b'Partiesngagement parties are held two to four months after the engagement. If your engagement is going to be ashort one, do not have an engagement party. Instead, let your friends know, send save-the-date cards for the wedding, and plan for that wonderful day. If your engagement is long, you have an opportunity to introduce your future in-laws, family members, and friendseveryone gets to know each other. The party can be backyard casual, a meal at a favorite or sentimental restaurant, or a more formal affair at the club. The good news is the choice is yoursno worries about etiquette, invitedates all tastes and decide what wine pairs with these foods (beer the people you love, who love you right back. The party shouldand soft drinks should also be available.) Doing this in advance reect the style of the bride and groom. keeps your costs in line. The invites can reect the restaurantperhaps its where you met or a favorite spot you frequent, The hosts of the party are the brides parents, the groomsperhaps it reects your ethnicitythis sets the tone for your invita-parents, a combination of the two, a family friend, or the bridetions. Consider a cocktail hour for restaurants so people have time and groom host and throw this soiree for themselves. Only inviteto mingle before sitting down to a good meal. For a formal party at people you are inviting to the wedding. a country club or other upscale location, match the invites to the Your venue will set the tone for everything: invitations, food andfood and make it grand with a cocktail hour, musicians or a DJ, dcor. The number of guests will determine the expense. Decidedancing and a ne dinner.who will attend (the number of people will help determine yourWhile some parties are theme-based, one of the nicest and party location) and then reserve a space that can accommodatemost meaningful moments in an engagement party is to have a everyone. Make that reservation at least a month prior to thecompilation of home movies, slides, or photos of the bride and party, then decide on a menu, drinks and timeframe. groom from babyhood to adulthood. Make sure that toasts to the If youre having a backyard barbecue, everything from thecouple are prepared. Start the toasts about two-thirds of the way invitations to food and dcor will be casual and personal. You caninto the event. If friends are the hosts, they make the rst toast. If play organized games, have music, dance, talk, get to know eachthe parents are the hosts, the father of the bride goes rst, then the other. If youre having a brunch, think about having a golf time forfather of the groom goes next. After that, anyone can toast and the guys, and perhaps a spa day for the womenjust make sureroast the happy couple. Make sure you have champagne utes everyone gets a chance to mingle at breakfast. Maybe you wantand plenty of bubbly for all the toasts to come. a dessert partyeverything you do sets the tone and the theme.At the end of the party, be sure to thank the hosts and guests.If youre at a restaurant, order a menu in advance that accommo-'