QUICK LINKS: Pick a Host | Set a Date | Choose a Venue | Select your Theme | Create your Invitations | Find the Perfect Outfit | FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A Handy Guide to Planning the Best Engagement Party
An engagement party is an exciting event where you get to share the news of your upcoming wedding with family and friends. It’s a period of excitement and a rush of other emotions as you think about the party itself and all the people you need to invite.
You want the engagement party to have a touch of both you and your partner. Both sides of the family will be involved. People need sufficient notice. The venue should be convenient for guests and customisable to suit your theme.
With so many things to think about, here is a handy guide to help you plan the best engagement party.
1. Pick a Host
In most cases, a parent will host the engagement party. However, you may want to host it yourself or a friend could also do it. The host takes a lead role in planning the party, so pick them wisely.
2. Set a Date
Set a date that allows you sufficient time to plan sufficiently for the big day. Your jeweller may need a few weeks to customise and set the engagement ring. Your guests also need sufficient notice to save the date and pick an outfit. The time of the year may influence the theme you settle for. Outdoor engagement parties are best done when its sunny and fields are green. During colder months, you want to host your guests in a warm and cosy environment.
3. Choose a Venue
The engagement party venue that you pick depends on the atmosphere and the number of guests you’d like to have. If you’d like to create a more formal feel, a private room at your favourite restaurant is a great idea. For something fancy and fun, a cocktail party with finger food where everyone can mingle will work well.
If you’re looking to keep costs down, you can always throw the party at a parent’s or a friend’s house. Picnic themed parties are also great for cost management.
When settling on engagement party venues, consider other accessories you may need, like a screen to put up photos of your life together. You might also want to show guests a video of your engagement ring’s creation process from Bell & Brunt.
4. Select your Theme
Have fun with your engagement party theme. Let it reflect what you both enjoy. It may be as simple as a colour or something that mirrors what you’re into.
For example, if you love glamour a Great Gatsby theme is fabulous. If you love travelling, a destination style theme, like a luau or a French or American theme will be fun. Engagement parties themed around food and wine are also quite popular, especially when vineyards are in season.
5. Create your Invitations
Make sure to get your engagement party invitations as early as possible. Paper invitations are still quite popular today. Websites such as Invitations for All Occasions allow you to design invitations using their online tools while they take care of the printing.
If you prefer e-invites, ask a professional to help put something short and memorable together. Short videos are quite popular choices; they can incorporate photos, memories captured on video, and a voiced invite for the event. You could even have guests scan a QR code to download a pass for the exclusive event.
If you haven’t already told your family and friends you’re engaged, you can always throw a surprise engagement party under the guise of another celebration such as a birthday.
6. Find the Perfect Outfit
Your engagement party outfit will depend on your theme. For a formal evening, a stunning white gown is always a classic. If you’re going for a fun theme, join in the fun with your outfit and go for a cocktail dress with a bit of colour and flair. Sooki have a wide range of formal and informal engagement party dresses to pick from.
Discuss with your partner what they want to wear to help decide whether they’ll be most comfortable in a relaxed shirt and trouser combo, suit, tux, or shorts in summer. Ultimately, wear something you’re both comfortable in as you may be caught on your feet chatting with guests for the evening.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do you wear to an Engagement Party as a guest?
The choice of outfit to an engagement party depends on the theme for the day. The hosts will indicate the theme on the invite card. The venue will also give an indication of the appropriate dress choice.
What do you do at an Engagement Party?
Celebrate! After all, this is a major milestone in your lives. Depending on the theme, you may simply have drinks and nibbles, a sit-down dinner, a barbecue, dancing or even games. Create memories.
What do get someone for an engagement gift?
The best gifts are thoughtful and sincere. Know what the person likes but also what they may need in preparation for the wedding and a new life. A wedding planning journal, a set of bathroom robes, and customized jewellery are popular choices of engagement party gifts. You can find a few more thoughtful engagement party gifts here.
1 thought on “How to Plan Engagement Party”
Planning an engagement party is a thrilling prelude to a couple’s journey towards marriage. Start by setting a budget, crafting a guest list, and selecting a theme or venue that reflects your personalities. Don’t forget to incorporate meaningful details and entertainment to make it a memorable celebration of love!