The Pre-Wedding Parties

As social events go, there aren't many that can top a wedding. The wedding reception truly, is when the fun begins. But let's not forget about the parties that precede the wedding, the engagement parties, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the wedding shower and the rehearsal dinner. These pre-wedding parties can be great fun, too. Here is a run-down of each:

The Engagement Party

A great way to publicize the impending nuptials is with an engagement party. Traditionally, the parents of the bride hold this occasion a month or so after the couple announces their engagement. Even so, there are no set formalities 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 aim 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 unusual for the groom's relatives to hold a second engagement party. Commonly 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 fashionable, 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 competition. Traditionally held the night before the wedding, this too is shifting and these parties are being arranged 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 organized by the bridal party. Make no mistake; these parties can be just as untamed as the bachelor parties. But they can also comprise a plain, relaxing day at the spa.

The Wedding Shower

Wedding showers are great social events intended to provide the soon-to-be couple the things they'll require 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 twosome 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 period to relax and get prepared for the big day that lies ahead. Rehearsal dinners are typically 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 generally held at the residence of the bride or groom's parent or at a restaurant.