Whether it’s your own engagement or your sister’s, an engagement party today do need a lot of preparation, planning and execution. Your engagement is not only the first step towards a union of you two, but also it is the first official ceremony where you announce and celebrate your life’s biggest decision – to become each other’s forever. Your engagement is the ceremony where you share the love and warmth you feel for each other with your close friends and family.
An engagement holds special place in Indian system. Earlier, few months before the wedding a small or maybe big function is organized by the two families to announce their kid’s loving union. In an engagement only few close friends and family people are united. Sometimes people prefer to keep it very, very plain and intimate and hence do it with the family members only.
However, these day’s things have changed a lot. Choices and preferences have changed a lot. Couples are looking forward to exclusive engagement parties now, they just don’t want to settle in less. For them their engagement is equally important as their wedding and other celebration.
The first thing which matters the most to have a perfect engagement ceremony is your location. Yes, location matters. Whether it is going to be an intimate family event or a big fat engagement. Irrespective of how you want your engagement ceremony to look. Your location is very important. Choose a venue as per your budget, theme, story, and personal choice. Here are 12 fun engagement party ideas for all the couples, which will add gusto, pep, color and a whole lot of fun to your celebration, making your engagement an overall unforgettable event!
1. The Historical Twist
Gone are the days when engagement only meant exchange of rings, now is the time when couples demand more. For all those couples, how about organizing an engagement party with a historical twist in it? The one that is set in a medieval theme? May be Victorian England style, or in the style of Nizaams of Hyderabad or in any other ways you are looking your engagement to be, by adding a historical twist to your engagement party in the form of costumes, decor, and delicacies and wine, you can really bring out the best from your guests. This can be one of the perfect ways to celebrate your big decision with your loved ones and an excellent and memorable occasion to announce your plans for the future with all of them.
Believe me, even your guests will be mesmerized with the pomp and show of your engagement party. You will set a fine example for the ones who are going to be engaged soon in future.
2. Get Nostalgic – Relive your romantic moments
If yours is going to be a love marriage then definitely you must have many memories of your romantic journey in the past. Why not to relive all those romantic moments of your life by simply getting engaged in the same place where you two met for the first time or may be in the place where he proposed you on his knees. How about the local diner which was your regular hangout spot or maybe that tucked-away Suburban Park where you used to meet? How about the place where you spent most of your romantic days just to add the spice to your engagement. Let others also know the romantic story behind your union and the places where you spent most of your time with each other.
This can be a great way to make the engagement party memorable by having organized at one of your favorite spots where you had spent most of your romantic time together. The vibes that were shared by both of you will also be felt by the guests. The perfect idea for all the love birds for whom every detail related to their relationship matters. A memorable moment for those who are not afraid of sharing their nostalgia with their close ones by exchanging the diamonds at that very place where their heart met and all the magic began!
Also Read: Who to Invite to an Engagement Party?
3. Go – Cruise it!
Like love has no limit similarly your engagement party should have no limitation. Another fantastic idea for getting engaged is to go on cruise with all your loved one and friends to celebrate your big day and announce it to the world that YES you two are meant for each other. All you have to do is to make a list of guest who all you are planning to invite. Book a romantic cruise for the party. Prepare for your big day well in advance. Pack your bags for the romantic cruise for your perfect celebration that comes with a breathtaking view of the ocean. You will leave your guests spellbound. If you think you are an adventurous couple by heart then this is the perfect engagement idea for you to announce your love for each other officially as you all sail across the vast blue seas.
4. Engagement by Pool side!
Summers and the party by pool side is too much fun all in all. Have you ever thought of organizing your engagement by the pool side? Well, if not then summers are here and you have plenty of time to organize your dream engagement party by pool side. And believe me, this is going to be the coolest ring ceremony in your entire family. An intimate family event with few close family members and friends will make your engagement a memorable event for one and all. Not just that, in fact exchanging rings by a pool venue will also give you some of the best engagement pictures which you will cherish all your life. For such an engagement all you have to do is book a pool side venue for your engagement.
You can also have some quirky signboards and decor at the venue just for complementing the entire ambiance. And yeah, do not wait for long as everyone in summer wants to get engaged in some unique way and what else could be more unique than the pool side engagement. You and your guests will have lot of fun in the party! ☺ ☺
5. The Traditional Way
If you are pure Indian by heart and want your engagement party also in the same way then going for the traditional Indian way for your engagement is the best way for you two. Yeah, there are people who like everything in Desi style i.e., pure Indian style… It has fun of its own and nothing can compete that fun all in all. In traditional Indian way all you need to do is organize an engagement party in a hall or maybe if you have a big house which can accommodate all the engagement guests then your house, or some local hotel in your city can do.
Preparations start few weeks before which includes shopping and other arrangements. Set up will start a night before as the Mehndi artist will come to apply mehndi to the girl or bride to be, tent and chairs will be arranged, Caterers will be set to prepare all the Indian delicacies and sweets for the event. The couple will wear some vibrant ethnic Indian dresses including all the other in attendance. A DJ with Bollywood song collection and few dance performances by the family members and you two are set to exchange the rings…… It holds charm of its own… For all the Die hard DESIs out there this is the best way to celebrate their engagement!
6. Any time is the right time!
Your engagement doesn’t need to be strictly confined to any time of the day. Pick a date when everyone is available, and have an excellent itinerary, that is all needed. You can organize an early-ish breakfast or brunch by the poolside or late night barbeque accompanied by your friend’s harmonies on the guitar. Time is not a constraint as long as you believe you two are perfectly meant for each other. Though there are some who go by Indian muhurat for exchanging their engagement rings but that’s not an issue either. You can get muhurat for any time of the day and accordingly you can organize your engagement party without any hassle. Enjoy!
7. Go overseas for your engagement
Yeah, it’s not just for the wedding couples are preferring to go overseas in fact now a days couples are going overseas for even their engagements. It is not just destination wedding but destination engagements are also a new idea to unveil in truly spectacular fashion. There are a number of options you can opt for your engagement overseas – from the classy resorts and lavish hotels of London to the mesmerizing vineyards across the European mainland, Costa Rica to Greece, Fijian Island to Cape Town, and there are a lot of options available.
All you need to do is pick your favorite spot, book the venue there, make all the arrangements and the rest will be history, people will talk about it even for years to come. If budget is not a constraint and you have always wanted to celebrate your big decision with your close people in some foreign destination then nothing can be better than celebrating your engagement party at some international location.
8. In the lap of nature
Your engagement date is near and you still don’t know how to arrange and where to arrange the party for your guests. Worry not! The best you can do is to explore your surroundings first. There could be many possibilities near your surroundings too. For an instance if you live close to a beautiful mountain or a river, or a lake or a lush green meadow, you can make perfect use of such beautiful gifts of nature and can organize a truly memorable engagement party, making it unforgettable for one and all.
If you don’t have any such surrounding but still you are a nature-loving couple, you can always arrange engagement on an outdoor setting like a lawn, garden, lakeside, or a nature park in your city or maybe outstation. And celebrate your day amidst fresh air, green surroundings, chirping birds and burbling streams… and get engaged in the lap of nature for a fresh beginning! To make it more fun you can even arrange for some tents outside and the campfire to have a perfect engagement night afterwards with all your loved ones in the lap of the nature. Arrange some tents, a couple blankets, a picnic basket or two, food and wine, some music, friends and family and the right spirits to get going.
9. The Star effect
Here is to those who want to make their engagement a plush and a niche, a star like event. For those who have always wished to get engaged in a VIP style, just like celebrities do in their lives. Nothing could be better than having a red carpet rolled across the entrance all the way till the stage in the rented out hall or complex, with luxurious interiors, classy decorations and gourmet food. All that will definitely add a celebrity touch to your engagement party.
10. Perfect Engagement Party in Courtyard
If yours is going to a small family event or an intimate celebration, then organizing your Ring ceremony in an open courtyard will be the perfect idea to begin your new status. Just send invites to the ones you think your big day will not complete without, beautify the area by flower decorations, making rangoli and you can also use drapes for an aesthetic touch. Also, you can arrange for the colorful floor seating for adding a traditional touch and an informal vibe to your engagement.
You will get some best pictures from the day for sure which you will cherish all your life. Also, you can arrange for few fun games for your guests, like passing the parcel or musical chair or maybe age-old traditional game of songs Antakshari for one and all. So that none of your guests gets bore in the event and your day will be memorable for each one in attendance.
11. Engagement in some other town
Well, most of the couples are working and barely get time to have big celebrations all they have is weekend to celebrate their engagement. The best way for such couples is to plan an engagement trip to some other location in some other town. An out of town engagement celebrations are gaining popularity these days just like destination weddings. Depending on your choice of location, and the engagement theme, you can either book a beach resort, forest bungalow or a palace resort for the weekend. Perfect idea to get engaged in style, away from the city’s deafening crowd.
12. Keep it simply simple
Different people have different ideas for their engagements and weddings. Few couples don’t like too much of pompous on their weddings leave about their engagement ceremony. And there is no problem in just keeping things simple at least for the couples who like that way. Sometimes their way can be the better way to achieve the most enjoyable and memorable result. One can simply organize for an intimate party within the themes of love and romance, using beautiful candles, live poetry, a live guitar performance, simple music in the background, for their romance, in any place of their choice and preference with fountains, balloons and, of course, the sumptuous dine and wine.
Other Aspects of Engagement
Above mentioned are few best engagement ideas this season. However, it is not necessary always to go lavish for having fun in your ring ceremony. There are so many things which you can do it on your own to give that spice to your engagement making it full of fun and enjoyment for all your guests. These days DIY trend is very common (if at all you have time for all this), or otherwise you can simply choose an engagement theme and ask your decorator for improvising it creatively. Below are some aspects to help you incorporate your engagement theme…
1. Color Coordination
There are many colors but which one suits your personality matters the most. So, choose a color of your love I mean the one which you two like and can associate with your story, for your engagement and you can get as creative as you want to be. Also, you can take inspiration from Pinterest or from various online sights to make your engagement as colorful as you want.
2. Engagement Menu
The food menu or serving style at your engagement can be customized according to the theme of your engagement party. For an instance if yours is going to be a pool-themed ring ceremony, so better you choose easy and quick bites. Also, you can keep mocktails, coolers and fresh juices ready for the guests. Whereas, if you are going for a royal-themed engagement, then you know serving drinks in Shaahi ‘Surai’ will be the most royal style at your engagement.
3. Engagement Decoration
Either you can be creative yourself or can hire a decorator for a thematic decor for your engagement. For an instance, if you are going for a Bollywood theme party, you can use posters and cut-outs of actors, giving it an absolute Filmy Touch…… ☺ ☺ For all the bollywood addict couples
4. Your Attires
Your attires should also go with your theme, like if you chose a beach theme for your engagement party then just go with the flow to make your engagement more fun. Then dressing up with tiaras or sporting shades of olive and a bandana on the beach will suit you two perfectly at your engagement!
The other preparations of your engagement
Beside the theme, decor, color and outfit the most important thing is engagement ring. For that you need to consider many other elements such as the type of engagement ring, the sizes, where to buy from, and how to choose the right kind. Then there are invites to be sent and before that prepared and arranging for other necessary items for your engagement. Here are some quick insights…..
1. Go Shopping Together
The best advice for getting a perfect engagement ring is to shop together. Yes, it is always advisable that the couple should shop for their engagement rings together so tomorrow there is no problem in size, design and other details of the ring. That is the way you can save yourself from the stress of getting wrong size or maybe an old design which your girl may not like.
2. Get The Perfect Muhurath
Well, many couples do not go by muhurat on their engagements but still there are some who consider muhurat an important aspect of their engagement. Ask your family Pandit or an astrologer to give you some date and time for your ring ceremony. The moment you have the auspicious time and date with your, you can start preparing for your engagement.
3. Send Smart Invites
Gone are the days when people used to send card for inviting people, now is the time to send smart invites to your guests. You can also use smart and creative ways for inviting your guests for engagement. Like by sending them a personalized video invites or may be a whatsapp invite created artistically. You can do a lot for inviting smart… Try anything which best suits you!
4. Arrange the necessary items
In some traditions, the engagement ceremony is started by Puja and Aarti. So make all the arrangements beforehand and arrange every necessary item needed for the ceremony.
5. Book Your Vendors
If yours is going to be a lavish engagement party then of course you will need to book your vendors such as Decorators, Caterer, Hair & Make-up artist, Photographer… Make sure you book all your engagement vendors well in advance for a smooth sail.
6. Presentation of your Ring
While presenting your rings you can go creative, traditional, contemporary, romantic or peculiar. Choose your ring ceremony tray in sync with your theme, color coordination, your choice and personal style. You can try from traditional silver trays with embellishments to floral decorated trays, DIY trays or trays with personal image collages on it, or Thematic trays (e.g. Bollywood, Forest, Comics characters etc.)
The Fun Element!
Fun is the most important element everyone seeks in any event. Since, everything is taken care already it is the time to make some arrangement for making your engagement ceremony a party filled with music, dance, performances, laughter, fun and the beautiful memories. Here are some ideas for that…
1. First Dance
Gone are the days when couples used to be shy, now couples want to explore anything and everything for making their event best and memorable. The first dance is a must for your engagement party! Make sure you two practice your first couple dance with your choreographer, and present a smashing dance performance on your engagement night.
2. Right Songs
Prepare your playlist well in advance. Also, make sure you consult with your DJ to set the mood right. You can make your song playlist any which ways it can be with all latest hits or the combination of old and new, giving opportunity to oldies also to give their stage performance at the event.
3. Hit Click
These days people arrange a photo-booth for their guests be it a pool side party or an event in the courtyard. It is to let everyone have some fun times together and capture those moments in your engagement album.
4. Rain Dance by Pool Side
The perfect dance for a pool party engagement, let your guests perform their best and you two dazzle the floor with your fabulous couple dance. Go childish at your engagement too, let the child in you come out and have all the fun. After all, it is the beginning of a new journey of two people.
To conclude…
Your engagement is the most important event of your life and to make it more special use any of the fun ideas mentioned above. Have a lot of fun and let your guests too enjoy each moment of your special day to the fullest.
Enjoy and have lots of fun at your engagement with your loved ones!! ☺ ☺