Now that you have planned your engagement party, you should make sure that you follow the correct etiquettes for engagement party. Though there are no such hard and fast rules for engagement party etiquette, yet we bring you some very basic questions and situations that should be kept in mind while planning your engagement party. So check out some very popular and frequently asked queries about engagement party etiquettes.

• Usually, engagement parties are held after the engagement and before the wedding. People usually keep the engagement party at least some months before the wedding.
• Engagement parties are like an informal get together of close friends and relatives. So make sure you invite your first circle of friends and relatives. This way, the atmosphere is not too tense and everyone can have a fun time together.
• There used to be a time when the bride’s parents used to host an engagement party to formally announce the engagement of their daughter. But now, anyone close to the family like a relative or a close friend can host the party. In some families, the groom’s parents also do not hesitate to host the party.
• Many parties are hosted at the bride’s home with close friends and relatives. But it is not mandatory to host an engagement party always at the bride’s place. One can also arrange for it in a restaurant, club or a resort.
• Gifts are not expected. If however someone brings a gift, accept it and don’t forget to give out party favors. The bride’s parents usually raise a toast in the honor of the bride and groom and it is usually done either at the end or just before food is served.

Given below are top common first date mistakes, which, though obvious, remain hidden and unchecked. Go through them and see if it rings a bell!

Dating Mistakes to Avoid on First Date

• Cheap Deal

The worst and most common turn off is, being cheap. Not that one expects a Mercedes pick-up service and expensive champagne on first date. But at least show some courtesy and go to a place that offers decent food, wine and catering. Avoid going to fast food joints as you will be treating your date to cheap as well as junk food.

• My Ex was…

Please avoid talking about your ex. There is a good reason why they are called your ex! No one wants to hear you bitch about how bad your ex was, how tortured you were, why you broke up, etc., on the first date. Chances are they may think you talk ill of others behind their backs and might do it behind their backs too.

• I am So Good!

Yes, you have a great physique, Greek God looks, are the best basketball player at college, or get appreciated by your boss every second day at work. Your date, however, is not interested in knowing all this! Stop bragging and boasting about yourself. Agreed, you want to make a good impression but you do that without unnecessary frills. Be yourself; if you keep telling him/her this, you will come across as someone trying too hard.

• Steal the Limelight

This one is for all the guys. It is the lady who wants to look special and the center of attraction, not you. Let her do the talking and make sure you compliment her. Listen to what she says and respond and you are on your way to earning brownie points and a second date.

• Meet my Gang

Sure, you would love to show off your date to your friends but please don’t do that on the first date. Inviting your friends over for a date that is supposed to be special is just about the most ridiculous thing you could do and puts him/her in a very uncomfortable situation. If you have plans to go out with them also, plan it after the date and don’t rush the date just because of that.

• It’s All About…

A very interesting topic otherwise, avoid talking about any kind of physical intimacy altogether on the first date. You might just come across a desperate psycho, looking for sexual gratification than a calm and relaxed date.

• The Rude Side

Another mistake to avoid is being rude with the staff or the servers, or even gawking at other girls or guys. You are not only being rude to your date but also sending wrong signals of being non-serious.

The Valentine’s Day gift you choose for your loved one and how you decide to spend the day says a lot about the quality of your relationship, so give something that has real meaning to you. Gifts from the heart don’t have to be expensive. Since the traditional gifts of flowers or chocolates don’t last forever, here are ten creative ways to express your love.

Create your own Valentine’s Day card. Compose a poem or an expression of love that expresses your personality.

• Create a “recollection collection” scrapbook filled with favorite photographs, love letters, keepsakes from special occasions, and cherished mementos.
• Make a CD of your favorite songs as a couple including love songs that you both enjoy listening to. Buy some romantic CDs, classic videos or DVDs and wrap them all together with red ribbon.
• Jewelry is always a favorite. For the woman in your life, buy a heart-shaped locket and put a picture of yourself in it. Personalize the locket with your loved one’s initials so she’ll have something to wear that’s hers alone. Package it in a heart-shaped box or tied to fresh flowers. For your man, a good choice is the classic sterling silver ID bracelet or cuff links with his name or initials custom-engraved.
• Give silk or glass flowers, which will last forever. If your beloved has a green thumb, give a flowering plant to put in the garden to enjoy year after year.
• Prepare your loved one’s favorite dinner and serve it on a romantically set table and dine by candlelight on Valentine’s Day. For the sweetheart with a sweet tooth, make a decadent dessert such as a chocolate fondue with melted chocolate mixed with a touch of heavy cream, and serve it with fruit or cookies.
• Give the man in your life a personalized gift for his favorite hobby such as personalized golf or tennis balls that say, “I love you,” “You’re a hit!” or “Be mine,” or a monogrammed humidor for cigars.
• The gift of togetherness is precious, given today’s busy lifestyles. Plan a romantic, surprise travel getaway. Take lessons together to share in each other’s interests like dancing, cooking or sailing. Hire a personal trainer to inspire you to exercise together, or visit a spa together. Spend a night out at the theater and have dinner at a quiet and romantic candlelit restaurant.
• If you plan to propose on Valentine’s Day, hide the engagement ring in a box of candy or at the bottom of a heart-shaped flute filled with champagne. Buy a pair of monogrammed champagne flutes and make a toast with your favorite bubbly.
• If you want to propose at home, sprinkle rose petals around the house. Place heart-shaped candles around your home to create the right mood. Then, enjoy a quiet, romantic evening. Create a banner that says, “Will you marry me?” and hang it outside her home.

When the season comes when we can hear lovebirds chirping, that’s an indication that our favorite valentines day is approaching. So have you geared up yourself for its bumper celebration? It’s a time when you can confess the inner feelings of your heart to the person whom you’ve always loved. I think this day is truly special and thus requires a special treatment in terms of special valentines decoration. You need to devote some time for Valentine’s Day party decoration because one single mistake can spoil the whole mood and on the contrary the smallest of things done by you to please your valentine will make him/ her feel really special and important.

Here are a couple of ideas about party decoration for valentine day so check out and try them and see what wonders it will do to spruce up your love life: -

• When it comes to home decoration, start from the ceiling. First of all I would like to suggest that as much as possible try to use red color, the color of heart.Tinsel your ceiling with hanging hearts. It looks beautiful. You can buy these valentines hearts or else you can try out the concept of homemade valentines decoration. Take a cardboard and cut it into the shape of heart and paint it with red color. You can further embellish it with sparkling stars etc. Do not forget heart shape red balloons.
• Choose shimmer curtains in prints of small hearts or red roses, the most important symbols of love.
• Prepare a garland of beautiful red roses for the main entrance and small valentine heart garlands for the rooms. Also you can put up a happy Valentine’s Day banner on the main gate.
• Cupids also look really cute so you can buy them from one of the gift shops and hang these cherubic cupids on the wall.
• Candles occupy a supreme position when it comes to home decoration for Valentines Day. Shop for heart shape candles and further beautify it with colorful laces and ribbons. Trust me your candle decoration will be appreciated by all.
• To create that complete feel and atmosphere for loving couples to open up their hearts and confess their eternal emotions, table decorations are very important. Place a table cover in prints consisting of valentine symbols. Place valentine day clipart on the table. Do not forget valentine’s placemats.
• Think of that delicious menu that you’ve specially ordered or cooked for your lover including Valentine heart cake, cookies, candy and champagne. What are you thinking? Let me guess you were imagining the delicious mouth watering dishes, right?

Well if you’ve still not planned for the day then don’t waste time and start shopping for it now. It’s your day so make it special and a memorable one.

You know its love when you want to keep holding hands even after you’re sweaty
- Unknown

You don’t marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without.
- Unknown

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.
- H. Jackson Brown Jr

Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.
- Saint Augustine

I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.
- Henry Ward Beecher

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
- Henry David Thoreau

To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best.
- William Makepeace Thackeray

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.
- James Baldwin

Immature love says: ‘I love you because I need you’. Mature love says ‘I need you because I love you’.
- Erich Fromm

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
- Robert Lee Frost

Love means never having to say you’re sorry.
- Love Story (Movie)

You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.
- David Levesque

Love is like the sun coming out of the clouds and warming your soul.
- Unknown