What to Wear to Your Own Engagement Party

Admit it. From the moment you started to suspect that he might pop the question, you've been thinking about "the dress." Searching for a wedding gown is one of the most enjoyable parts of being a bride. However, because it's such a huge issue, many women never even consider related sartorial issues such as what to wear to their own engagement party. Pull your eyes away from the lace, tulle and satin for a minute, and give it a thought, or you may be looking at pictures and cringing for the rest of your life.

There is one important piece of information to keep in mind when you are picking your engagement dress: There will be pictures! After that (not to get our priorities screwed up), but comfort should be addressed as well. The following are some tips on how to choose that engagement party dress.

The main thing to think about when picking an outfit for your engagement party is that you don't want to be "too" anything. Too sexy isn't good. In many instances, you'll be meeting your groom's extended family for the first time, and you want to look respectable. Neither do you want to appear too matronly, because you don't want people wondering what he sees in you. Too trendy can make your pictures look dated even a couple of years later, but you don't want to be boring. What's a girl to do?

First off, avoid prints, unless it's a dress you've worn before and you know it photographs well. Prints can appear to put pounds on you, distract attention from your beautiful smile, and they're much more likely to age poorly than solids.

So what do you wear to your engagement party? In short, the little black dress. Or the little brown dress. Or the little navy dress, depending on what color suits you best. You can even go really crazy and choose a little black suit. The point is to pick something with clean lines and a flattering solid neutral color that will showcase your beauty rather than competing with it, and not cause your future children to point and snicker decades down the road.

Now that the style angle is taken care of, think about comfort. If your engagement party is going to be held at a restaurant, hotel or similar site, layering is a good idea. That sleeveless LBD will look great in pictures, but bring along a cardigan in case the air conditioning has turned the place into a freezer.

Finally, pick a pair of shoes with a low heel that make you look polished, yet enable you to stand for hours if necessary. A large part of your engagement party will be spent holding up the gifts you've received, or walking from table to table greeting people. It's good practice for your wedding, but it can be a strain if you're in the wrong shoes.