Engagement Party Checklist: Everything to Book 6 Weeks Out

They say that planning an engagement party provides a bit of a teaser into what it’ll be like to plan your wedding. The planning methods that you use (like checklists, group chats, communication processes, etc.), can help provide you with a blueprint for preparing for the big day, no matter whether you’re hoping to have an intimate ceremony in your favourite parklands, or a big destination wedding.

But thankfully, planning an engagement party definitely doesn’t take as long as wedding prep. If you’ve just gotten engaged, however, and you’re still enjoying the glowy, excited phase before you dive into spreadsheeting and cold calling, then start with this guide. Here’s our tried and tested 6-week checklist for engagement party planning.

How long does it take to plan an engagement party?

Whilst it generally takes most couples about 6-8 weeks to plan an engagement party, your party planning timeline is largely dependent on the scale of your celebration and the size of your guest list.

If you’re looking to keep your engagement party more informal or intimate, you might find that this 6-week checklist we’ve prepared below looks a little more condensed for you. That’s fine, because most of the tasks we’ve included below still need to be checked off on your own timeline. Simply adjust those to-do items on your own timeline as needed!

Engagement party planning: 6 week timeline

6 weeks to go – Outline venue, date, budget, guest list and invitations

First things first, you’ll want to set a date and pick a venue for your engagement party. If you’ve had a venue in mind for a while, then now is the time to call them up and snag your booking nice and early. This applies to both traditional venue spaces as well as gardens (i.e. if you wanted to hire a marquee and set up an al fresco engagement party).

With your venue booking finalised and date set, you can also whip up your guest list and send out invitations. Physical invitations can be a great memento in much the same way that wedding invitations are. Just be mindful, however, of the risk of postage delays. As engagement party planning has a shorter timeline than wedding planning, a delayed arrival of a party invitation can put a spanner in the works for finalising attendee numbers promptly (i.e. with your venue and with your caterers, for instance). This is why engagement party invitations are generally better off being digital – just to be safe.

5 weeks to go – Confirm caterers, photographers, entertainment, etc.

If you’ve gotten plenty of RSVPs returned promptly, then you’re all set to confirm estimated attendance numbers with your catering team! Your caterers may be provided by your venue space, or they may be entirely third party providers, in which case you may need to look into renting dinner and glassware to accommodate all estimated attendees. If this is looking like it’ll be an item on your to-do list, then it’s best to finalise these logistical arrangements earlier rather than later.

With 5 weeks out, however, it isn’t all just plates and tables and chairs – now is also the ideal time to contact event photographers and party entertainers! Want a DJ or a live band? Then get those bookings finalised right now.

And if you’re planning an outdoor party, just over a month out is also an ideal time to secure any event permits you may need. This is one logistical item that’s all too easily forgotten when it comes to backyard marquee events with attendee lists over a specific figure, depending on local council regulations. We advise you to check with your local council to determine whether you’ll need to apply for an event permit.

4 weeks to go – Finetune themed styling and decor

Did you decide on a theme back when you were prepping your invitations? Well now it’s time to secure all the decor and partyware that you need to align your event with that theme.

Your engagement party theme can be inspired by your venue. For instance, if you’re hosting your engagement party in a garden, then you can definitely do a fancy ‘High Tea’ theme and request your guests don garden party attire.

Or your engagement party theme can also be a soft launch of your wedding theme! If you’re keen on a country wedding theme for instance, you can decorate your engagement party with some polished rustic accents to introduce your guests to the ideal aesthetic for your upcoming nuptials.

Pro tip: if you’re not yet sure what your ideal engagement party theme is, then check out our top outdoor event trends for the year, where you can find some of the top trending themes to help elevate your shindig.

3 weeks to go – Chase up all pending RSVPs for final catering numbers

With less than a month to go, now is the time to chase up all straggling RSVPs and set numbers in stone with your venue and your catering team.

There’s not much else to say or do about this to-do item, except that if it’s too difficult chasing up some of the guests that are yet to RSVP, then don’t hesitate to lean on your support network. Your friends and family can help put the pressure on any guests that are yet to confirm so you don’t need to be juggling all of the comms yourself.

2 weeks to go – Engagement party outfits and finer details

At this point with just a fortnight to go, all RSVPs should be in, and all logistical considerations ironed out which only leaves one thing: your outfits! Engagement party outfits are always fun and provide a great opportunity to be just a touch extravagant if that’s your preference.

For brides-to-be, you’ll want to pick out something that’s drop-dead gorgeous and makes you the centre of the celebration. And for grooms, you can never go wrong with a classy understated look that pairs perfectly with your partner.

Of course, outfits that are also ready for the dance floor are an absolute must! So be sure to take most of this week to find the perfect outfit that’ll help you hit all the right notes, so to speak. Plus, seasonal considerations are always wise, as is the case with any event planning checklist. If your engagement party is being hosted outdoors, then you’ll need to make sure your party outfits are weather appropriate as well.

1 week to go – Final confirmations, event run sheet with staff

With just a week left to go, logistical gears must begin to grind yet again, this time with orchestrating final arrangements and confirmations with your venue, entertainment, caterers, and all other anticipated event staff.

It can be worthwhile prepping rundowns with all staff to ensure check-in and check-out + pack-up times are all finalised. These details are essential if you’re managing a fixed time booking with a dedicated venue space, as you may be charged extra by your venue for any delays with pack-up.

Hosting at home? Then enjoy the marquee advantage

And there you have it – a complete 6-week checklist for all the items you’ll be ticking off during your engagement party planning process. As you can see, engagement party planning can take a bit of work, but the hard yards you put in now can pay off in as little as 6 weeks, when you get to celebrate your happy news with your friends, family, and loved ones and build anticipation for your wedding day.

But if you’d prefer to put all your planning energy towards your wedding rather than your engagement party, then that’s fine too! In fact, that’s what marquees are here for! With a marquee hire, you can celebrate your engagement party virtually anywhere, and enjoy quick and easy set-up and pack-up so you can spend more time boogying down rather than fretting over logistics.

If you want your engagement party to be memorable and low-maintenance, then let our passionate events team here at Marquee Monkeys help you out. Call 1300 934 414 or leave us a message at info@marqueemonkeys.com.au to inquire about booking one of our marquees for your engagement party.