How to Choose the Best Engagement Party Theme
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It’s easy to scroll through Pinterest and pick out a gorgeous engagement party theme, only to realize it will cost an arm and a leg to put on.
In reality, an engagement party theme needs to fit your specific needs. Your theme should vary widely depending on who you’re inviting, your budget, and even your climate.
In this post, we break down the steps to identify the characteristics you need for your engagement party theme, ensuring you start your planning off on the right foot.
Do You Need an Engagement Party Theme?
Before you even start planning your engagement party, remember that you are the ultimate decision maker.
After all, it’s your party (and you can cry if you want to!).
When we think about typical engagement parties, there’s almost always a theme. But don’t feel pressured to go overboard.
Think of a theme as setting your party’s overall atmosphere.
Take, for example, a ‘Garden Chic’ theme. It’s elegant and easy to host, complete with a delightful tea-time menu. This kind of theme is fantastic for a crowd that spans different generations, especially if some guests might not be into more interactive themes.
If a theme sounds like a fun addition to your party, don’t worry about it being a hassle.
Engagement parties usually have a guest list of 20 people or less. With a group that size, choosing a theme that’s enjoyable for everyone and easy to manage is simple.
Picking an Engagement Party Theme with Guests in Mind
When it comes to planning your engagement party, finding the right theme is key.
Your engagement party is not just about you and your soon-to-be spouse – but also about creating an atmosphere that your guests will love.
A great approach is to contrast your engagement party with the tone of your wedding.
For instance, if you’re planning a casual wedding, consider hosting your engagement party at an elegant venue where guests can dress up. Conversely, if your wedding is more formal, opt for a laid-back, cozy setting for your engagement party – think backyard BBQ vibes.
Your guest list is a big factor in this decision. Say you’re inviting your grandparents – you might want to go for something a bit more classic and formal. But if it’s mostly your close friends and just a few family members, something fun and fresh that resonates with a younger crowd will be a hit.
Ultimately, remember that you have the final say over your guest list.
If you envision an engagement party that’s more friend-centric than family-oriented, that’s completely in your hands.
With multiple celebrations leading up to your wedding, there’s ample opportunity for all your loved ones to be involved in different ways.
RELATED: Here’s When You Should Plan a Bachelorette Party
Engagement Party Theme Best Practices
As you navigate the planning of your engagement party, there are some practical tips to consider.
First, before you fall down the Pinterest rabbit hole searching for the ultimate party theme, reflect on the logistical needs of your event.
If you’re working with a tight budget, why not throw a casual, outdoor celebration? Or maybe, organize a potluck and spice it up with some borrowed lawn games for extra fun.
After you’ve got a handle on the fundamental aspects of your party’s theme, sift through Pinterest for inspiration.
Remember, you’re not the first to plan an engagement party. Do some research to learn from the best.
If you start to overthink party details, remember that your guests are there to celebrate you and your love story.
Regardless of the theme or location you choose, they’re going to be thrilled just to be part of your special day. As you prepare for your wedding, remember not to get too caught up in these initial details.
Simply create a guest list that brings you joy, select a theme that suits your budget and appeals to most guests, and then let the event take shape naturally.
Engagement Party Theme Games and Activities
Many small parties have games and activities to keep everyone entertained. Your engagement party is perfect for this!
It’s easy to adapt simple party games to make them engagement party-themed. Trust us when we say the internet is chock-full of ideas. Here are our favorites:
Photo Booth
A photo booth is relatively simple to put together and easy to adapt to your chosen theme. Make this activity even more fun with a Polaroid camera and some props!
Ring Hunt
Hide these fun plastic rings all around the venue. Then, post signs stating that the person with the most bling at the end of the party wins! Don’t forget to get a few small prizes for any winners.
Bridal Bingo
Adapt a bingo game to be a fun, conversation-starting hunt for your guests. This activity is wonderful if you bring together groups of people who don’t know each other that well, like different sides of a family.
Casino Games
While a little more work to set up and staff, casino games are a ton of fun for a mid-sized group of people. Pick out a few of your favorite casino games, and employ friends to act as dealers/attendants. Plus, any money the “house” or, in this case, your party wins can be used on the wedding! This activity doubles as a great engagement party theme.
Where Were They? Picture Game
If you and your sweetheart have traveled anywhere, pick out a handful of your favorite pictures for this game. Post them around the party space, and have guests guess where you were based on just the photo. Guests can post their location guesses with Post-It Notes and Sharpies. Award prizes for the people who guess the most correctly!
Popular Engagement Party Themes
At this point, you know how to pick an engagement party theme that you and your guests will enjoy. We may be biased, but we do have a few tried and true favorites that are always loved by couples and guests alike.
Brunch
Adaptable to almost any venue, guest makeup, fanciness level, and budget, brunch is the engagement party theme that never gets old. With a food-centered theme, it’s critical that the food is a shining star. Make sure you have a good cook lined up!
Garden Chic
If you’re hosting your engagement party in a warm climate, this is the perfect classy theme. A chic garden party is applicable to many budgets, menus, and guest counts. It’s especially cute when people have their garden chic parties in public parks, which saves on the venue cost!
Hot Chocolate Bar or Sundae Bar
Contrary to a garden chic party, a hot chocolate or sundae bar is the perfect food-centered theme for a cold climate. If you can’t choose between these two themes, do them both! Guests can pick the treat they would like more or snack on both throughout the event.
Charcuterie and Champagne
For a classy theme that fits any venue or weather, charcuterie and champagne go together like – well, charcuterie and champagne. This engagement party theme is great for people looking to host a classy and chic party, but don’t want to allocate the funds for an entire meal.
Bonfire or Camping Theme
More popular with young guests, a bonfire or the more general “camping” theme makes for a great engagement party. This theme can be easily adjusted to be a weekend-long party with gorgeous photo ops and memories to last a lifetime.
Roaring 20s
Lastly, the more ambitious couple can host an all-out roaring 20s theme. While some guests may be motivated to arrive in full costume, make sure you have some flapper girl headbands and fedoras available to make the theme fun for everyone.
Picking the Best Engagement Party Theme for Your Party
In this post, we taught you everything we know about picking the best engagement party theme.
Before scrolling through Pinterest-perfect engagement party themes on social media, think of your logistical needs.
What’s your budget? Who will be attending? Does this need to be casual or fancy in comparison to your wedding? Asking yourself these guiding questions before looking through inspiration can save you some headache.
Once you know the logistical requirements of your engagement party theme, you can pick any theme that suits your fancy.
Finally, remember that your guests are there to celebrate you and spend time with the people you love.
No matter your theme, venue, or activities, your guests will have a lovely time getting to know all the people who make up your love story.
