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Love is in the air! If you're planning an engagement party for your friends or family, we've got tips for planning an engagement party everyone's sure to love.
Invitations
Send notice to family and friends with one of our engagement party invitation gallery.
Decorations
The point of this party is to celebrate the spouses-to-be, so start with photos of the couple—especially ones from the beginning of the relationship. For extra points, contact the couple’s parents and ask for pictures of the bride and groom growing up. Since these might not be digital, scan them and send the originals back that same day. If you don’t have a scanner yourself, you can get it done at a copy store like a FedEx Office.
You can blow up the photos at the copy store to hang around the party or create a photo display on heavy poster board celebrating the history of the couple that they can later show off at their rehearsal dinner or the wedding itself.
Flowers (especially the couple’s favorites), candles, balloons and streamers also set a festive mood.
Etiquette
The bride’s parents traditionally host the engagement party, but the groom’s parents, a friend or even the couple themselves can also throw one. There aren't hard "rules" these days! However, before you start writing the invitation, make sure one of the couple’s parents isn't already planning an engagement party of their own. Feel free to throw another one, especially if the parents live in another area or are only inviting family, but it should be after theirs.
An engagement party is usually held within four months of popping the question and at least six months before tying the knot. Although engagement gifts aren't mandatory, some guests will still want to offer a celebratory token, so it’s helpful if there are some inexpensive items on the couple's wedding registry. However, since putting registry info on the invitation suggests a present is required, you may want to let guests approach you for gift details on their own or make a note that gifts aren't necessary.
What kind of party should you have? It’s your decision—an engagement party can be anything from a fancy cocktail soiree to a laid-back backyard barbecue. However, if you’re hosting a party that both the bride and groom’s parents will be attending, take into account what kind of event will make both families most comfortable, since the engagement party is traditionally considered an opportunity to let the couple’s parents get to know each other.
As for the guest list, don’t invite anyone who won’t be invited to the wedding. And don’t invite anyone other than the couple’s parents who will have to travel far, since they’ll already be expected to travel for the ceremony itself.
Activities
The main event at an engagement party? Toasts with the most. Custom dictates that the father of the bride goes first, then the groom and then whoever else wants to say a few congratulatory words.
A note on surprise engagements parties, which can go two ways: 1) the surprise is for the couple (mostly the bride or the person who has been proposed to) or 2) the couple plans it to surprise everyone with the news. If the former, make sure you work closely with the person planning the proposal, since these surprise engagement parties usually happen soon after (and sometimes right after) the proposal.
If it's the latter and the couple wants to surprise their guests with the news of their engagement, we recommend letting close family and friends know well before the party about the engagement. the couple’s nearest and dearest may feel hurt if they don’t get to hear the big news personally.
One activity you should not plan on is opening gifts. Gifts should not be expected for an engagement party, particularly since guests will already be buying presents for the wedding and in many cases a shower. Some guests will still bring them, but they should be put aside (no gift table, please) for later or opened privately to avoid making empty-handed guests feel remiss.
Food
Food will depend largely on the type of party you’re having, but a cake would be right at any of them. Go white with vanilla cake and buttercream frosting or coconut cupcakes decorated to spell out “congrats.”
You might also play off the nuptial theme for the rest of your party food. Could we interest you in a celebratory toast point topped with crème fraîche and caviar, for example? You can even give a nod to the rice throwing tradition by serving rice pudding in glasses.
Drinks
Since toasts are typically a centerpiece of the party, make sure you have plenty of cheers-ready beverages on hand, including sparkling grape juice for those who don’t drink alcohol. Champagne is the obvious drink of choice, but for a surprising twist that originally rose to sparkling popularity in the 1800s, try the classic champagne cocktail instead:
Champagne Cocktail
- 1 sugar cube
- Dash Angostura bitters
- 1 ounce brandy (optional)
- 4 ounces champagne
Drop the sugar cube into a champagne flute, add the bitters and brandy (if desired), and fill the glass with Champagne.
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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a SignUp Sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a SignUp Sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a SignUp Sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a SignUp Sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.
