Getting engaged is an incredible milestone in a person’s life. When you’re in love, you want to shout it from the rooftops. It’s no surprise then that the proposer might choose to organize a surprise get together with loved ones, after taking the giant step of getting down on one knee to ask for their love’s hand in marriage. But with all the pre-proposal jitters, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stressed.
To avoid all that, I’ve put together the foolproof guide to planning a surprise engagement party after attending one this weekend. Here’s what you need to know:
Enlist a Friend To Help You
In order to avoid a slew of unwanted texts, emails and calls that might make your significant other suspicious, coordinate with one of their friends to get the word out on party details. Put them in charge of rallying the troops, and making sure everyone is at the designated location, on time. By putting someone else on the receiving end of logistical questions, it ensures the surprise isn’t revealed before it’s time.
Emily Millay Fine Art Wedding Photography
Turn off Find My Friends
The app might be useful in tracking your friends, however, it’s sure to set off alarms for your significant other if an array of friends and family members are congregating in the same spot. Remind everyone to turn the locating feature off to avoid your fiance guessing what you’re up to.
Avoid Posts to Social Media
In the excitement, people might reach for their phones and begin to post on Instagram stories or Snapchat. The rationale being that it’s not a timeline post. However, it’s easy to film or photograph a detail that gives away the celebration planned ahead. Particularly if the geo-tagging feature is used. It might even lead a mutual friend, viewing the posts, making an assumption that ends up to a ‘congratulations!’ before it’s time. Asks guests attending the party to keep off all social media platforms until the surprise happens. Better yet, ask them to put their phone away in order for them to enjoy the full excitement of the moment.
Make It Easy To Find You
If the surprise party is at a private residence or space, an identifying marker isn’t necessary. However, if you’re hosting the surprise party in a crowded bar or something of the like, it’s best to make sure someone waiting for you has set-up an easy-to-find signal that allows you to seamlessly walk to the gathering of friends. Consider a balloon that hangs high above the crowd.
Hire a Photographer to Capture the Moment
The moments are memorable but they happen quickly. Even if friends attending are addicted to their phones, it’s very likely they’ll want to live the emotional moment of the recently engaged couple realizing their loved ones are gathered to celebrate their next journey, rather than see it through a small screen. Have someone there responsible for capturing every hug, smile and tear. It’ll be worth every penny.
Style Me Pretty Contributor – Ximena N. Larkin is a writer and publicist. She lives in Chicago with her husband and dog. More info at ximenalarkin.com.