Choosing An Engagement Party Theme - Polka Dot Wedding (2024)

Getting engaged is an unforgettable milestone in one’s life. Celebrating this occasion with loved ones is a special experience. No matter how or where you got engaged, it will always hold a dear place in your heart. My destination-inspired engagement party serves as an inspiration to create your own unique celebration, whether it was a beach proposal, a jungle excursion, a proposal atop the Eiffel Tower, or an intimate moment at home. An engagement is a once-in-a-lifetime moment that deserves a celebration of its own.

I’m Coral, the co-founder of Coral & Co., and I recently organized my engagement party inspired by my romantic proposal location – the stunning Bali. My party theme, ‘Resort Luxe,’ captured the essence of the location and added to the overall charm of the celebration. So here are my top tips on how to choose a theme for your engagement party for The Planning Issue!

Pay Homage To Your Engagement Destination

For instance, my Resort-Luxe engagement party theme was inspired by the location of my romantic proposal in Bali. I created a mood board with muted olive green, sunset orange, tobacco brown, marigold, and powder blue to evoke elegance in sunny locations. You can do the same by incorporating elements from your engagement destination into your party decor. You can incorporate elements from that location or create a theme that symbolizes that memory. Take inspiration from my party – I set my theme as a tribute to the location of my proposal. If you got engaged in Italy, consider creating an Isle of Capri theme with lemon decorations and stunning Italian features. Similarly, if you got engaged in Iceland, why not host your party at an ice bar?

Reflect On Your Interests

Take some time to consider the activities you and your partner enjoy doing together. Maybe you share a love for a specific hobby, have a mutual passion for travel, or enjoy a particular type of cuisine. Your engagement party theme should be a reflection of your personalities and interests.

Choose A Colour Scheme

Consider selecting a colour scheme that aligns with the mood you want to create. Soft hues like pastel pinks or lavenders can help create a romantic ambience, while bright and bold colours can create a more energetic atmosphere. If you and your partner have favourite colours, consider combining them to create a unique and personalized colour palette. Alternatively, if you both support a sports team, you could incorporate their jersey colours into your theme.

Take The Season Into Consideration

It is important to choose a theme that aligns with the season in which you are celebrating your engagement. For instance, if you are having an engagement party in the summer, a beach or garden theme would be perfect to complement the warm weather. Alternatively, you could also recreate the season in which you got engaged to bring back those special memories.

Consider Your Venue

Your choice of venue can help guide your theme. If you’re hosting your party at a vineyard, you could incorporate wine-related elements into your theme. Similarly, if you choose a beach or waterfront venue, you can incorporate nautical or coastal elements into your theme. Look for unique features or elements in your venue that can inspire your theme, as I did with the azure tiles at The Running Postman in Camberwell, which helped to elevate my Resort-Luxe theme.

Embrace A Specific Era

Consider using a specific era as your theme. Perhaps you both love the music and style of the 70s, so you could incorporate disco balls and funky prints into your décor. Alternatively, a 1920s Great Gatsby theme would be perfect for a black-tie event, complete with Art Deco accents and champagne towers.

Consider Your Food & Drinks

Your theme should be reflected in the food and drinks you serve. For example, if you have a beach theme, you could serve tropical co*cktails with little umbrellas or fresh seafood platters. If you have a winter wonderland theme, you could serve hot chocolate with marshmallows or mulled wine.

Incorporate Your Favourite Flower

If you have a favourite flower, you can use it as a centrepiece for your theme. For example, if you love roses, you can incorporate them into the decor, invitations, and even the food. I opted for a unique approach for my engagement party, steering away from the traditional tropical florals. Instead, I incorporated Asian fruits such as jackfruit, which was a delightful nod to Bali, and used single-stem flowers and a jaw-dropping arrangement to add a touch of luxury.

Let Your Outfit Inspire Your Theme

While it may not be directly related to the styling of the event, finding the perfect outfit is one of the best parts of any celebration. If you have a dream outfit that you wish to wear to your engagement party, then let it inspire your theme. Build your colour palette and styling around it to make it shine even more and ensure that you feel fabulous on your special day.

Planning and styling an event provides an opportunity to unleash your creativity, express yourself, and relive one of the most special moments while celebrating the feeling. So, let your imagination run wild and have fun planning your event! Happy party planning!

AboutCoral & Co. Events: I always had a knack for planning – organising never felt like a chore! It made sense to me to take advantage of my personal traits and passions and turn them into a career.Coral & Co. Eventswas conceptualised in the midst of COVID – you could call it my COVID baby! With events being non-existent, I had a lot of downtime in lockdown but used the time to build and launch my dream business. I count myself lucky that I had the opportunity to buildCoral & Co., and be my own boss, and now I cannot imagine it any other way!

Embracing my own personal style and planner personality, I wanted to offer a unique planning experience for all couples in the wedding industry. My focus being creating personalised experiences, and ensuring each event has a point of difference.