Ideas for an Engagement Party
Although an engagement party is not as big as a wedding ceremony, many couples choose to create a special event in order to celebrate their new official status. It is not a hard thing to do as long as you have chosen the location, you have established the number of guests and have decided on the appropriate party theme you want to approach.
If you are at a loss and do not have any idea about how to throw an engagement party, here is a guide which will show you some good tricks to have a great party.
Regardless you have crazy ideas you want to put in practice or not, you have to take into consideration the costs.
Therefore, the most important thing you have to begin with is the budget. Everything depends on the budget you are intending to use for your party. Our advice is to establish clear limits and not to spend too much money, because an engagement party is not a wedding, after all.
What should your list of calculation include? The price of the location, the number of guests (food, drinks, sweets) and decorations. This is a rough calculation to see where you stand. Do not forget to leave some money apart for emergency situations.
As to the guest list, invite only your family and close friends whom you want to share the great news with. A long list of guests will only increase your expenses and the effort will be significantly bigger. However, be sure to invest in some engagement party invites.
Being more private then weddings, engagement parties can take place in various locations. It depends on the theme you choose and the number of guests you have. You may choose a nice restaurant, a private club, a rented mansion in the mountains, a park or a terrace on the beach. If you have a big house you may even choose your own home as location.
Young people are generally reluctant to classic engagement parties and look for exciting themes and activities. We suggest to take into consideration your guests’ preferences as well, because you do not want to create an embarrassing atmosphere. So, we suggest the following themes:
Barbecue party Prepare the grill, the hamburgers and the beer and get ready to party with your close ones. Do not forget about music and warm the people up before eating. It’s an informal party and can be really fun, especially that you can resort to different funny games in the open air. You can organize the barbecue by the side of a pool if you have one. The party can end with a swim in the pool at night!
Beach party is another funny way to celebrate your engagement. The setting is very generous and you can create some Hawaiian like outfits for your guests. The breeze, the sand and the wonderful dusk will certainly be key element for a successful party.
A Cocktail Party - It is an elegant manner to celebrate. Prepare some fancy drinks and a large variety of appetizers. Be careful to arrange the plates in such a way that all people can reach the plates without getting crowded. Place the engagement party food in various places around the house, so that everyone is not crowded in the kitchen where you’re mixing drinks. Keep the music at a low level so that your guests can socialize. Set up a bar and prepare lots of ice for the cocktail.
If a cocktail party is too fancy for your tastes, you can try a Latino party where people can dance on Latin rhythms and drink red icy wine. If you afford it, you can hire a couple of professional dancers which will certainly be the delight of the party.
One of the most spectacular themes is the costume ball one. You can recreate different historical periods (Renaissance, Victorian) and ask guests to come dressed accordingly. The atmosphere will be full of mystery and will certainly be unforgettable. It would also be nice to give out some medieval themed party favours.
No matter what engagement party theme you choose, do not forget the most important aspect: you are announcing a big event in your lives you decided to get married. It is important to have close friends to share these great moments with and to be sure you will have a successful party. It is quite awkward to have people you do not know very well and with whom you cannot socialize.
Another important element for the success of your party is represented by decorations. Whichever setting you choose, the decorations play an important role. You can go for classic decorations, such as: balloons, flowers, candles, colored ribbons. Depending on the theme you selected for your party, you can use decorations which fit the setting. Our advice is not to opt for too many decorations to stifle the atmosphere. On the contrary, a few well-chosen decorations will help set the mood of a festive engagement party.
Now that you have chosen the setting and decorated it, you have to think about the food you are serving. You can try different dishes to form a menu, similar to a wedding menu, or you can choose a buffet-style to create a less formal atmosphere. Of course, the food has to be appropriate for the theme you choose: for cocktails fancy food, for barbecue hamburgers and pizza.
Food is a key ingredient in many social activities, including engagement parties and weddings. Choosing the couple’s favorite foods is a guaranteed success at an engagement party, as well as buffet-style serving areas to promote a casual atmosphere. Food can be coordinated with an overall theme (tropical drinks at a beach party, for example), or the engagement party may be an opportunity to try out different dishes that may become part of the wedding menu, particularly different cake flavors. Barbeques, pot lucks, and pizza are popular choices for engagement parties.
Entertainment gives a special atmosphere. If you have a big budget, you can hire a band to animate the party, or in case of cocktail you can hire a pianist to create distinguished atmosphere. to enhance the mood at a party, although it’s not a necessity. We suggest setting a distinct area for dancing and making sure it is enough space for everybody.
Whatever arrangements you make, do not stress yourself very much. The engagement party is just an ongoing celebration for the most important party in couple’s life: the wedding party.
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