Engagement Party ideas / suggestions... what did you do??

I am keen to hear what everyone did for thier engagement party? I am in two minds about us having one.

DF and I got engaged about 2 months ago, and I am still undecided about having an engagement party! One of the main reasons is the DF has been engaged before, so he has already 'been there and done that' as has all his family. DF is keen to have another party, but for him its just another reasons to get everyone together and have a bit of a bender iykwim!

His first engagement party was just at a bar with finger food so I dont want to do anything like that, and if we do have one I would like to do something a little different that doesnt cost too much.

Maybe we can just not have one at all, and save it for the wedding (who knows when that will be!!)

What do you think? What did you do? Tell me your stories, and would you do it again if you could go back?

We hired the function room at our local pub, and had a big one with everyone we know. That's what a lot of people I know have done.

Other ideas I have seen:
* house party
* barefoot bowls
* brunch at a local restaurant (that was ACE fun)
* high tea (totally lame, but maybe that was the people hosting the party, not the idea)

You could do anything....

What about a party at a winery? Or a "regress to being kids" party - hire a magician (fantastic fun when they are aiming it at adults), have a bouncy castle, and generally play games whilst slowly getting toasted so you are all relaxed enough to enjoy them.

We jsut went out to a pub iwth some friends for drink.

We just had a big marquee in our backyard. We got engaged in the October and didn't have the party until the March.
All depends on what YOU want though - yeah he's BTDT b ut you haven't.

My sister didn't have one - pretty much cos my mum refused to fund it but they had a 4yo and had been together 8 years.

We had a bush dance ... hired a band (they cost about $120 for the night). The guy that called the dances explained at the beginning of each one how to do it and most people danced. It was soooo fun!

We served supper at our engagement party because most of the food could be prepared beforehand as it is mostly just nibbles. We wrote on the invite that it was a supper event and it didn't start until 7:30pm so people didn't turn up expecting dinner.

DF and I were talking about it again today.. and neither of us seem too excited about the idea (or the cost, something we just dont need to be paying for right now). Thinking we should just save it for a wedding (eventually) and maybe start trying for bubba number 2 instead :)

Hey mumma!

We didn't have one. Mainly because we're getting married in November, and no one is invited to that either. LOL.

For us, getting married is about the commitment. Not the party and wishing well which all of our other friends seem to focus on.

Bubby number two sounds like a fab plan!

Oh also, the money we would have spent on a big wedding, we've decided to use on our first family holiday :) We're doing the theme park thing.. Can't wait!! And IMO a much better way to spend money! :D

Yeah I am with you tellytubby, especially the more I think about it! I am trying to convince DF to elope, but I am not having much luck! He has such a huge immediate family (he is one of 8 kids) that even a small wedding will cost us a small fortune.

ahh i know that feeling!
DP has no family. I have a freaking HUGE family.

So to avoid not hurting people's feelings, i only have my sister, mum, dad, and best friend.
Thats it. Very exclusive. Its a case of, once you invite one, you have to invite the other, to avoid hurting feelings.. argh!

The WHOLE reason absolutely NO ONE even knows we're getting married. They'll probably all find out via my FB relationship status change, bahahaha!