Amazing Engagement Party Themes

Engagement parties are steeped in tradition. In older days, men wouldn’t dare ask a woman for her own hand in marriage. This was a formal request taken only to the father of the woman, or to the man that was responsible for her.

If he approved of the marriage, he would give his blessing, and plan an engagement party to formally make the announcement to his friends and family members, and sometimes to his own daughter. These parties were typically held in the father’s home complete with catering and champagne.

Some traditions are wonderful, and tradition is what makes many of our celebrations meaningful, but sometimes it can be old, worn out and of no use anymore. I mean, what woman would give up a man getting down on one knee in a romantic place and asking for her to marry him?

And just proposals have changed a great deal, so have the parties to announce them! Sure you could throw a formal occasion with catering and champagne, if that’s what you want, but what really makes an event memorable is the outstanding creativity that goes into a well-planned theme party, and the unexpected fun had by all attending.

After your party, your guests will hardly be able to contain themselves for the wedding! Let’s look at some incredible engagement party themes.

Wine Tasting

For two wine lovers, hosting the party at a winery or local wine bar would be the perfect way to celebrate and share their love for wine and celebration with all of their guests. In fact, as the announcement is made, every guest will already have a glass of their favorite wine in hand for the toast.

Cater the party with food perfect for pairing with each wine like a nice spread of great cheeses, an olive bar, hummus and pita bread, and tons of great fruits like grapes, strawberries and sliced apples.

You could even do something fun and arrange a swap ahead of time. Have all of your guests bring their favorite bottles to swap with someone else. They’ll never know you have a surprise announcement!

A Masquerade Ball

Fancy clothes, a ball, and masked guests . . . what more could you ask for in a party?! Ask for your guests to dress in Great Gatsby attire or in the colors and style of the Mardi Gras.

Not only can you celebrate in all of your finery with all of your closest friends and family around, you can throw a bash filled with dancing, champagne, and surprises, starting with the amazing announcement of your engagement.

Cooking Class

For a couple of foodies, hosting a cooking class for all of your guests is the perfect choice. All of your guests will have fun, learn a few new things, and will actually be cooking their own food for the party.

Host the party at a local culinary school or even your favorite restaurant. Choose some of the couple’s favorite dishes for everyone to create; preferably an appetizer, an entrée, and an amazing dessert. You could even split the guests up into smaller groups to each tackle one of the choices for the menu, and recipe cards could be provided for all of the guests to take home at the end of the event.

Movie-Theme

This is a no-brainer. Of course you host this shindig at a movie theatre, by why not go all the way and set up an outdoor movie theatre with a large screen set-up just over a grassy hill for guests to lounge.

Send all of your guests a movie ticket invitation, and make it a romantic evening for couples and families complete with champagne, movie style foods (nachos, popcorn, and tons of sweet treats), and the couple’s favorite movie.

For a little bit of fun, show a black-and-white silent of your courtship to entertain your guests.

Rooftop Shindig

For this theme wouldn’t a rooftop view from the top of a skyscraper or restaurant by perfect? You could even take the top floor suite of a tall hotel building allowing you to have a protected view of the entire city around you.

Go for a James Bond theme and think elegance, extravagance and alcohol. Request your guests come in black tie, Cover all of your cocktail tables in black linens, have waiters passing hors d’oeuvres, and serve plenty of champagne. Candlelight, candlelight, and more candlelight will be the perfect finishing touch to your incredible event.

Traditional Family Dinner

For many couples, having friends and family around a big table is enough for them. Have a big family dinner complete with old family classics, or even just the couple’s favorite family dishes.

You could even make it a potluck with everyone bringing their favorites. Make sure to include a nice salad and some bread for everyone. What better way to say join us for a nice family get together, than to include a nice recipe with your party invites.

And wrap it up with some great classic desserts, and a fun drink to toast the newly engaged couple.

Mexican Fiesta

What better way to celebrate than with fajitas, margaritas, and a mariachi band!

Decorate your event with bright, festive colors, paper lanterns, cutout banners, and bright colored flowers. You could cover each of your tables in a different colored tablecloth, fill Mexican hot sauce bottles with fiery-colored blooms, offer a taco bar complete with different flavors of salsa, sour cream and guacamole, and even have a margarita machine with different types of fruits for your guests to top their drinks.

Chocolate and Champagne

This would be a great idea for a cocktail party. Schedule it late at night, after everyone’s already had dinner, and you can surprise them with an amazing late night treat.

Have a desert buffet, or chocolate bar, filled with all of your favorites. You could feature great desserts like petit fours and mini fruit tarts, feature a lush and decadent chocolate bar loaded with everything from brownies and tons of different chocolate candies, to chocolate sauces for chocolate ice cream and hot chocolate.

Why leave the decadence to the desserts? Offer you guests a variety of extra dessert-time drink options like a coffee, espresso or even a tea bar, with hot chocolate and apple cider. And don’t forget to provide favor bags and scoops ready so guests can take home any leftover treats.

Buttoned-Up BBQ

This is one of my favorites! Red checkered tablecloths, lemonade, sweet tea, and amazing food slathered with bbq sauce. Depending on the size of your party, you could enlist several men (or women handy with a grill) to bring and man their grills for the party, or hire a professional service with a smoker to serve everyone.

Offer chicken, brisket, pulled pork, and sausage with fantastic classic sides like baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad and coleslaw. If you’re not one for paper plates and plastic silverware, there’s no need to use them. Bring out your nice plates or rent some fine china from your local rental facility.

Hang lanterns, serve cold beer, and play fun, upbeat music. Make this the shindig of the century!

Beach Clambake

For those in the East, this is akin to a down South BBQ! Host a fun clambake on the beach, or even fry up some fish for everyone! Ask everyone to bring a classic clambake favorite like corn on the cob, bruschetta, watermelon, beer or root beer.

Create a bonfire as the lights go down and offer up pillows and beach blankets to lay out in the sand around the fire as everyone visits and shares in the party atmosphere through the evening.

Finish off your festive event with S’mores for everyone and send your guests home with a reminder of the fabulous evening; a small bag of salt water taffy.

Fantastic Brunch

For this fantastic event, throw a garden party in a beautiful location. Maybe you know of a beautiful lakeside pavilion, a Japanese garden, a country club garden room with a view, or you can even toss up an elegant tent on some beautiful grounds.

A brunch is a great mixture of breakfast and lunch, not too early that it’s breakfast time, but not so late that it’s lunchtime. Ask everyone to wear their Sunday best, decorate in light pastel colors with tons of gorgeous greenery, and offer a delectable fare of different quiches, homemade granolas, and fruit-flavored pancakes.

You could even hire someone to make fresh omelets, and French toast for your guests. Offer mimosas, bellinis, the classic orange juice, and of course, champagne.

Surprise Party

This is as traditional as it gets. Many of the first engagement parties were thrown specifically so that the father of the bride could announce his daughter’s engagement. The big news was never spread by the couple, and especially never by the bride herself.

Send out invites simply asking everyone to a fun get together for all of your loved ones. Invite everyone together for dinner, a bbq, or other good reason for everyone to come without knowing the true reasoning behind it. Announce the news in grand fashion. A big toast always works well.

Whatever you do, this is the first real celebration of your engagement with all of your friends and family. Whether you are the one planning it for yourself, or you are a generous friend or family member doing it for the bride and groom, make it special.

A theme usually makes a plain event where everyone gathers for food and drink, just like a boring office luncheon, into a real party. Colorful tablecloths, fun lighting, party favors, and an elegant meal setup with make your engagement party on to be talked about with fond memories. With great food, great music, great company, and scrumptious edibles, you can’t possibly go wrong!

For even more ideas for your party, check out some of the other great articles I've written, such as Fun Ideas for Your Engagement Party, Fun Bridal Shower Themes for Your Wedding, and Amazing Themes for Your Wedding.