Why so many parties...

We’re not doing all that. It’s unnecessary and, quiet frankly, overkill. We went to an engagement dinner tonight and it sealed the deal that we don’t want one. Lol!! We prefer a chill gathering the evening before the wedding some place fun (Top Golf in Vegas) to thank guests who traveled to our DW. But we refuse to ask guests to attend all those additional events.

We didn’t have an engagement party. My Sister and MOH have offered to throw both the bridal shower and bachelorette party. We will also host a rehearsal dinner but it will be casual probably at one of our parents homes.

I get that it can be overwhelming, but you're only hosting the rehearsal dinner and engagement party (which I feel this party is unnecessary - totally optional). Your mom, in laws, and/or bridal party are the ones who should be hosting the bridal shower and bachelorette parties. I thought they were a waste of time, too, until I experienced them. It's nice to feel like you're a princess. All parties are optional, so don't feel like you HAVE to do them.

I had:

Bridal shower

Bachelorette Party

Rehearsal Dinner is going to be a pizza party LOL.

We did not have an engagement party. I did not get a bachelorette party. We just had bridal shower and my FH got his bachelor party.

Kara I definitely felt overwhelmed! It's different dreaming of your wedding and pinning on your pinterest board before you're engaged vs after you've set a date and you tell everybody and all of a sudden you're fielding a million questions! My fiance wanted an engagement party; I didn't. We ended up having a bbq potluck to cut down on costs and planning (which was still stressful cause I was also planning a 30th birthday party and hosting out-of-town guests). The bridal shower and bachelorette of course your bridesmaids (if you have them?) will plan those, so hopefully you won't feel as much pressure. Let your girls also take care of the welcome party and the morning after brunch. The rehearsal dinner could be casual. We are having all of those parties you mentioned. Our coordinator is taking care of the rehearsal dinner (which will be at our church where we're getting married, so we don't have to get a separate venue) from start to finish. As I mentioned, my bridesmaids are planning the shower and bachelorette. Our welcome party and morning after brunch will both be at the hotel. Our welcome party will consist of finger foods, them picking up their welcome bags (which our coordinator is putting together) and mingling-that's it. Hopefully your friends and family will understand that you are doing A LOT by planning the wedding, and they are going to get a lot of face time with you that weekend (and the year really) that they won't have unreasonably high expectations for each of those associated parties. You can have as many or as few as you'd like! best wishes

You don't have to have any of them. We skipped an engagement party, but did the rest. I planned on skipping a bridal shower, but my mom wanted to host one. If you skip the rehearsal, you don't need the dinner.

My sister (my MOH) is throwing us a shower! We didn’t do an engagement party (no one offered) but we threw a “painting party” and had our Moms, my sister and her husband, and a lot of our female friends came too. It wasn’t formally tied to the wedding but it was a great way to get people mixing! We are hosting a RD but will probably kick it super low key (BBQ in a park) because our wedding is more formal. I’d love to do a Sisters lunch (my bridesmaids) but we will see as it gets closer. And I think I’m too old for a boozy bachelorette (plus I don’t drink anymore) and asking everyone to shell out money for a spa day seems like a little much. I love all the parties! We are in our late 30s so it’s more rare to have so many people together at the same time 😁

Just a wedding and bachelorette/bachelor parties for us. But, we also don't live in the same city as any of our friends and families.

My fmil had an engagement party for us. It was a relaxed bbq and a nice way for our extended families to meet. My moh (sister) is organizing my bachelorette, and my mom is throwing me a bridal shower. My fbil is planning my fh's bachelorette. We are having a rehearsal dinner, but its extremely casual at a bar with pizza and pitchers of beer. I'm not stressed because I'm not in charge of most of them lol.

Definitely. When I started my profile here, I saw all these "To Do's" and was like 😰 I don't think I'll have the money for all of these. But then I thought, I don't actually have that many friends so some of these are checked out already, and then I started to balance the necesities and importance of the other activities FOR ME AND MY FUTURE HUSBAND, not others likes or approvals. So we ended up not making at least most of these. No judging of course! I think people celebrate them or organize them as they see fit for their own and their family. Some families don't tend to meet until the wedding, so some events like these help them start to know each other from before. And others already know everything that's up, and just want the party so a 20 minute ceremony and partying after is enough, with absolutely NO celebration before hand whatsoever 😊 don't know, just my opinion though. Depends on the family and future husband/wife actual status.

YES....we were just talking about this. I do not want an engagement party or bridal shower. We may not even have a rehearsal dinner because our children are the wedding party. If one of my friends wants to give me a bachelorette party that's fine, but if not I am not pressed to have one.

We cut the engagement party and just had a nice dinner out with our parents. We got engaged October 2018 and by the time we could do something it was the holidays so we said, "screw it" haha.

My mom and bridal party have offered to throw me a shower and bachelorette party. I have on the other hand booked us a nice hotel for my bachelorette as a thank you to my girls. And my FFIL is hosting our rehearsal dinner because he wanted to include out of town family.

You can have as many, and as little, parties as you'd like. Just be sure to express your desires with those involved.