The chicest engagement party dresses for fashion-forward fiancées (2024)

FAQs

What to wear to an engagement party in 2024? ›

You might wanna go for a short and sweet dress, try something with long sleeves, go boho, or take inspo from some of your fave celebs. Remember, an engagement party dress doesn't have to be plain white - in fact, it could be any colour at all.

Bride: Typically, an engagement party involves a co*cktail hour, so a nice engagement party dress or pants and a cute blouse work perfectly no matter the location. Everyone will be looking at your engagement ring so use a less-is-more approach to accessorizing and have a bit more fun with your beauty look.

What Colors to Wear for Engagement Photos. Neutral colors usually photograph best, as they don't usually clash too hard with anything. But neutral doesn't have to mean 50 shades of beige – it can also be forest green, navy blue, mustard yellow, or maroon. Pastels and lighter colors are great too!

For daytime or more laid-back engagement parties, you can keep it casual with a linen or cotton jumpsuit with some fun accessories (try layering a denim jacket!) —whereas for an evening or more formal engagement party, you'd want to go with a sleeker cut, fabric, and style. A suit.

There's no set engagement party etiquette on this, but here is our advice: Keep it small- to medium-sized. You don't need to include everyone who will be on your wedding guest list. Keep the party intimate and special by inviting your closest friends and family members to raise a glass to your impending nuptials.

(Or send early enough in advance before they have plans.) Weekend evenings (Friday or Saturday) are preferred, so most guests won't have to work the next day. Set a start and end time, so engagement party guests know when to arrive and depart, typically a two to four-hour window.

Traditionally the engagement party is hosted by the bride's parents, but can also be given by friends of the bride and groom, or other relatives. Yes, you can have two or more parties; one for relatives and family friends, for instance, and another for your own friends.

Traditional Engagement Party Dresses

White on white on white is what every bride thinks when she gets engaged! This is YOUR time to shine. Head-to-toe and with a ring on your finger to let everyone know you're the lady of the hour and that they need to save the date!

The topic of money can be touchy, and no one wants to inadvertently offend. Traditionally, the breakdown of expenses was very clear: The bride's family paid for the groom's ring, engagement party, the wedding and reception, a brunch the next day, and a belated reception (if there was one).

Women should never wear white dresses to anything wedding related, including the engagement party. Gowns that could resemble wedding dresses in more formal spaces should also be avoided.

Do you decorate for an engagement party? ›

No matter the theme you choose for your engagement party, whether you're planning a backyard barbecue, an alfresco farm-to-table dinner, a brunch party, or even a movie night, you'll want to dress up the space to fit the occasion. And engagement party decorations can certainly vary to fit your theme.

01 Avoid Small, Close Prints , Patterns and Logos

These tend to not photograph as well. Staying away from small, tight stripes and prints will save your engagement photos! Logos distract from the subject and relationships (aka you & your love story!). Instead, wear solid colored pieces that compliment each other!

A basic outfit idea that would work with almost any venue and dress code would be slacks, a nice shirt, nice shoes, and an optional shirt and jacket. "You can't go wrong with a neutral button-down shirt and a nice pair of slacks," McKenna says.

But, so too are jeans because they're not “dressy” enough. If you consider it on the scale of semi-formal vs. co*cktail attire, dressy casual is closer to the semi-formal side than the co*cktail one. Light colors and casual materials, like satin or linen, fit the code well.

"If it calls for co*cktail attire, guys should wear a jacket and tie, and women should wear a dress or a fancy pantsuit." Time of day can also dictate engagement party fashion. "If it's outdoors or during the daytime, you can opt for lighter fabrics and more casual outfits," Howard says.

The short answer? No, engagement gifts are not required, no matter how fancy the celebration. However, according to wedding planner Oniki Hardtman of Oh Niki Occasions, bringing a gift to an engagement party is a nice gesture and "would certainly be appreciated by the happy couple."

Generally speaking, both sets of parents of the engaged couple should be invited, as well as step-parents and grandparents, siblings, close aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as members of your bridal party (if you're organized and know who they are), and of course, close friends, coworkers, and acquaintances.

Last but not least, you might be wondering how long you should stay at an engagement party. While it's optimal to stay for the entire time, some engagement parties can go on for 4-5 hours. Chianese points out that the longer you stay the better.

For fall and winter parties, dress for the cooler weather. This means patterns and colors will be slightly subdued, fabrics will be heavier, and sleeves and hems will be longer. "For men, still consider a suit or maybe even a nice sweater or turtleneck for more casual events," Sanchez says.