The ideas range from backyard setups to rooftop dining experiences to getaway trip ideas, over-the-top party themes and simple, yet special ways you can gather with a small group. That way, no matter what kind of celebration you and your SO want to have, we’ve got you covered. Check out all 75 engagement party ideas, below.
Engagement Party Ideas
1. Backyard BBQ
Bring your friends and family together to celebrate you and your significant other with an “I Do BBQ.” You can use your backyard and deck it out with string lights and fun lawn games, like giant Jenga and cornhole. That way, your guests can play and you can have classic homestyle BBQ foods for everyone to eat.
2. Nacho party
It’s true: This is nacho average engagement party, but it’s ideal for couples who loves Taco Tuesdays. You can host it at your house and have things like chips and guac, a nacho bar, a build-your-own taco station and margaritas. It’ll be a festive way to kick off your exciting news.
3. Posh tea party
What’s cuter than celebrating your engagement with a tea party? You can serve things like scones, finger sandwiches, pastries and, of course, an assortment of teas, which can all be in poured from adorable teapots.To bring it to the next level, you can encourage guests to wear fancy, floral cocktail attire.
4. Paint and sip class party
Calling all artsy couples! Having an unconventional paint and sip engagement party is perfect for you. You can even make it extra special by asking for the painting you and your guests make to be something that reminds you of your engagement.
5. Sunset boat ride
Go all out and rent a boat for your engagement party and say bon voyage to your single life for good. It’s especially a great idea if you live near a beach and want to treat your nearest and dearest to a special outing to celebrate your next chapter before you become a Mr. and Mrs. Try to arrange it for sunset so you can all soak in the spectacular view together.
6. Parisian-themed party
Experience a magical day in one of the most romantic cities in the world with all of your friends. You can put together a Parisienne playlist for the party and serve guests macaroons and champagne. Plus, you can even decorate with Eiffel Tower décor, black and white stripes, beautiful blooms and DIY signs in French to set the mood.
7. Roller disco party
Embrace your inner kid and have fun celebrating your big news by roller skating! Just rent your local roller-skating rink, hire a DJ and invite all of your family and friends to come skate the night away.
8. Not-so-cheesy celebration
To some, engagement parties may seem cheesy. If that’s you, make it cheesy in the best way possible with a cheese-themed party. You can have a cheese charcuterie spread instead of desserts that your loved ones can snack from and you can also get a photo booth to encourage people to show off their cheesy smiles.
9. Luau-themed bash
A lei’d back luau is the perfect theme for a chill couple. You can provide guests with grass skirts and leis and chat among your friends and family over Piña Coladas and Mai Tais. You can even play Hawaiian music if you want.
10. Glamping party
How romantic would a glamping trip be with a few of your closest friends? It’s a great way to escape from everything else going on and to truly focus on yourself as a couple and celebrate that you’re going to be getting married. You can go glamping in a bell tent, a treehouse or an A-framed house so it’s cozier than staying over in a classic tent.
11. Wine tasting
If you get engaged in the fall, consider celebrating your engagement at a vineyard. You and your friends will not only be able to toast your news, but you’ll be able to take tons of beautiful pictures together and sip on all of your favorite wines. You can even coordinate a bus or limo to take you and your guests there together if you want to be a little extra.
12. Tropical celebration
If you live in a beach town, a tropical engagement dinner on the beach with your closest loved one is ideal. You can set tables up and accent them with candles and use palm leaves to create dreamy canopies above each table.
13. Dessert social
Got a sweet tooth? Then a dessert social is a perfect way to ring in your engagement and celebrate that the love you found is oh so sweet. One of the best parts about this type of party is that it can be done at your own home and you can include a mixture of store-bought, handmade and catered desserts that set up all along the table for guests to enjoy.
14. Hibachi celebration
Have a fiery celebration with a Hibachi engagement dinner! It’ll be entertaining and filling. Just make sure you call ahead to make reservations for a large party and tell them it’s for your engagement so they will make it extra special.
15. Rosé on the roof party
Could you drink rosé all day? Then cheers with your friends on a rooftop to celebrate your engagement. If you don’t live in a building with roof access, then look up venues or restaurants in your city that you can reserve for a few hours.
16. Ice skating celebration
Lace up your skates with all of your friends for the ultimate winter engagement party! You can rent out a rink so you have it all to yourself and then you can all go out to eat afterward to warm up.
17. Beach bonfire
Engagement parties don’t have to be huge blowouts. Instead, do something more intimate and unique, like a beach bonfire. You can invite your best friends, and ring in your engagement together over roasting hotdogs, making s’mores and sharing stories.
18. Beating heart party
You stole each other’s hearts, so why not have a heart-themed party? You can pull it off by serving foods that are cut in heart-shaped, plates that are heart-shaped and hang up heart-shaped decorations everywhere. It’ll be a party full of love.
19. Wizarding engagement bash
Calling all Potter Heads! Who says you can’t throw a Harry Potter-inspired engagement party? You can do so by creating a Hogwarts-themed tablescape, serving guests butterbeer and encouraging everyone to bring wands and wear cloaks. You can even DIY floating candles by using a clear fishing line to hang them from your ceiling.
20. I found my unicorn party
Finding someone to spend the rest of your life with isn’t always easy. So when you do find them, they’re kind of like a unicorn in a way. That’s why having a unicorn-themed party is a great way to celebrate your upcoming wedding. Make sure you have a unicorn cake!
21. 1950s gathering
Travel back in time to the days of leather jackets and poodle skirts for your engagement party. Everyone will love dressing up in ‘50s clothing and sipping on milkshakes. You can even transform your place with decorations like hanging records, checkered tablecloths, a pastel balloon arch and more.
22. Dinner for two
Over-the-top engagement parties aren’t the only way you can celebrate your exciting news! Keep things low-key by having a dinner party for just you and your fiancé. You can make a reservation at a restaurant you’ve always wanted to go to, or you can order in your favorite takeout, or you can whip up a brand-new recipe together.
23. Ice cream social
Have an ice party to celebrate that the love of your life popped the question. You can load up on all of your favorite ice cream flavors and toppings so everyone coming over can make their own sundaes and cones. It’ll be a sweet way to commemorate the occasion.
24. Have a surprise party
If you’re someone who loves surprising people, surprise your new fiancé with an engagement party! First, decide if you want to have your party at a restaurant or at your home. Then, secretly contact your friends and loved ones about the party and make sure they know it’s a surprise. Lastly, come up with a plan to throw you SO off the trail that will let you bring them to the spot without them knowing what’s going on so everyone can surprise them when you show up.
25. Garden lunch
Do you or someone you know have a gorgeous garden? If so, take advantage of it and throw your engagement party among the flowers. It’ll be a picture-perfect backdrop to take celebration pictures with all of your friends and family who attend. You can even use different size tables that are draped with pastel table linens to add your shabby chic dishes on and include a giant vase of flowers on each one.
26. Potluck party
If the thought of having an engagement party overwhelms you, it doesn’t have to. A simple potluck dinner party is a great way to enjoy your newly-engaged status with all of your loved ones. All you have to do is ask everyone attending to bring their favorite dish.
27. Brunch celebration
If you’re a couple who is known for your love of brunch, then why not have an engagement brunch? You can toast with mimosas to ring in the happy news of your engagement. All you have to do is make reservations at your go-to brunch spot.
28. Go to your favorite restaurant
If you want to celebrate your news, but aren’t into planning a huge party, you don’t have to. Instead, just make a reservation at one of your favorite restaurants so you and your friends can have a stress-free celebration dinner. All you’ll have to do is invite the people you want to attend.
29. Brewery kickback
If the thought of cracking open a cold one with your best buds sounds like a great way to celebrate your engagement, the have an easy-going bash at your favorite brewery. It’ll be a stress-free way to get together with everyone, talk about your upcoming wedding and enjoy the moment. You can even see if you can set up a behind-the-scenes tour to make the day more memorable.
30. Twinkle light celebration
You can’t go wrong with a romantic dinner party at night. Your guests will be wowed when they see twinkle lights hanging everywhere and lanterns hanging from tree branches.
31. Zoom party
Seeing how Covid is still as real as ever, your engagement party can totally be via Zoom. The best part about having a Zoom party is that you can still assign it a theme if you want to and just let everyone know on your invites, or it can be completely casual. You can also have multiple Zoom engagement parties with different groups of people so that it’s not overwhelmingly crowded.
32. Rainbow party
Couples who aren’t afraid of a little color will love this party concept! You can make your own version by loading up on rainbow dinnerware, streamers, balloons, signs, tablecloths and more.
33. Glow in the dark party
Announce your engagement with a glow in the dark party! You can tell everyone to wear white and then use black lights at your party so they’ll glow—and make sure to hand out glow stick accessories at the door when guests arrive, too!
34. Hot coca mixer
How cute would a hot cocoa mixer be if you and your SO got engaged in the winter? You can set up a hot cocoa bar with tons of toppings so your guests can make their own custom drink, all wear comfy sweaters and even have it in a space with a fireplace.
35. Starry night campout
Spend the night with your fiancé and all of your friends under the stars. You can all bring tents, blankets, hot cocoa, a telescope and board games. It’ll be something you’ll remember and a way for you to celebrate that you and your SO’s love story was written in the stars.
36. Sip and shred party
Head to the slopes! It’s not your typical engagement party, but if you want to do something fun with just a few close friends, this is a great option. You can all rent a place together and have fun in the snow celebrating that you’re snow in love.
37. Homerun celebration
If you’re a couple who are die-hard sports fans, then it makes perfect sense to gather up some close friends and celebrate at a game. You can all even make DIY shirts to wear that say something cute like “Emma and Matt hit a home run!” And if one of you wants to arrange an engagement shoutout on the jumbotron, that’ll really bring your day to the next level.
38. Whimsical outdoor party
If you get engaged in the spring or summer, take advantage of the beautiful weather with an outdoor dinner party. But don’t have just any dinner party, have a whimsical one. To make it super enchanting, set up your table under a tree. Then tie all kids of small glass bottles that are filled with pink, red and white flowers to branches so they sway in the wind above you while you eat.
39. Pool party
Getting engaged in the summer means one thing: You can have an engagement pool party! You can serve tropical drinks, stock the pool with animal-shaped rafts and put on a feel-good playlist. You can even make sure you and your SO purchase matching bathing suits or ones that say “Fiancé” and “Fiancée.”
40. Nature outdoor dinner
A great tablescape can bring your dinner party to the next level. That’s exactly what you need for your engagement party. Use fake greenage as a centerpiece that can run down your entire table and dress it up with gorgeous candles. Your guests will be impressed.
41. All white party
What color is more wedding-centric than white? That’s why having an all-white-themed party is a great idea if you’re looking for a fashionable theme. You can have all of your decorations be white, serve white foods, white desserts, white drinks and encourage everyone coming to dress in their best white attire.
42. Romantic family dinner party
You don’t have to be a DIY expert to have a great engagement party at your house. If you want to glam up your space, but don’t know where to begin, hire a party planner to help bring your ideas to life. They’ll be able to create a magical and romantic atmosphere for you and your family to have a dinner party you’ll always remember.
43. Holiday party
Lots of people get engaged around the holidays! If you’re one of them, don’t wait to celebrate—take advantage of the time of year and have a holiday party in your home instead. It’ll be extra magical with all of your Christmas decor and twinkle lights. Plus, you can even have people wear Christmas sweaters and Santa hats to make it more festive.
44. Private chef dinner
Instead of having a huge party, make it more intimate by hiring a private chef. You can just have your family over or you can celebrate with just the two of you. Either way, it’ll be extra special and you won’t have to lift a finger.
45. After the final rose party
Any Bachelor fan knows how important getting the final rose on the show is. So if you’re someone who loves watching the love stories of contestants on the series unfold, throw a bachelor-themed “After the Final Rose “engagement party for yourself. Red roses are a must when it comes to your table décor and everyone needs to have champagne flutes as well.
46. Mini food celebration
Calling all foodies! Make food the theme of your engagement party by serving up all of your favorites, but make them mini-sized. From mini burgers to mini cupcakes, there’s no food that won’t work.
47. Meant to bee party
People won’t bee-lieve how adorable your party is if you go with a bee theme at your “Meant to Bee” party. You can incorporate a yellow and black balloon arch, honey-themed drinks and bee-themed décor.
48. Masquerade get-together
If you’ve never had a masquerade party before, throw one for your engagement party! Guests will love how original the idea is and have fun pairing their masks with their suit or dress. You can even buy extra masks in case people forget to bring their own.
49. Boho bash
How dreamy does a bohemian-inspired party sound? You can rent picnic tables, colorful planets, vibrant pillows, and even string-up lights. It’s especially great if you’re looking for a way to celebrate in the summer.
50. Donut party
Have a “Donut Mind if ‘I do’” party! It’s a fun and delicious way to celebrate that your man popped the question. You can send out donut-shaped invites, have a donut tower and a donut wall at your event.
51. Barcade takeover
Are you and your friends all kids at heart? Then host your engagement party at a barcade. Everyone will have fun celebrating by sipping on drinks and playing games like ping pong, darts and air hockey. It’ll be a night nobody will want to end.
52. Carnival festivity
If you’re a playful couple, have a carnival-themed engagement party. You can rent popcorn machines and cotton candy spinners, as well as have games like ring toss for guests to play. You can even send out ticket-themed invites that your guests have to bring to get in.
53. Costume party
Love dressing up? Then, a costume party might be the engagement party of your dreams. Have everyone come dressed in perfect pairs costumes, like bacon and eggs. It’ll be a fun way to celebrate that you and your SO are the perfect pair.
54. Bubbles & bowties party
Is there a better theme than this to pop champagne at? Tell all your guests to rock a bowtie and then decorate with clear balloons that have glitter inside and have a champagne tower.
55. Sparkler celebration
What’s better than celebrating huge news with sparklers? They can be used any time of the year and make for such a special moment. Buy some up and then surprise your friends and family with them at night when they come over.
56. He popped the question party
Have fun with the fact that your spouse “popped” the question with a popcorn party. Have a popcorn table that includes all kinds of varieties, order vintage popcorn paper buckets and even have a popcorn machine.
57. Winter wonderland escape
Getting engaged in the winter is a magical time. Let the season inspire your decor for your engagement party by bringing some of the snowy outside accents indoors. Use white roses, pine cones, fairy lights in bottles and silver in for your table decorations.
58. Sip sip, horray party
What’s more fun than a cocktail party with friends? You can have it at your home, rent out a space in your apartment building or plan to have it at a restaurant. Don’t forget to have a signature engagement drink that everyone can toast with.
59. Pizza party
Who doesn’t love pizza? Order a few pies and keep your engagement party casual. You can even go the extra mile and see if your local pizzeria can make you a pizza in a heart shape.
60. Never feel blue party
There’s nothing to be sad about when you’re engaged! That’s why a “Never Feel Blue Party” is perfect to throw. How do you do it? You basically need all blue invites, blue decor and dinnerware, as well as blue foods to serve. Plus, make sure all of your guests wear blue.
61. Zoo I do
Change things up and meet with friends and family at the zoo to kick off your engagement. It’s a lighthearted way to celebrate that people of all ages will enjoy.
62. Sea swept social
A stunning dinner party on the water? Yes please! Set up a long table that is draped in a white table cloth that has flower vases placed down the middle of it with white dinnerware. It’ll be a beautiful place to eat.
63. Park meetup
There’s no better place to chill out than a park, which is also why it’s a great location to throw an engagement party. Bring hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and drinks so everyone coming can have a relaxing time together.
64. Superhero party
Go the untraditional route and plan a superhero bash. You can have cocktails with superhero names, send out invites that go with the theme, have superhero props to hold in photos, put up signs that have you and your significant other dressed as superheroes and more! Everyone else can also get in on the fun by wearing superhero costumes to your party.
65. Silver soiree
Just imagine silver everywhere: silver invitations, silver tablescapes, silver decor, silver streamers, etc. Sounds pretty, right? Tell your guests to stay on theme by dressing up in silver duds.
66. Horse celebration
If you’re a couple who like the outdoors, skip out on having a fancy party and do something outdoorsy instead. Going horseback riding with friends on a nice day or evening makes for a great time. Most towns, cities and beaches have places where you can sign up for group riding tours.
67. Romcom celebration
Kick off your engagement with a romantic and cozy movie night in your back yard. Use a projector and a white sheet to create a movie screen, then put together a ton of blankets and pillows and movie snacks for your guests.
68. Love you a latte brunch
Are you coffee lovers? Then this is your type of party. Instead of a cocktail engagement party, serve guests a variation of espresso beverages. That way you can all toast and raise your lattes or cappuccinos together. Don’t forget to hire someone to create cute latte art on all of the drinks.
69. Food truck get together
Stay in, but rent out a food truck (or two!) to make your engagement party epically tasty. Narrow down your choices by picking a food that you both enjoy as a couple and then hire them for a couple of hours. See if they can even make a custom drink or dish to celebrate your engagement.
70. Mint to be
What’s cuter than a “Mint to Be” themed party to show that you and your SO are meant to be together? Nothing! To pull this off, use mint green colored decorations and have all of your drinks have some sort of mint added to them.
71. Pancake party
Nobody is ever too old to eat pancakes! Throw the cozies engagement party ever by having pancakes and pajama party. Have it in the morning and tell everyone to come in their favorite PJs so you can enjoy breakfast together and talk all about your big engagement news. Make sure you serve all kinds of different flavors of pancakes, from blueberry to original to chocolate chip and more!
72. Engagement retreat
Instead of throwing a party, plan an escape with a few close friends. You can all rent a cabin together, enjoy the outdoors and make some new memories while celebrating your engagement. It’s perfect for couples that don’t like being the center of attention.
73. Paper lantern celebration
Have you ever gone to a paper lantern festive? If not, it’s magical. You can create your own mini version at home with your friends and family to celebrate your engagement. Have everyone write a special message for you and your fiancé on their paper lantern before they release it. Then, on the count of three, have everyone let theirs go at the same time so you can watch them fly away.
74. A game day
Looking for a more low-key way to celebrate your engagement? Have some friends over for a game day! You can have board games and card games so people can have tons of options.
75. Karaoke party
Sing your hearts out with all of your friends to honor your engagement. To stay on trend, make it a rule that only love songs can be sung. It’ll be a fun time for everyone. Check out…Engagement Instagram CaptionsEngagement Quotes About True LoveNewlywed Game Questions
