Your ultimate engagement party checklist

You’ve said yes and shared the news – you’re officially engaged! Now it’s time to celebrate. An engagement party is the perfect way to kick off the celebrations and the start of your wedding journey. 

Whether you’re planning a casual backyard bash or a chic cocktail night, having a checklist can make the process smooth and stress-free. Although traditionally, one of your parents would host an engagement party for you, more couples are taking the reins and doing it themselves. Here’s how to make sure you don’t leave anything out during your engagement party planning.

The ultimate engagement party checklist

Setting a date

One trap many couples fall into is not setting a date for their engagement party when they first get engaged. Of course, we want you to be able to enjoy the bliss of newly-engaged life. But booking it in advance is wise to ensure your nearest and dearest can be there. This also gives your suppliers — whether a caterer or venue — enough time to accommodate.

Just engaged? We’ve got you covered – here’s a checklist of the to-do list!

The guest list

Before you choose a venue, it’s important to know how many people you need to accommodate. Are you inviting your entire extended family? Will it just be for close family and friends?

Remember that your engagement party doesn’t need to dictate who will be invited to your wedding. This may have been the case in the past, but modern couples are changing the way they plan weddings and throwing the rulebook out the window.

If you want your engagement party to be on the smaller side, that’s completely fine! Or maybe you’d like to plan a big engagement party that turns into a surprise wedding! Do what you want to do to celebrate with your favourite people. It’s your day, your way.

Decide on a theme

A strict theme is not essential, but the general vibe of the engagement party can help you decide on catering, time of day and dress code.

Whether you choose a fun theme like a garden party, a white party, or a chic cocktail vibe, having a loose theme makes planning easier and the event feel more intentional. Choose something that reflects your style as a couple and sets the tone for your upcoming wedding celebrations.

Be inspired by wedding themes to choose your engagement party theme.

Choose catering

Engagement parties don’t need to be fully catered or a formal sit-down affair. You can hold a casual barbecue in the backyard or serve finger sandwiches, quiches, and other homemade treats. If you’re hosting your engagement party at a venue, there are still decisions to be made. You’ll need to decide if you’re having a sit-down dinner or a cocktail party with roaming canapes. Choosing food and drink can seem like an easy task, but with a plethora of options as well as dietary restrictions, party theme and budget, there can be limitations to what you can serve up.

Need ideas for food and bev? Here’s some catering trends for 2025.

Organise the decor and atmosphere

You don’t need to go all-out, but a few personal touches make a difference — fairy lights, florals, candles, or even framed photos of your relationship so far. Music (a playlist or live entertainment) also sets the vibe.

Follow Easy Weddings on IG for daily inspo!

Choose the perfect soundtrack

The music at any gathering is important to set the right tone for the event. If you’re planning a classy high-tea engagement party, you may choose some classical music to match. On the other hand, if all you want is a fun, upbeat, lively celebration, curating a playlist of your favourite tunes or even hiring a DJ for the event wouldn’t go amiss.

Capturing the memories

Savouring the memories of your engagement party is not only fun, but it’s important! You may pop a few disposable cameras around for that iconic, early 2000s feel. Or maybe you’d like to hire a photo booth for extra fun and entertainment! If you’d like a few quality shots you can cherish for years to come, hiring a photographer or asking your mate with his trusty camera to get a few shots in, is never a bad idea.

Still a little unsure about what’s involved in an engagement party? We’ve tackled some of the most common questions.

Engagement party checklist and FAQs

Who pays for the engagement party?

If we venture into traditions; the bride’s parents host and cover costs. But with the wedding around the corner and the cost of living crisis, this rule is out the window.

These days, it’s common for couples to host their own engagement party, or for both sets of parents or even close friends to chip in. It really comes down to what works best for your situation and budget — just make sure everyone involved is clear on expectations from the start.

Need to have a budget chat? This might help!

When do you have an engagement party?

Engagement parties are for just that – to celebrate the engagement. It’s normally within one to three months after the proposal. However, some couples will wait longer if they’re having a lengthy engagement. There’s no rush; things like venue and catering availability as well as family members being able to attend can also dictate the date. Choose a date that gives you (and your guests) time to prepare without stress.

Who gets invited to an engagement party?

This isn’t the wedding, so it’s usually smaller and more intimate than those hosting a traditionally big bash. Close friends and family are the norm. However, with microweddings on the rise, engagement parties have been the time to get everyone together and have a smaller, more intimate wedding. 

Our general rule is if your wedding guest list isn’t final yet, it’s best to keep the engagement party list tight. 

Looking to have a microwedding? You’re not alone!

Do guests bring gifts to an engagement party?

Gifts aren’t expected, but many guests will bring a little something to celebrate — like a bottle of wine, flowers, or a card. Some couples create a small registry or link to one if guests ask, but it’s totally optional. If you’d prefer no gifts, just mention it politely on the invitation.