The Engagement Party- A Lesson in Planning

As nervous as I was for the engagement party, it might as well have been the wedding.

The days leading up to it I obsessed over all the details, the timeline, the decorations. Everything.


But if it was any indication of what my actual wedding will be like, I am so freaking pumped.

Because it was the best weekend EVER.


So after the wedding dress search (see previous post) we went out for lunch, and then to get our hair done.

We went to Hairpeace which is my favorite place in the whole world, and they miraculously managed to get all of our hair done in an hour.

After that we rushed to Remedy Coffee to set up for the party.

The theme was black and gold, and basically I had decided everything I didn't get to do with our wedding was going to happen here.

First of all, I was sure that I had bought way too many decorations. I had like, a trillion candle holders and a million feathers and such and was sure it would be enough.

But once I set it out on the one long table (because Eric insisted we have a Game of Thrones style table to sit at) it didn't look like enough at all. Still, it looked fine and we got set up reasonably quick.


Now, this was the first time our families were meeting and it ended up just being Eric's parents meeting all my friends and family.

There was music and food (because of course I had to have Bradford Catered Events do the food! SO GOOD. ERMERGERD.) and everyone was dressed all fancy.

My beautiful talented Maid of Honor put together an icebreaker game for us to play.

Everyone took turns drawing questions and answering them, and even though the questions were silly and harmless, somehow everyone made them super emotional and I cried the whole time.

But it was definitely the sweetest, best thing I could have asked for.


Everyone answered and gave little speeches and it was beautiful.


And she also created a newlywed game for us to play, which although *technically* I lost (but I really won because the scoring was done incorrectly! ERIC.) it made everyone laugh and it was so much fun.


The party itself was a huge success but the real fun started at Jig and Reel afterwards where we scared everyone out of the room because we were turning Heads Up into the rowdiest, loudest good time game you could play in a bar.

I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard, but I woke up the next day with sore ribs from laughing hysterically all night.


We went dancing afterwards, and while I can't tell you everything that happened...I'll tell you that I got to see some of my favorite people in the world dance all night, there was a bar brawl, and I had to ship a lot of people home in taxis.


When Melissa and I got home, we couldn't do anything but laugh. What a wild and crazy night it had been, with stories we'll tell forever.

I couldn't have planned anything so amazing, with any other group of people.


It was a lesson I really needed before going into the actual wedding.

I may have the best of the best in vendors, and I might have a beautiful venue and have every detail down to the minute planned out meticulously (11 months ahead of time...) but the truth of the matter is, the people who I'll be with are the ones who will make it the day I'll always remember.

I'm marrying an incredible guy, with the most incredibly fun and loving family. I have the most AMAZING friends and family. I know that even if we got married in a parking lot and only had PBR and cheetos, it would be hands down, the best day ever.

Because at the end of the day, it's all about family. And I have a huge, fun, loud, rowdy, caring, spectacular one.



You can see some of my party inspiration on my Pinterest board: Follow Marvyl's board Engagement Party on Pinterest.