engagement party - take one

This past weekend was our first engagement celebration and WHEW! what an exhausting experience! Since we have so many family and friends, we decided to have a dinner with our bridal party and family and then have a backyard party with the rest of our friends and family. After the first party, I'm glad we decided to have two parties because I definitely learned a lot from it.

Don't get me wrong - the party was a success and our guests seemed to be enjoying themselves. We had dinner and drinks at an Italian restaurant and overall it went pretty well. But despite the lack of major problems, I found myself worrying so much that I barely had time to sit, eat and enjoy my company. So here are the lessons I learned the first time around that I hope to get right for our second party this summer:

1. It Takes Two. Before my party, my good friend Renee warned me about separating from Gianfranco. She said dividing was not the way to conquer and although I nodded my head at the time of her advice, Gianfranco and I spent most of the evening apart. Maybe splitting up works for some couples but I just felt like we defeated the purpose of having the engagement party. Our dinner guests were our closest friends and family, most of whom had already seen at least one of us since our engagement, and they were not there to talk weather with us. As my father mentioned in his toast to us, despite all the bad news we've been hearing the last year, our engagement still manages to shine through all the negativity and our guests wanted to see the love and happiness that the two of us were celebrating. Instead of crossing paths in the restaurant, we should have been holding hands and approaching each table together, as one unit. After all, isn't that the point of a wedding?! For the summer party, I'll make sure we spend the evening together and not just as strangers in the night. That's for you, Dad!
   
2. Don't Sweat The Small Stuff. As with any other event you host in your life, things are bound to go wrong. Once in a while, the problems are major, like saying the wrong name in your vows (oops!) or ripping your pants. But most of the time, the so-called "disasters" are so minor that you're the only one who notices. I spent a good hour or so creating an iPod playlist for the party. Do you think anyone really remembers the music? No. Gianfranco prepared this whole speech for after dinner. Did he remember everything he wanted to say? No. Did he make a great speech? Yes. The truth is, no one notices what he doesn't know is supposed to be there.
   
3. Details DO Matter. On the other hand, however, sometimes it's the little things that make the difference. Momzilla worked really hard (with my help, of course!) on all the little beach-themed details and her diligence and creativity paid off. We received a ton of compliments on the placecards, the napkin rings and even the favors that she created. None of the items she made cost us much money and yet they really made a difference in the ambiance. Now, Momzilla is so proud that she's already thinking of fun ideas for the summer party!
4. RELAX! Out of all the things I learned, this one is probably the most valuable. I was so worked up about making sure everyone was having a good time that I didn't even get to have a piece of my own cake! I kept trying to make my rounds, kept trying to keep people entertained that I barely sat down with the friends at my table. Afterwards, I realized that although our guests were here in honor of us, they didn't need us to babysit them. Everyone there knew someone else and they all had a good time just chatting amongst themselves. As important as I thought we were, I realized we weren't THAT important!

Like I said, the party was a success and everyone seemed to have a nice evening. David, my photographer, even showed up and took a lot of great pics. I'll be devoting my next entry to discuss how wonderful it was to have him there. But in the meantime, take a look at the pictures by doing the following:

1. Go to Papillio Photography's website
2. Click "Proof Galleries" on top
3. Select "Engagement Photos"
4. Click "Nicole and Gianfranco"

The password is my last name. If you really want to see the pictures but you don't know my last name (or you don't know how to spell it!) you may email me privately through this blog and I'd be happy to provide it.

So, one party down, another to go. I'm hopeful that I'll have more time to enjoy the next party but a part of me is nervous - if I had a difficult time enjoying my intimate engagement dinner, how the heck will I have fun at my large wedding?!

Thoughts?!