My cousin just got engaged so her parents are having them an engagement party. The wedding isn’t going to be for almost two years, and they don’t live together yet, so I wonder what type of gift do you give or do you even have to take a gift? I’ve never been to an engagement party before.
10 Responses
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
It is not customary or required to give a gift to them. It’s just an engagement party to celebrate not a gift giving event. you can bring something if you want but you don’t have to.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
A card with $, something small like a picture frame or even a gift card.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Give them a gift they can enjoy as a couple like a gift certificate for dinner out or movie theatre gift certificate or champagne with 2 glasses or a movie rental gift basket with gift certificate to rent a movie, microwave popcorn and popcorn bowls.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Photo frames for them to put their engagement/wedding photos in. A bottle of Champagne. Gift card to a nice restaurant or their favorite restaurant.
**Really,anything would be appropriate as long as they both could use it together.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
The best thing is to simply attend the party. An engagement party is not in lieu of a bridal or wedding shower, so traditionally, people do not buy gifts for an engagement party. I agree with the first post though that if you are to bring something, a card with money or a gift card inside would be ideal. That way, they can pick out what they need/want when they need/want it.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I personally would give something that the couple can enjoy, doesn’t have to be too anything too expensive. In the least, a card. But make sure you give the person hosting something too.
EDIT: The host is having you in their home and entertaining you often with food and drink it is nice to bring something for them, even if it’s just a tin of home-made cookies.
And if you actually like the couple getting married I would assume you would want to buy them something. I’ve bought my friends presents "just because" so what’s a box of chocolates or a gift certificate for dinner.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
engagement parties aren’t really gift giving type of occasions the way a wedding is.
a congratulatory card is fine. If you feel you must give a gift then go with "hostess" type gifts: bottle of wine, gift of food, picture frames, gift card to their favorite restaurant, etc.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Engagement parties are not gift giving occasions. However, when I am invited to engagement parties, I usually like to bring the couple a nice bottle of wine.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Engagement parties are not gift giving occasions…if you wish to give a gift, a small token gift for the couple for their future home will do. Such as a very pretty picture frame.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
What about a professional framed drawing of the home – perfect for an engagement present.
I had a professional drawing done for my friends engagement party through a website called www.drawmyplace.com. They didnt even have that nice a house but the drawing looks great and is so personal to them… it now hangs just as you go into there home. They both LOVED it.
Its deads easy to do too and is very reasonably priced. All you have to do is send them a photograph of the place you would like drawn and pay for it online. Then, within a couple of weeks (at the most) the professional artist will send you a beautiful, hand drawn, pen and ink rendition of the photograph! I also paid a wee bit extra to have mine framed.
The only problem is getting the photo…. I felt like I was on a secret mission to get one – it was actually pretty fun. If you live hundreds of miles away why not get someone who live close to take it and send it to you instead?