By May, I had secured a space and it eliminated a lot of stress later down the road. I reached out to over 20 vendors to find out more about their event spaces and pricing to see what would be a fit. Because I was hosting my mom’s party in December, I knew I would be competing against those hosting holiday parties. Venues are hard to come by especially during the holidays. Secure a space sooner than later: If you are hosting a party and need to secure a venue, I recommend doing it sooner than later. Most venues ask you upfront a headcount of how many people you are inviting, so it’s helpful to have a number in mind. The possibilities are endless.-Nail down your guest list: Secure a guest list with little to no wiggle room – this will help provide you with an idea of how many people you’ll have at the party and what sort of space you’ll need for hosting. You can also make the party personal with fun engagement party games you know the couple would enjoy and unique engagement party favors. 'This allows the attendees to have a visual roadmap of what led up to this joyous affair,' she says. For example, Teague suggests incorporating photos of the couple throughout their relationship as decor at the party. Just because it's a surprise for the couple, that doesn't mean it can't be sprinkled with details about them and their love story. Teague also suggests making the surprise engagement party as personal as possible. 'Then try and weave their passions into the event.' 'Think of the couple and what they love to do,' she says. For starters, Teague recommends picking an engagement party theme for the event. 'Both sides of the family should plan to get together (or work together on the planning) so there are no awkward moments on the party day.' Surprise Engagement Party IdeasĪs for what to do for a surprise engagement party, some creativity will be required to bring the vision to life. 'The surprise engagement party should be a surprise for the couple, but it should never be a surprise for the families meeting for the first time,' Teague says. Consider dinner at a nice restaurant or maybe even trick them into thinking they are going to a party for someone else.' 'When planning what the couple will be doing before they arrive at the party, try and set something up that ensures they are dressed up. 'The couple should be in party attire and looking their best when they arrive at their engagement party,' Teague says. Ensure the couple is dressed up.Īnother key element of planning a surprise engagement is ensuring the couple arrives at the party dressed to impress.

To avoid the risk of the couple accidentally stumbling upon an invitation to their surprise engagement party, Teague suggests opting for digital invitations (such as those from Paperless Post). And lastly, to ensure the very special surprise moment (especially the look on the couple's faces) is captured, Teague also suggests hiring a photographer or videographer for the event. Entertainment, such as a DJ or band, may also be on your list of vendors to hire. Each party is different, Teague says, so how elaborate the decorations are is up to the host.

Next are vendors to help with the surprise engagement party decorations, such as balloons, flowers, and centerpieces.

Surprise party planning