Editing Engagement (section)

==Engagement parties==
[[File:Ghanaian Engagement Ceremony 13.jpg|thumb|right|Ghanaian Engagement Ceremony. The bride presenting a gift to her father]]
{{Main|Engagement party}}
In contemporary American culture some engagements are announced at an engagement party, traditionally hosted by the bride's parents. These parties help introduce both the bride and groom's friends and family to each other in one place prior to the wedding. Often contemporary engagement parties are either cocktail parties or dinners with décor kept to a minimum. Gifts are not often given until either the wedding itself or a bridal shower.<ref name=":0" />

In ancient Greece, engagement parties were held without the bride and took place to discuss the legal and economic aspects of the marriage. Later, engagement parties were when both sides announced a legal union prior to marriage where if one side broke the agreement they would have to pay the wronged side. Engagements became non-legally binding and by the early 20th century some couples would announce their engagement in the local paper.<ref name=":0" />