How to Decorate for an Engagement Party

Decorating is one of the quickest and easiest ways you can completely transform an engagement party venue from boring to breathtaking. With decorations, you'll be creating a festive atmosphere for the party and giving guests a visual feast they'll remember long after they leave.

Instructions

Decorate for an Engagement Party

1. Contact the venue where you're holding the engagement party to ask about your decorating options. While there will probably be little to no problems if the event is held at a private home, a restaurant or public park may not allow you to decorate.

2. Choose a theme for your engagement party and then decorate accordingly. You may want to choose a city theme, such as London or Paris, or an activity, such as going to the theatre. You may even want a party with cultural elements, such as a Hawaiian or Mexican theme.

3. Decorate inexpensively with streamers, balloons and confetti. There are several different styles of decorating materials that can be used for either weddings or engagement parties.

4. Go for a romantic look with traditional red, white and black. You might purchase black tablecloths adorned with red roses and crystal candleholders topped with white candles. This is a great look for upscale glamorous parties, but may not work well with informal get-togethers.

5. Decide on semi-formal place settings or disposable plates and utensils. While setting your tables with chargers, cloth napkins and the good silverware can be charming and elegant, disposable place settings may be less stressful.

6. Remember finishing touches can help set the right mood. You definitely don't want to overlook inexpensive decorating items, such as music, candles and even photographs of the happy couple.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy your decorations well in advance, especially for a late spring or early summer wedding. Since this is traditionally the time of year when most people get married, getting your decorations early may give you the best selection of materials possible.

• You may want to look for decorations you can use again for another party, or which you would use in your own home on a regular basis. This may help you better swallow the often expensive cost of decorating.

• Consider the colors very carefully. Some couples prefer to use decorations in the same hues as the wedding colors. However, if you decide to go this route, you may find the effect of your colors is greatly diminished by the time your wedding rolls around.

• If you decide to use candles as decorations, monitor them frequently throughout the night to make sure they're not accidentally tipped over or accessible to small children.