If you and your partner have finally decided to tie the knot anytime soon, then throwing an engagement party is definitely in order for you to share the great news among family members and close friends. This is usually the announcement of the imminent wedding itself and probably the last chance for some merriment right before the wedding planning chaos would begin. Traditionally, the bride’s family throws the party to formally announce the great news. However, in the contemporary setting, either party can take the liberty of hosting and planning an engagement party for the couple, even close friends and the couple themselves can decide to host one.

While this might be a joyous occasion, it can pose a tricky territory, too. A serious breach of etiquette, even unintentionally may cause some offense to loved ones and family members. So here are a few guidelines that you should keep in mind when planning your engagement party:

Invite Right

The rule of the thumb here is that the engagement party invitations should only include the list of individuals that you are also planning to invite to your wedding, but don’t feel pressured to include all your wedding guests either. Since, your engagement party is naturally more intimate, its best to keep it small or more ideally make it a family-only affair and invite only the individuals who you really want to share your happiness with.

Stash Gifts

Although gifts are not really required on engagement parties, there are just some individuals who are generous and thoughtful enough to bring one. Accept the gift and don’t forget to thank to them profusely and ask if it’s okay for you to open it later after the party. However, if someone would insist that you should open the gift on the spot, you can do so well away from the other guests since you wouldn’t want to burden the rest with a little guilt trip for not bringing one. It is part of the social protocol to send a thank you note to enthuse your gratitude to the individuals who have gone out of their way to give you gifts.

Divert Drinks

Since your engagement party is generally a happy event, there are people who would what to drink and celebrate with your happiness, and some may have the tendency to overindulge in alcohol. If you don’t relish that thought of ruining your party with rowdy relatives or a friend making a scene because he simply cannot hold down his drink, then its best to discourage a drinking binge by opting to only serve non-alcoholic beverages. If for some reason, a guest has already imbibed too much, silently arrange for someone who could accompany him for a quiet escape. You don’t want people to remember your party with the recollection of an embarrassing scene, right? So take charge and give prompt action. After all, this is your party and one of the most special event in your life. Don’t allow anyone to ruin it for you.

Handling Awkward Moments

While you look forward to hosting a hitch-free party, is all always a possibility that some awkward comments given by outspoken relatives, like your feisty grandmother, perhaps? Nip the awkward situation in the bud and take charge of the conversation by subtly steering away from the topic. You can also politely pull the person aside and make it clear how you feel about the particular situation and how you want to celebrate positive prospects in this party and not dwell on ill wills or the has beens.

These are just a few tips in handling the usually unforeseen moments that could possibly create a disaster in your party. As a host, you should plan for every contingency and keep a cool head all the time. And of course, don’t forget to smile and enjoy every moment of it with your significant partner.