Backyard Engagement Party
A backyard engagement Pprty is an intimate affair that allows you to celebrate your upcoming nuptials in a truly comfortable setting. When they say that there's no place like home, it hits closer when family and friends gather at a familiar location to witness your excitement. Hosting an engagement announcement, as shown in this inspirational shoot can combine a touch of glamour and a whole lot of casual.
Yes, the occasion tends to lean more towards the overly casual side and takes away some of the stress of putting together a large-scale engagement party. It doesn't mean that you can't plan an intricately chic occasion in your backyard, and you can transform the space into your dream engagement party venue. Let’s see how Caitlin and Jimmer did it!
Send out the invites
Even for a laidback and casual affair, you'll still want to extend a cordial invitation to family and friends. An elegant engagement party invitation suite reflects what the event symbolises, and as seen in the editorial, you can have a bit of fun with the stationery suite. A plain white envelope with a black and white stripe inner motif underscores one of the thematic elements.
The card communicates the engagement party colour palette in an eye catching way, and it also shows how the pigments complement each other. A soft shade of orange is used for the place cards while the food table signages feature soft shades of the engagement party colours.
How your engagement party can look
The Connie Dai editorial is the type of party inspo every bride to be loves because it essentially serves as the roadmap to planning your backyard celebration. The colours we see are bright and cheerful. As seen in the beautiful photographs, the varying shades of pigments are highlighted gorgeously against the backdrop of a backyard setting.
The colour palette, which is made up of shades of purple, pink, blush, and orange, is also ideal for nuptials, meaning you could carry some of these hues over to your wedding day. The greenery adds more definition to the aesthetic with textural accents accentuated by the metallic outdoor furniture, wooden pieces, and black/white striped patterns. Overall, it's a simple, casual, and classy backyard engagement party colour palette.
Most of us would agree that the engagement party editorial is filled with rich details when it comes to dressing up the backyard space. A Vintage Affair Events & Rentals did a great job by creating points of interest all around the space. Some of these aspects are highlighted by the black and white striped pillows.
Chalkboard signages also double up as lovely decor pieces at various points. The bistro lights prove that illuminating an outdoor space helps to up the romantic atmosphere. Metallic flower vases and the thematic letter engagement party letter signages are other noteworthy elements that provide wedding reception decoration ideas for later. Continue the theme if you like!
Ask for advice, if you want to
Yes, it’s perfectly okay to ask for prenuptial pointers at your gathering. Just remind everyone that while you’ll be asking for advice, you’ll take what you want and leave the rest. It’s a great opportunity to talk about wedding vendors and planners, taking the information you learn and applying it to what your vision is.
Who knows, you may decide on a wedding planner right then and there, based on what you hear from friends and family. And why not? How about where you want to get married? If you are looking at Glasgow wedding reception venues, talk to your guest who married in Scotland. Hoping for a beach wedding? Draw inspo from your friend who was wed alongside the seashore near Cardiff. Every step where you can save time will be appreciated as you get more involved in the planning!
Set the table just right
Once again, the team of stylists did a great job when it came to putting together the backyard tablescapes. The peg-shaped food table signages are something every bride could incorporate into their wedding day also. Once again, the black and white striped pattern is introduced in the form of mason jar straws.
The striped table runners also tie into the overall theme paired with blush-coloured tablecloths for some of the other tables. A distressed white table was converted into the drinks station for the editorial. Set atop a wooden crate, the metallic ice bucket and mason jar beverage dispenser are other delightful additions.
Bring on the food
The first idea you'll want to steal for your backyard engagement party is to bring the bar outside. We are presented with three ideas from the editorial starting with the mason jar dispenser possibly filled up with a refreshing fruit-flavoured beverage. A second bucket filled with ice and beer reminds you that this is a laidback occasion.
The chic and elegant side is represented by the champagne station. For the actual engagement party menu, a picnic-style spread is befitting for the occasion. Provide all the fixings needed to create a delightful salad. Blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, and crackers are worth adding to the menu.
And now for dessert
The engagement party cake is the missing piece in the otherwise deliciously detailed editorial. Going by the colour palette and overall theme, a simple yet awe-inspiring cake would be the perfect dessert for the occasion. A multi-tiered fruit-flavoured cake covered with white fondant is an ideal choice for the occasion.
To highlight the theme, top the engagement party dessert with raspberries, blueberries, and colourful sugar blooms. The usual favourites, including macarons, cookies, and donuts, in selections of colours that are reflective of the theme, are tasty additions to the dessert table. A homemade baked pie is a wonderful treat worth including in the dessert bar.
Don’t forget the photos
The editorial also shows you how you can expect your engagement party photos to look when styled similarly. Several areas around the venue create lovely backdrops for photos, and perhaps mini chalkboards would be perfect props for the shoot. The natural light also works in favour of the outdoor photography sessions.
The photos that were taken when darkness set are simply gorgeous and also well-lit thanks to the bistro lights. A balloon or floral arch lined up with colourful engagement party flowers would serve as a great backdrop for the occasion. The outdoor furniture setup with the metal chairs also creates another great backyard photography spot.
A parting gift
Regardless of whether you are having an intimate backyard engagement party attended by a handful of friends and family or a slightly larger event; you should send guests off with gifts. It's thoughtful to present guests with small treats accompanied by notes thanking them for taking the time to attend your prenuptial celebration.
The editorial once again shows us that black and white striped engagement party favour packages are ideal for the occasion. The mason jars with striped straws would also double up as wonderful favours for a backyard affair. Seed packets, mini champagne bottles, and edible treats are other lovely options.
How to Style a Backyard Engagement Party
Hosting an engagement party in your own backyard is an intimate way to celebrate your union, and transforming your backyard into the chic party atmosphere you’ve always dreamed of isn’t as hard as you think.
Caitlin and Jimmer’s colourful backyard engagement party photographed by Connie Day Photography and styled by A Vintage Affair Event & Rentals is full of ideas and inspiration on how to host your own beautiful soirée!
Tips:
1. Create purposeful spaces. Set up a drink station in one area, desserts inside in the kitchen, favours near the door, food in another area, and cocktail tables across the lawn. This creates places for your guests to move around to with a purpose.
2. Set the mood with lighting. As the evening wears on, bistro lights will help keep the celebratory atmosphere alive.
3. Add touches of glamour by covering rented cocktail tables with sequin tablecloths. Votive candles and the aforementioned bistro lights will let them shimmer into the night.
4. Don’t skimp on the flowers. Unless your backyard is full of bountiful blooms, definitely add colour and fun with some stylish floral design. Short of a big white dress, nothing says ‘special occasion’ quite like flowers!
From Bare Root Flora – “The lush berry sorbet palette of this party was SO delicious and inspiring! We could barely contain ourselves when it came to flowers—we gathered stunning peonies, sweet pea, ranunculus, lilac, roses, and so many other textural and gorgeous blooms in shades of coral, raspberry, and blackberry into matte gold-painted compotes to weave into the subtly sparkly undertones of the linens. The result was a lush, yummy bouquet that celebrated two of our favourite things—summer and love!”
From Connie Day Photography – “Caitlin and Jimmer’s engagement party were a colourfully chic soirée. The bright, lush floral designs from Bare Root Flora set against black and white stripe details, gold accents, and sequin table runners created a vibrant and elegant event that perfectly embodied summer.
The design and planning from A Vintage Affair Event and Rentals included a Christian station along with other treats, bistro lights, cocktail tables, and a fire pit, which transformed a backyard into a beautiful space that was perfect for mingling and celebrating! The whole evening flowed so well. It was a perfect reflection of the beautiful, stylish, and laid back couple that everyone was there to celebrate.”
From Jessica of A Vintage Affair Event and Rentals – “We loved styling, this casual yet elegant backyard summer celebration. We picked a bright, summery colour palette of pinks, purples, corals, and golds. For some contrast, we added black and white stripe details to the invites, favours, and the table runner on the whiskey barrel table. The sequin linens transformed the party into a soirée with their chic sparkles!
With some romantic signs, champagne, and gorgeous lighting added in we really saw it all come together to create a charming and fun atmosphere. The evening flowed like a cocktail hour, with everyone mingling and chatting under the stars. At the end of the night we all enjoyed (the perfect summer treat!) and guests took some salted caramel favours for the road.”
Credits: Photography: Connie Dai Photography // Event Design & Watercolor Paper Goods: A Vintage Affair Events & Rentals // Floral Design: Bare Root Flora // Lighting: Lighting and Design by Scott // Linens: La Tavola // ‘The Best is Yet To Come’ sign: The First Snow // ‘Oh My Darling’ sign: Oh, Albatross // Favor Bags: Pretty Sweet Stuff // Salted Caramel Favors: The Caramel Jar // Dog Bow Ties: Mia’s Closet.