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Engagement Party HELP! - Need ideas please.
Hi. I offered to throw an engagement party for a friend of mine and its next weekend. I'm having it at my parents house b/c they have a bar upstairs with a pool table, etc. Basically, its just better for entertaining than my house. My friend is more creative than me, is a great cook/baker, etc. I guess you can say she is a mini martha stewart in the making. 
She hosted a baby shower for a co-worker of ours and made all the food and desserts from scratch. It was all so good and I know I can't match up to her baking.
I want her engagement party to be special and something she will look back on and say 'wow, that was really nice'. The party starts at 7 pm so not sure if people will eat before they come or if I should make dinner. I was thinking about making something small and having hors d'oeuvres, snacks, desserts...... She sd they met at an Italian restaurant down the street and told me to just get pizzas, antipasti and salad from there to make it easy. Do you think she was just saying that b/c she doesn't want to make me feel like I have to do too much? I just don't feel like that would be "engagement party" type food. Or I guess I could get that but also get a pasta or chicken dish? Thoughts? Suggestions? I think it would be good to have a bunch of finger foods/apps for people to snack on throughout the night. And how about a cake? Or cupcakes? Was thinking about an assortment of regular size or mini cupcakes? What can I do to make it more personalized?
Any games you would suggest? Decorations? I don't even know what people do or expect at an engagement party. Only one I went to was my sister-in-laws which was over the top almost like a mini wedding reception.
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Sorry for the long rambling post. Can u tell I don't do much entertaining? 
BTW, not sure how many people are coming yet but I sent out 20 invitations. I don't know many of the people b/c they're more her fianc?s friends (who are her friends now too). 
Re: Engagement Party HELP! - Need ideas please.
Wow, lots to respond to
First, 7 pm is dinnertime, so you need to serve a full meal.
Next, you need to decide if you're going to do a sit down meal or if you're going to do what I'll call "perch-able" food, as in, people are going to be perching on the edge of the couch with a plate, a fork, and a drink. That decides what you'll serve.
Next, you need to decide how fancy or not you want this to be. That also decides what you'll serve.
After you've identified those two things, look to your menu. If people are perching, Italian-inspired finger foods will still nod to their meeting but be a little dressier than pizza. The other girls will have to help me with specific food suggestions since I'm not super familiar with Italian dishes. If people will be sitting, get the Italian restaurant to cater a meal.
For decor, my personal style is that I don't do themes. I'll pick a color or the season and follow that. I threw an e-party for friends a while ago and this and this is what it looked like. Nothing over the top, nothing overtly themey. That's just my style though and it doesn't have to be yours.
For a quick and easy dessert, you could get frozen mini eclairs and cheesecake bites. They'd be more special than cake or cupcakes.
Overall, just throw a dinner party. Forget about it being their engagement party, forget about a theme - your goal is to throw a great party. That means good food, good liquor, good music. You need little else. People will be happy and impressed if they're fed and relaxed
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Hi! All that Tarheels PP'd - plus if you like... I would do a Champagne Punch or cute drink of some sort. I think it is nice at an Engagement Party...
GL!
Yes, this calls for bubbles. I would suggest prosecco, as it's Italian, and often better than champagne at a lower price.
This menu: http://jaimecooks.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/carter%E2%80%99s-3rd-birthday-pizza-party/ is from my son's 3rd birthday party, but could actually be a good start if you decide to go with the upgraded pizza idea. Obviously, I would skip the mickey mouse cupcakes for this, but a dessert of some sort is in order.
That sounds pretty fabulous. Voila, you're done
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No games. Engagement parties are typically cocktail type receptions, in my experience, where friends and family get their first chance to mingle with the couple and the soon to be joined families.
here are my thoughts....bride suggested italian because if she was doing it herself, that's what she would like. I think it's a decent suggestion.
The antipasti you can really do up, so trays of roasted veggies, various olives, various peppers, various cheeses, various meats, various salads like tortellini salad, mozzarella tomato salad, bruschetta. All of this can be very filling and be a very big and pretty display...doesn't need to be kept hot/cold, and can be prepped ahead of time.
Does any place around you do gourmet type pizza. I would order several of these (like 2 slices per person) half baked...warm up 2-3 at a time and put them out and keep filling. Maybe cut into squares?
No offense to the above posted, but OP, please don't make this a potluck. IMO, there is a time and place for a potluck, and this isn't it.