The Engagement Party; keep it simple and fun

Jason and I recently had our engagement party at my parents house.  I think it ended up being a good time had by all.  Here are some of the tips I used to keep our costs down and keep it simple but still have the party we wanted:
First we defined our purpose.  Besides just celebrating with our dearest family and friends we also were using this chance for everyone to get to know each other.  What's the best way to do this? Name tags.  We didn't just have the names of guests on the tags though, we had each person include their relation to the bride.  This helped break the ice with conversations between family and friends.
Keeping the cost down for my parents, who were hosting the event, was extremely important to us so we utilized their backyard for the venue and made the party a potluck.  The potluck is a great cost saver for the hosts and it's always fun to see what interesting dishes people come up with.  You're sure to set up with a buffet you would have never put together on your own.  * One word of advice, either have people tell you what they're bringing prior to the event or assign groups (ie, A-F bring Appetizers, G-O bring Side Dishes, P-Z bring desserts). This will keep from 10 potato salads from ending up on your table.

Our massive Potluck display

To keep the evening casual, we used tables, chairs, and linens my parents already had (we had about 40 people, so we definitely pulled out our entire stock pile) and borrowed from friends what we didn't.  It created a casual backyard BBQ feel without using cheap card tables and paper tablecloths or spending a lot of money on renting everything.

For our centerpieces I went to Costco and picked up a a few mixed floral bouquets.  Instead of just plopping them into vase, my sister and I created our own arrangements by split the flowers up into many smaller vases and mason jars we found around the house.  We set them out on the tables along with pictures of Jason and me to again, create a conversation piece during dinner.

Lastly, we included an activity to create some interaction among people, my fiance's favorite; Beer Pong.  Of course you could include something like horseshoes, frisbee toss, or even cards and board games, really anything to get people moving is great.  It allows your guests to interact without feeling like they are being forced to talk to people they don't know.

The guys enjoying a game of Beer Pong

The best advice I can give with all of this really is, good food and drink makes any party a great one.  Don't over think it and remember why you're all there; to have fun and celebrate!