.

Once you or your fiancée has chosen the ring, next thing to do is proper caring so it stays beautiful through the years. If you often use hand cream, it’s recommended to rinse the ring under hot water each night (but beware to put the stopper in the sink!) to keep all dirt, grease and build up away from the setting and diamond. You can also use baby toothbrush and put mild toothpaste to it to gently scrub the diamond. Don’t forget to not scrub the metal part of setting of the ring because it can cause scratches. Otherwise, use a jeweler’s polishing cloth to shine the gold or platinum setting.

Where To Buy?

Antique engagement rings are made available to the market so good thing it’s easy to find. But recommended shops are the following:

• Lang Antiques
• Art Deco Diamonds
• Brilliant Earth

We’ll be covering a lot more so check this out always. Good luck on your choice!

Antique Engagement Rings For Brides-To-Be

We’ve gone past the years of embroidered settings and mountings of engagement rings and other jewelries yet there are still many couples who want to choose to mark their engagement with that unique antique touch to also show how special their relationship is and is going to be in the future as husbands and wives. These types of couples definitely hunt for the antique engagement rings to have that sense of old-fashioned romance with its design, texture and value which doubles the more it gets older.

How To Determine If The Ring Is Antique?

Another antique jewelry is the so-called Art Deco engagement rings which mix strong colored stones into plain or carved settings. Some Hollywood stars wear them to represent fashion sense while some also received them as heirlooms when getting married.

Types Of Antique Engagement Rings

Platinum and white gold were the favorite choices for settings in the early twentieth century. According to history, one who first wore this type of ring was the Edwardian bride. That ring had a filigree design, a technique of piercing metal to create that intricate open-work look. From there, Art Deco wedding rings developed to have more geometric shapes in combination with diamonds set in steps in each side of the center stone. Afterwards, there came in the 1930s-40s bridal jewelry with much delicately engraved patterns and feminine carvings.

How To Shop For The Best Rings?

Since these pieces are antique, it’s important to inspect the condition of the piece as always. Look at the prongs holding the center diamond and any small stones. They should be all solid and secure in place. Also, the shank of the ring (the part which extends at the back of the finger) should have sufficient thickness. This can still be replaced in future as well but keep in mind that an engagement ring will be worn everyday so it’s wise to choose whether newly-made antique engagement ring or a real vintage ring in good condition.

Once you or your fiancée has chosen the ring, next thing to do is proper caring so it stays beautiful through the years. If you often use hand cream, it’s recommended to rinse the ring under hot water each night (but beware to put the stopper in the sink!) to keep all dirt, grease and build up away from the setting and diamond. You can also use baby toothbrush and put mild toothpaste to it to gently scrub the diamond. Don’t forget to not scrub the metal part of setting of the ring because it can cause scratches. Otherwise, use a jeweler’s polishing cloth to shine the gold or platinum setting.

Where To Buy?

Antique engagement rings are made available to the market so good thing it’s easy to find. But recommended shops are the following:

• Lang Antiques
• Art Deco Diamonds
• Brilliant Earth

Engagement Party Invitations

Yes you’ve planned about the venue, theme and you’ve now chosen your best dress for the party but have you thought about the engagement party invitations? Well, this one’s next as you would like this occasion to be gathering your family and your partner’s family members as well as very close friends and relatives to get together in this romantic celebration. And without an invitation, everything will not happen appropriately in place.

Invitation Etiquette

image credit: weddingpaperdivas

First is the theme and type of event. Before creating invitations, it’s a must that everything is set with the theme of the party and the tone of the affair. If you have already chosen the theme and place, for example beach engagement, it should also match the “feel” of the guests coming whether they would enjoy it or not. If picnic at the beach is probably everyone’s tastes then stick with that.

Next, the formality of the engagement party invitations will depend on the guest list and how big or small it is. You definitely wouldn’t like to invite anyone who is not going to be at the wedding but you’re also not obligated to invite everyone who will all be present at the wedding to the engagement party. Now to issue the invitations, a good timeline would be anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks in advance of the occasion. So in order to include the out of town guests, it will be great to give them a “save the date” phone call or send an email as soon as the party date is confirmed so that way they also have enough time to plan and book their trip.

Then if you and your future husband (if you’re the one hosting the party) doesn’t want to receive gifts anymore then you can include “no gifts please” or “your presence is your gift” reminder at the bottom of invitations. Otherwise, if you’re a friend or relative hosting the party then you can always consult the couple about any changes you’d like to do so that way you can also hear their suggestions and make what they want to happen.

Engagement Party Invitation Types

Manage your guests’ expectations on the party by starting with the right type of invitation. Remember, this is the right time to get your great relationship introduced to your loved ones and so consider what makes your relationship special and express it on the invitation cards. Give environment-friendly ones a go as it’s the most efficient type yet can easily be added a semi-formal and creative touch. You can either create them or design them yourself (if you’ve got enough time and you enjoy it) or you can just buy customized invitations from paper and craft stores recommended by friends. Tip: buy by piles so you can have discounts!

Otherwise, if you want to go for electronic invitations then you can try something what PaperLessPost does to send engagement party invitations on the go. Enjoy crafting!

Great Bachelorette Party Games To Have Fun With

Planning a bachelorette party is one of the easiest parts of a wedding to plan. There are literally hundreds of ideas for things to do and a myriad of options for games. Many of those ideas are a bit on the racy side, but there are plenty that that are just plain clean fun.

For example, one popular bachelorette game involves asking the guests to become poets. Ahead of the party, take 50 index cards and on half, write romantic things, like “roses”, “cuddly”, etc. On the other 25 cards, write very non-romantic words or phrases, like “nose hairs” or “ironing”. Then have each guest draw one card from each pile. They should then create a silly poem based on the two very different words or phrases they have chosen, for example, “Roses are red, your nose hairs are ewwwww.”

Fun Games To Start With

One fun game that is sure to engender at least a few laughs is “name that item”. Take a paper bag (a fabric bag is better if you have one) and fill the bag with typical “male items”. The items might include a razor, a money clip, a tie, shoe polish, etc. Seal the bag, or fold it over really well. Then have each guest feel the bag and try to guess the contents. Have them write their guesses on a piece of paper. After everyone has had a chance to feel the bag, the contents are shown and the person with the most number of correct guesses gets the bag of male-oriented items.

Here’s a fun idea. This game might take the whole of the bachelorette party, but it’s a fun one that involves all the guests, helps them get to know one another and provides video proof you all had a good time. You need video cameras for this game, so if the host only has one camera, be sure to ask guests to bring more video cameras. Make sure you also have enough blank tapes for this game.

How To Keep The Party More Enjoyable?

Depending on the number of guests at the party, you’ll divide the party into two or more groups. It’s best to divide the group into teams small enough so that the whole team can get into one car. So you’ll have maybe five women on each team. You’ll give each team a video camera, blank videotapes and a list of “scavenger hunt” type activities they must perform and tape.

Some video scavenger hunt ideas include having a complete stranger sing the national anthem, having a member of the team sing “I wish I were an Oscar Meyer hot dog” in the meat section of the grocery store and taping a stranger who can do a good impersonation of John Wayne.

The teams should be given a specific amount of time in which to complete their assigned tasks and then return to the party location (ideally, a home, in this case). The videos are viewed and the teams vote on the team that did the best. Bonus points are given for the team that creates their own stunts.

On the other hand, bachelorette party games are not only designed to bring fun to the party, but sometimes to help people get to know one another. This might be a good opportunity for the bride’s best friend to get to know the sister of the groom, or for the bride to get close to the groom’s cousin or niece. So an icebreaker game isn’t a bad idea.

This isn’t perhaps the most intellectual of an icebreaker game, but it will likely break the ice early in the evening before you head out to other events. Play a game called “I never…” and see who takes the most drinks. So the first woman says, “I never…” and completes the sentence. The women who have done the thing the first woman says she’s never done take a drink. Then the next woman claims to have “never” done something.

Some suggestions for this game are: “I never …”

• Lied about my age
• Lied about my weight
• Shoplifted
• Got a speeding ticket
• Ran naked through my house

So, if you have any more games and ideas in mind, add it on the comments section and we’ll sort one out for you very soon.

Post-Engagement Surprises: Fun Ideas For Unity Candles

If you are planning a wedding and plan to have a unity candle as part of the ceremony, you might want to think outside the box. Traditionally, the unity candle involves three candles. The bride has one, the groom the other, and their two lighted candles light the third candle. This is done to represent the coming together of the two people to make one unit. In some alternate methods, family members are invited to participate in the unity candle lighting, often the mothers of the bride and groom, or other close members of the family. Each family then lights a candle, and together they light the unity candle to symbolize of the coming together of the families.

Twists And Turns About Unity Candles

Now, there are a few twists you can add to this fairly conventional aspect of a wedding ceremony. You can provide each guest with an unlit candle when they arrive at the ceremony. After the couple lights the unity candle, they can ask the guests to move to the front of the church (or wherever the ceremony is being held) and light their candles with the lighted unity candle. This can take a bit of time and might be best with a smaller guest list. But it is a meaningful way to not only get your guests involved in the ceremony itself, but also symbolize the union of family and friends with the marriage.

• If there is a large guest list and it would be a prohibitive waste of time to do a candle lighting involving everyone at the ceremony, some brides and grooms like to bring the unity candle to the reception. Light the candle again and provide each guest with a small votive candle (the candle holder will be on the tables at individual table settings). As guests come into the reception area or hall, they can light their votive and take it to their table to place into the votive holder. This small votive candle can double as a wedding favor, particularly if you decorate or enhance a plain votive candle-holder in some way to coordinate with your wedding.
• Of course, you can forget having a unity candle at the ceremony altogether. Many brides these days are trying to reduce the length of the ceremony and spend more time planning the reception. In that light, some choose to do away with a unity candle altogether. You can certainly do this, or you can cut it out of the ceremony and make it part of the reception.
• To do this, you can use the votive candle option suggested above, or you can simply incorporate the unity candle lighting into the reception activities themselves. For example, you might choose a quiet moment in the reception to have a lighting of the unity candle. It might be during a short prayer prior to the serving of the meal, or right before the cake is cut. In this case, the unity candle can then be used as decoration on the cake table. As the bride and groom cut the cake and pieces are served to guests, the candle can also serve as a reminder of the couple’s new bond and that the bond is shared with all the guests as well.
• Although having a unity candle at the wedding or reception isn’t necessary, it is certainly an option that many brides and grooms opt to include. But it’s important to remember that as with so much surrounding wedding planning there are ways to make it unique and interesting and special to the couple getting married.

How To Plan Pre-Wedding Activities?

Planning pre-wedding activities is a little something extra that’s not required, but certainly fun and entertaining for the guests. If the bride and groom keep in mind the distance some guests have traveled and keep activities relevant to that level of fatigue, they’re sure to hit on some winning activities.

As you go about planning activities for the wedding, keep in mind other factors as well. Do many people have children with them? Will you provide childcare or will the children be participants in the activities? If you have several guests who are older, perhaps activities can be tailored in a ay they can participate as well.

Some of the more popular pre-wedding activities include things like a group manicure. All the women in the wedding party or ho are close to the bride (and certainly this could include men if they like manicures and want to hang out with the ladies) head to a nail salon and get their nails done. This can be relaxing for many women and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the wedding weekend. The men might choose to golf or play a game of tennis while this is going on.

Many brides and grooms choose to provide structured activities for their guests prior to the wedding. If the wedding is on a Saturday night, for example, they might choose to provide a Friday activity, especially if most guests are local to the wedding. You might have a wedding luau. Many times pre-wedding activities center around bachelor and bachelorette parties, but what about a stag party that includes all the members of the brides and grooms families? You could plan some fun (and appropriate) games and head out to a restaurant for a night of fun and games. Be sure to limit the drinking and carousing as this might not sit well with some family members.

Use Of Theme Baskets

Here is a fun activity that can be done right before the wedding. Have someone begin a gift basket. The theme of the basket is “advice for the couple” and could be started by the best man or maid of honor. They take the basket to someone else’s house, perhaps an aunt or cousin and leave it on the doorstep. That person adds an item (a book on how to end spousal arguments? Or a CD of romantic music?) and brings the basket to someone else’s house. This activity can begin a week or two before the wedding and everyone should know it is coming around.

The basket can also be circulated the weekend of the wedding, but this ill only work if everyone is local and if they know the basket is coming. In this case, it also might be helpful to have someone bring the basket to a house, collect the item and the take the basket to the next location, reducing the need to have each person take the basket to its next location. Once it’s full, someone can be in charge of putting the basket items together, wrapping it all up to make it look nice and bringing it to the bride and groom. It can be delivered right to the wedding as a gift in and of itself.

Whatever activities you choose, be sure to keep in mind the needs of your guests and the limitations of those guests. If you want to plan an activity that includes everyone, and you choose golf, but grandpa is in a wheelchair or uses a walker, that might not be the best activity to plan.

Engagement Party Games

The engagement party is a time when the families of the couple will get to know one another. In some cases, this might be the first meeting between the two families or groups of friends and any icebreaker activity will be a welcome event.

In that light, whoever plans the engagement party (likely the bride’s family, but it can be the engaged couple or anyone else who wants to plan the party) should plan a few games and activities designed to help everyone get to know everyone else.

Games You Wouldn’t Miss On An Engagement Party

First up is a trivia game. Create a “Trivial Pursuit” type game with questions about the bride and groom’s lives. You might contain the questions to just facts and events relating to both the bride and groom (such as how long did it take her to say “yes” when he asked, where did he propose, where did they meet, etc), or you can include questions pertaining to their lives outside of each other and before they met each other. Not only can this be fun, but also it’s an entertaining way for people to get to know each other and the engaged couple better.

One popular icebreaker that’s used at corporate functions and company parties can also work really well at engagement parties. Tape a card to each person’s back and encourage him or her to work the room, mingle with everyone and particularly try to get to know someone they have never met before. Before moving on to someone else, be sure to make a comment about the person on the card on his or her back. Partiers write an impression of that person, such as “she seems sweet” or “he knows a lot about the weather”.

This icebreaker ends when the mingling session is over. The cards are then read one by one and people not only get to know each other better, but enjoy hearing all the comments people made about them. Try to ensure that comments are complimentary or somehow presented in a positive light. Hurtful comments, obviously, are not appropriate.

If this is truly the first time many of the guests have met, then another fun game involving the wearing of cards might be in order. In this game, each guest wears a card on their front that has their name on the front and a number on the back. They don’t share with anyone what their number is. Guests mingle and chat and get to know each other over the course of the evening.

Toward the end of the evening, the cards are flipped over and the number side is shown. Everyone gets a piece of paper and writes the numbers on the paper, then tries to correspond the name of someone with their number. This fun game can be hard for people who are bad with names, but it’s fun nonetheless.

For an activity that doesn’t put people on the spot quite so much, consider letting the already marrieds help out the to-be marrieds. Place two pieces of posterboard on the wall and mark them “advice from women” and “advice from men”. Now is the time to offer advice about wedding planning, not about being married. That advice can come later. Encourage guests to offer their own wedding planning advice. The advice from older people at the party could be decidedly different from the younger couples in the group, making for an enlightening group of comments.

Engagement Party Etiquette 101

Just like gift-giving etiquette, engagement parties should also maintain one to keep it stress-free and fun. For instance, inviting friends and family and settling them all together in one place can be a tricky part to keep them in the loop so there’s no need to be careless in this especially if you’re hosting the event. Get yourself set with these top 6 tips.

6 To-Dos For Etiquette-Friendly Party

• You have to invite right. Even the couple has a lot of friends, don’t feel too pressured to include everyone who’s invited or not invited in the upcoming wedding. The engagement party should be an intimate affair with family and very close friends so it’s a must to keep it intimate and small. Also, if the two families are meeting for the first time, you shouldn’t exhaust them with a lot of people to introduce to them so keep the volume small and sweet. And, even if you have excluded others such as some workmates, don’t feel guilty and tell them it’s a family affair and you have to maximize the bonding and time between them.
• Extend the peace around environment. There maybe naysayers that will hear the news about the party and probably will not get invited but you wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings as well. Let them know that this will be again a family affair and even if you’d like them to be there too, it’s just part of the etiquette you’ll need to follow as a reliable host. From there, focus on yours and couple’s happiness.
• Prepare the bridal registry early. Gifts are usually optional when it comes to engagement parties but it’s a smart move to start a bridal registry in case people are asking what they can bring in for the couple. Though, if you don’t feel good about this, you can write on your invites “Your presence is your present!” And that will make both you and them feel off the hook and there’s free will to buy or not to buy one.
• Reserve gifts for opening. People are always eager to see how the couple will appreciate the gifts they bring during the celebration but ensure to just thank them and let them know that opening of gifts will be end at the end of the party. If someone insists you to open the gift on the spot then do it but away from other guests so you prevent the guilt-trip dilemmas.
• Pay to play. If you’re hosting the engagement party at a restaurant then you shouldn’t ask guests to give cash contributions; it’s your responsibility to take on the bill. If you think the party will be too expensive then opt for tea party which makes same fun.
• Meet and greet people with flair and care. Here are some straightforward steps: always introduce the woman or oldest person first; make botched introduction rather than having no introduction at all; add a bit of information of the person you’re introducing then give both parties few topics to start to chat about; and lastly if you forget someone’s name or unsure of how to pronounce it, you may say something between the lines of “Can you tell me your name again, I’m just having this mental block.”

Totally, this will be less the hassle the more you prepared and “study” for the party. While hosting this kind of party is challenging, trying any one of these tips will test how we’ve made successful parties through the years. Take action as early as now. Enjoy!