Engagement Party Ideas: Themes, Decorations, and Games

Pre Wedding Parties
Written By Colleen McCarthy
Bride and groom posing outdoors underneath a set of string lights.

An outdoor party is a great way to celebrate your engagement.

An engagement party isn’t a requirement, so if you don’t like the idea it’s ok to skip it. But if you want to get started on your wedding festivities right away, an engagement party is a great way to begin celebrating. It can be any style that you like: casual, formal or semi formal. If you’ve got the budget, you can hire a caterer and go all out. You can book a private room in a restaurant or plan a cocktail party. Or if you’d rather keep it low key, you can host an open house or even a simple backyard BBQ.

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What Happens at an Engagement Party

An engagement party doesn’t need to be scheduled, like a wedding does. You just need to decide on a start and end time, plus what kind of food and drinks you’ll serve. Your family and friends will want to greet you, congratulate you and compliment your ring. Once all your guests have arrived, the host can welcome everyone and make a toast to the couple. 

Traditionally, a lot of people can make toasts. It’s ok to pick and choose who you want to have speaking at your engagement party. You can decide how many toasts by considering your style, the length of your party and how you all feel about public speaking. After the toasts are done, your guests can mingle and enjoy the party. 

Who Makes a Toast at an Engagement Party?

Traditionally, the bride’s parents hosted the party and the bride’s father would make the first toast to the couple. Next, the groom would make a toast to his bride to be. Then any other friends or family could speak. If someone else is hosting your engagement party, that person should be the first one to make a toast.

Modern engagement parties can be hosted by anyone, including the couple. If you’re hosting the party yourselves, don’t feel like you have to follow strict etiquette or old fashioned rules. As long as you’re considerate of your guests, you can ask anyone you’d like to make a toast or speak at your party. 

 
 

Engagement Party Games and Activities

One reason for having an engagement party is to give your family and friends a chance to meet each other. If you want to encourage mingling, you can plan some games or activities for your guests. If you’re having a fun, casual outdoor party, lawn games are fun for everyone. Consider making a giant Jenga game, corn hole boards or a ring toss game. If you’re planning a more formal or semi formal party, think about games like Mad Libs or Who Knows the Couple Best?

 
 

Engagement Party Ideas

The type of party you plan depends on your style and the guests you’re inviting. For example, if you want a casual party, with just your friend group, you might want to host a game night or movie night as your engagement celebration. If you’re planning a more formal party with family and friends in different age groups, you might want to host at a restaurant or banquet hall.

Ideas For a Casual Engagement Party

  • Dinner at a fast casual restaurant

  • Pizza party

  • Game night

  • I Do BBQ

  • DIY taco bar fiesta

  • Picnic at a local park

Ideas For a Formal or Semi Formal Engagement Party

  • At home cocktail party

  • Casino night

  • Wine & cheese reception

  • Private room at a restaurant

  • Banquet hall reception

  • Celebration brunch

 
 

Engagement Party Budget

Any budget can be reasonable for an engagement party. You’ll need at least a few hundred dollars to pay for refreshments. If you’re on a tight budget, the refreshments can be as simple as cake and punch. If you’ve got a bigger budget to play with, you can offer cocktails and appetizers or a full, seated dinner.

Think about how much you want to spend, then start to research prices for the type of party you’d like. Start by finding prices for:

  • Venue for your party

  • Food and drinks

  • Invitations

  • Decorations

Saving Money on Your Engagement Party

You can plan a great party on any budget. Decide how much you want to spend and base your budget on that number. Typically, the more formal a party is, the more expensive it will be. 

But if you want a formal or semi formal engagement party on a budget, don’t worry, there’s ways to save and still have a fantastic celebration. The venue and the food are the biggest expenses, so start by thinking of ways to save money on those items.

  • Keep your guest list small

  • Hold your party at home and avoid venue fees

  • Look at community centers or civic room rentals for inexpensive venues

  • DIY your food and drinks to save on catering

  • Plan a cocktail party instead of a dinner to keep expenses down

 
 

Planning an Engagement Dinner

If you want a simple and inexpensive engagement party, you can plan a dinner celebration for your closest friends and relatives. You can celebrate your engagement and give your families a chance to meet by hosting a small dinner at a local restaurant. If you don’t have the time or a budget to plan a big party, you can still have a fun celebration with the people closest to you by planning an engagement dinner.

Unless your parents offer to host, consider yourselves to be the ones throwing the party. As the hosts, you should plan to pay for the meals, even if you’re in a restaurant. Talk to the restaurant ahead of time and arrange a set menu and drinks. That way you can stay classy and still stick to your budget.

Engagement Party at Home

The best way to stick to your budget is by planning your engagement party at home. You won’t need to pay a venue fee. You’ll have complete control over the food, drinks and activities. Plus you can decorate as much as you’d like without worrying about a venue’s rules or schedules.

 
 

Backyard Engagement Party

If you want a casual engagement party, the ideal venue could be your own backyard. You’ll be able to plan any type of celebration with fun games and activities. Plus delicious food that you can make yourself or order in. You can plan anything from a picnic to an I Do BBQ to a garden party. 

To keep it casual, plan a daytime party with lawn games and family fun. Or you could make it a little more elegant by planning a night time party with fairy lights, a bonfire and adult cocktails. By planning in your own backyard, you have the freedom to choose any style that suits you.

Do You Need a Theme For an Engagement Party?

You don’t have to choose a theme, but if you do, it’ll make your decisions easier. Plus it’s fun! You can pick a theme that’s meaningful to you as a couple. Or something related to a hobby, food or style that you love. 

 
 

Fun Themes For an Engagement Party

  • Elegant dinner party

  • Cocktail party

  • Vintage theme

  • Rustic style

  • I Do BBQ party

  • Picnic at the park

  • Garden party

  • Brunch celebration

For more great theme ideas, check out this post from Hitched: 16 Engagement Party Ideas to Kick Off Your Wedding in Style. 

Engagement Party Invitations

The invitations will give your guests their first impression of your engagement party, so choose the style or theme that matches the party you’re planning.

Remember, you should only invite guests that you’re planning to invite to the wedding. If you invite someone to your engagement party, they’ll expect an invitation to the wedding.

 
 

Engagement Party Decorations

If you have a venue to decorate, Just Engaged balloons, signs or banners are a great way to fill the space. If you’re having a seated meal, you can decorate your tables, too. Choose flowers or candles and add Just Engaged confetti, favors or tags.

 
 

Just Engaged Cake Topper

Your engagement party is the perfect time to start practicing how to cut a cake together. If you’ve got the budget, you can order a special cake from a local baker. If you’re on a smaller budget, you can pick up a plain white cake and decorate it yourself with flowers or a pretty Just Engaged cake topper. 

 
 
 

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Colleen McCarthy
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