are engagement parties usually at a hired venue or a house?

Congratulations on your engagement! Now the fun of wedding planning begins! 
For the engagement party we honestly see a bit of both! It can come down to your personal preference e.g. do you like the idea of doing it at home or do you hate the idea of having to organise the food & drinks, decorations and do all the set up & clean up, or it can depend on your circumstances e.g. dont have a house big enough for the guest numbers so need to look for a venue.

In doing it at a venue, you will sometimes have to be flexible with when you host it or the type of venue, as a lot of venues are prebooked long in advance for actual weddings so you might need to consider a Friday night over a Saturday etc (which is also cheaper).  

Good luck!

Engagement parties can be held at either a house or a hired venue. We are very happy to host your engagement party here at the RACA.Please feel free to contact us to organise a time to discuss tis further.