Wedding Wednesday – Engagement Party

This engagement party post is the third in my “Wedding Wednesday” series. I want to document parts of our wedding planning process without turning this into a full blown wedding blog, so I’ll just be picking a few Wednesdays throughout the year to share our progress.

The first post focused on our search for a reception venue. Check it out here! Next up was picking a photographer. Today I’m sharing a recap of the adorable engagement party my mom and dad held for us in July!

When my mom first pitched the idea of a casual get together to celebrate our engagement, I only reluctantly agreed. I usually don’t want to be the center of attention or create a lot of work for my parents, but it turns out Mom is always right when it comes to these things. The party was wonderful! It was casual and fun and a perfect opportunity to visit with my extended family who I normally only see during holidays.

A Surprise Theme

Jay and I arrived on Friday night and planned to be around to help with the set up on Saturday. My mom had other ideas, though. She sent us, and my two friends who also came, away for an hour before the party started so they could get everything ready without us. It was a typical summer afternoon with thunderstorms and rain showers, so the original plan for a backyard party had to be revised. Apparently everyone pitched in and reworked the set up into the garage / tented driveway, which worked out perfectly.

After an hour at Panera, we arrived back at home to find a Parisian party. 🙂 Since we got engaged in Paris, my mom incorporated French touches everywhere! My favorite part was a little cafe table she set up for the two of us in front of an Eiffel Tower backdrop.

Dinner and Dessert

We spent some time chatting with family before digging in to the food! Appetizers, roast beef, stuffed chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes…it was quite a feast. Plus we enjoyed sangria and an old family favorite, whisky slush.

After dinner, my mom transformed the table into a French Patisserie 🙂 They certainly had fun with my love of desserts. Chocolate covered Oreos, brownie trifle, fruit pizza, cake balls, and macarons as far as the eye could see. I was in heaven!!

Talking the Night Away

It was such a blast spending time with everyone and sharing our wedding plans. Since we live almost two hours away now, any time spent with extended family is a gift. Also, my cousins’ kids are hilarious and so entertaining!

Jay and I are both extremely thankful for everyone that attended, celebrated with us and helped with the set up and especially my parents for hosting such a thoughtful and fun engagement party!

P.S. I’m joining To Travel and Beyond for their weekly Wedding Wednesday linkup!