rgpowers member
My fiance and I got engaged last week. (YAY!) We have been together for over 6 years BUT because we are both in the Army we have spent most of that time apart from each other and family. We are currently living in Texas while both of our families are in Illinois and friends are scattered literally all over the world. We are debating having an engagement party! I would like to have one for family and close friends in Illinois around Christmas or New Year's.... but need some unbiased opinions.
My concerns:
Family will think we are just trying to get presents
Family feeling like they "have" to come since they would be around for the holiday
Family thinking we are stealing attention from the holidays
Going through the effort of planning a celebration from states away and then family not showing up because its a 3 hour drive
Weather
Cost
My Reasons for having a party:
My extended family hasn't met my fiance
My immediate family hasn't met his immediate family
I would consider it practice planning for the big day 
Another thing to consider is that we have no idea when or where we will get married. Since we know we aren't getting married in Texas we will have to have some sort of destination wedding. We are leaning towards packing up the parents and grandparents and going somewhere abroad to tie the knot and holding a reception in Illinois.
Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!
Another thing to consider is that we have no idea when or where we will get married. Since we know we aren't getting married in Texas we will have to have some sort of destination wedding. We are leaning towards packing up the parents and grandparents and going somewhere abroad to tie the knot and holding a reception in Illinois.
Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!