The Engagement Party

A great way to announce the upcoming nuptials is with an engagement party. Traditionally, the parents of the bride hold this event a month or so after the couple announces their engagement. However, there are no set rules and they can be held at home, at a restaurant, or anywhere the host prefers. Engagement parties for the most part are intimate affairs of a casual nature. Their purpose is to give bride and groom an opportunity to meet each other’s family members and close friends. If the couple’s parents live far apart, it’s not uncommon for the groom’s family to hold a second engagement party. Typically gifts are not given. Invitations can be hand-written or even verbal. If you need to plan for food, include an RSVP.

The Bachelor/Bachelorette Party

The stereotypical bachelor party consisting of a wild night of drinking and strippers is giving way to more coordinated events. Although still quite popular, these parties are being replaced by guys getting together to watch a major sporting event either live or on TV, or to spend a week-end together skiing or fishing, or even by holding a poker tournament. Traditionally held the night before the wedding, this too is changing and these parties are being coordinated earlier, for reasons that don’t need to be explained. For a long time, the wedding shower was the ‘bride’s party.’ Bachelorette parties are a relative newcomer to the wedding scene and they, too are coordinated by the bridal party. Make no mistake; these parties can be just as wild as the bachelor parties. But they can also involve a simple, relaxing day at the spa.

The Wedding Shower

Wedding showers are great social events designed to give the soon-to-be couple the things they’ll need when they move into their new home together. It’s also a way to add to a bride’s trousseau. Many of today’s wedding showers are themed, and can be anything from a recipe shower to a camping shower in which the gifts would include things the couple could use on their camping adventures. Wedding showers should be held a few weeks before the wedding date and only those guests who have been invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower. Some women are lucky and end up having more than one wedding shower.

Rehearsal Dinner

This is a time to relax and get ready for the big day that lies ahead. Rehearsal dinners are generally for the bridal party only and they’re held immediately after the wedding rehearsal. They’re held early so all can rest up and they’re usually held at the home of the bride or groom’s parent or at a restaurant.

Related posts:

1. Bachelorette Party Ideas
2. Bachelor Party Ideas
3. How to Plan a Bridal Shower for a Second Marriage

Camping is one alternative to the traditional bachelor party.  You may choose to either rough it by backpacking to a location with only the gear on your back to help you survive the elements for a few days or you could choose to drive to a spa facility that offers well appointed cabins and five star gourmet meals.  Whichever option you choose, you are bound to have a great deal of time relaxing and enjoying the company of the rest of the participants in your bachelor party.  A camping trip offers the groom a quiet atmosphere to reflect with his friends on the journey he is about to take. 

Sporting events are another great alternative to the usual bachelor party ideas.  You may find that married life does not offer you as much free time to spend with your friends as you used to have so take this chance to enjoy a little bit of fun with your friends.  Whether you choose to partake in a sport of your choice or purchase tickets to see your favorite professional athletes it is sure to be a great opportunity to bond with your male friends in the last few days before your wedding.  It is wise to try choosing a sport that all of your guests will be able to participate in especially if you plan to include very young or very old guests.  In this situation playing a game of football may not be the best idea but taking everyone to play a round of golf might be an activity that all of the guest can enjoy. 

Still another activity that translates well into a bachelor party idea is getting a group of friends together to try an adrenaline pumping, activity geared for thrill seekers such as sky diving or white water rafting.  The exhilaration gained from these activities coupled with the fear factor makes them a perfect activity for bonding with your friends.  These daredevil activities will cause you and your friends to bond during the excitement leading up to the event as well as the thrill of accomplishing a new activity.  While these types of activities are great for male bonding, it is important to remember that they are risky activities and there is the danger that you might be hurt during these activities.  If this is your bachelor party idea of choice you might want to consider holding your bachelor party well in advance of your wedding to avoid last minute injuries that delay the wedding. 

Co-ed bachelor parties that coincide with the bachelorette party are becoming increasingly popular as well.  One common practice involving these adjunct parties is to have the bachelors and bachelorettes meet at separate restaurants for dinner and then join each other at a nightclub to cap off the night with some dancing and a few drinks.  These types of parties can be a great deal of fun because they allow both the bride and the groom some time apart to spend time with their friends and then they reunite the couple at the end of the night in a chance for them to spend time with all of their friends without the pomp and circumstance that is likely to accompany their wedding reception. 

The debauchery of stereotypical bachelor parties is not the only way to enjoy a fun-filled bachelor party that gives you the opportunity to bond with your friends.  Camping trips, sporting activities, extreme adventures and even co-ed bachelor parties are redefining the traditional bachelor party.  These bachelor party ideas not only serve to keep the groom out of trouble but also offer the opportunity to enjoy a new adventure.

 

Related posts:

1. Bachelorette Party Ideas
2. The Pre-Wedding Parties
3. The Basics of Throwing a Bridal Shower Tea Party