Engagement party

Originally, engagement parties had the appearance of normal parties at which the father of the bride-to-be made a surprise announcement of the engagement to his guests, which was ecclesiastically solemnized in a rite of betrothal at a church, according to Christian customs.

It was an oral contract, between the man who gave the woman in marriage, generally the father and the groom.

[3] In the Scottish Gaelic tradition, a rèiteach was a betrothal ritual which typically ended in a dance party for the whole community.

While it varies, an engagement party takes place at the beginning of the process of planning a wedding.

In Africa, what is now known as an engagement party may in fact be the last remnant of the traditional, pre-colonial marriage ceremony itself.

In most of West Asia , North Africa and the Indian subcontinent , engagement parties often feature the use of henna .
An engagement cake at a betrothal party
An engagement party at a bar in the United States