Wedding Wednesday: What To Wear To An Engagement Party

Happy Wedding Wednesday (errr, Thursday!)! I definitely switched up my posts for yesterday and today so bear with me here, haha! As y’all know, I’m a bride-to-be planning my dream Charleston wedding for October 2017 but I’m currently feeling the most excited for my upcoming engagement party in Los Angeles this weekend. Why?! It will be my first real chance to celebrate my upcoming nuptials with all my family and friends! For my engagement party, I’ve picked my venue and planned for all the food, florals, and layout of the party. I’m having a blast planning every last detail but I’m also working hard! As a bride-to-be, I can’t wait to show everyone how much thought and attention I’ve put in so I hope my guests have the same thoughtfulness when getting ready for the party. I think every bride appreciates when guests show their excitement for wedding events by dressing the part! However, every bride is different so every engagement party is different. I’m here to help you pick out the perfect outfit for three different kinds of engagement parties: an afternoon backyard barbeque, an evening cocktail party, and a nighttime soirée.

Wedding Wednesday: What To Wear To An Engagement Party

Afternoon Backyard Barbeque

A lot of brides want their engagement party to have a very casual, friendly feel with great food, great drinks, and great people to match their laid back personality or to contrast with their fancier wedding. This type of engagement party is often thrown at the house of the bride’s family or the house of a family friend with the Father of the Bride on bartender duty and the groomsmen on grill duty. Even though this type of engagement party is casual, I still recommend wearing your BBQ best. For a beautiful spring afternoon or a warm summer evening, a pair of sandals or espadrilles with medium wash jeans, a flirty top, and either a scarf tied around your neck or a pair of bauble earrings is the perfect uniform for this type of event. I also think a stripe or a floral sundress is completely appropriate as well!

Off The Shoulder Top (old – similar, similar) / Espadrilles (old – similar) / Bell Sleeve Top (old – similar, similar) / Lip Glow / Sunglasses (old – similar, similar) / Bangles (old – similar) / Earrings (old – similar) / Scarf (old – similar, similar, similar) / Purse (old – similar) / Jeans / One Shoulder Top (old – similar, similar)

Evening Cocktail Party

An evening cocktail party with passing hors d’oeuvres and a buffet or a sit down dinner fits the engagement party bill for a lot of brides. Many brides like to get a little dressed up in a new white dress as they toast to their happy news. My advice is if a bride is excited about dressing up, then you should follow suit and slip on a pair of heels. I guarantee that the bride planned her evening party around sunset for photos so you want to make sure you are camera ready. For a spring or summer engagement party, a cocktail dress with heeled sandals or pumps is perfect. I love a great pastel dress or a fun printed dress as long as it doesn’t steal any attention away from the bride. Pink is the color of the moment this year so why not go for a pretty in pink look? Top your outfit off with a gold or blush clutch, statement earrings, and a pale lip and your bride will be smiling from ear-to-ear upon your arrival.

Floral Dress (old – similar, similar) / Lipstick / Earrings (old – similar, similar, similar) / Nail Polish / Sandals / Blue Dress (old – similar) / Pink Dress (old – similar, similar, similar) / Heels (old – similar) / Perfume / Clutch

Nighttime Soirée

An engagement is the perfect excuse to throw a party so why not throw a big one!? There’s no need to be stressed if you receive an invitation to a fancy engagement party. In many cases, a cocktail dress is still appropriate although I do suggest wearing a more formal cocktail dress to fit in with the elegant night (no cut-outs, please!). On the flip side, it’s not every day that you have an excuse to wear a long dress so why not take advantage and slip on a deep toned or flowy dressy dress? I recommend pairing your dress with simple heels and a spritz of perfume.

Lavender Dress (old – similar) / Necklace (old – similar, similar, similar) / Shimmer Brick / Beaded Clutch (old – similar, similar) / Bangles (old – similar, similar, love these bangles) / Pink & Red Dress (old – similar, similar) / Perfume / Lipstick / Heels (old – similar) / Earrings (old – similar, similar, similar) / Clutch (old – similar, similar, love these foldover clutches) / Navy Dress (old – similar)

I hope everyone enjoys the start of wedding season this spring! Brides-to-be, enjoy your engagement parties and guests, have fun showering your loved ones at their parties! Read more of my Wedding Wednesday content to stay in the loop with my wedding planning!