7 Summer Engagement Party Ideas That Are Too Cool to Ignore

They put a ring on it, and now it’s time to party! While the wedding will get a lot of attention, there’s still plenty of love to celebrate at the engagement party. This is the perfect time for the couple to relax and bask in the glow of being fiancés before planning for The Big Day.

And summer is the perfect season for parties: bountiful sunshine, longer days, and relaxing evenings mean you can plan almost any type of event at any time of day. But if that feels like a little too much creative freedom, we’re here to help you brainstorm. Take a look at our roundup of summer engagement party ideas and find the one that shines.

1. Picnic luncheon

The beauty of a picnic party is that there’s a million different ways you can take it. Super casual, family friendly, a touch of sophistication — whatever suits the occasion. Here are a few must-haves that you can build around:

Seating: Blankets and cushions for guests to relax on for a true picnic vibe. If you can snag a few tables, set the tone with red and white gingham tablecloths.

Food and drink: Pack sandwiches, appetizers, and treats inside picnic baskets and either display on a table or pass around for casual dining. Set up a station for beverages (like lemonade and iced tea) so guests can easily refill as needed.

Entertainment: Whether your party is at a park or at a loved one’s home, plan to bring a few yard games for people to get into. Frisbees and a game of Twister are easy to pack and play!

2. Pool party

Summertime is made for pool parties, so take advantage of the gorgeous weather and make your engagement party a poolside celebration. Just be sure to provide rafts and other floaties for the less-confident swimmers and plenty of lounge chairs for those who prefer dry land. Other tips for fun in the sun:

Sun protection: Sunburns are nothing to celebrate. Have bottles of sunscreen, inexpensive sunglasses, bug spray, and aloe around in case anyone forgets to bring these necessities.

Food and drink: You want enough food to feed the group but consider keeping the options on the lighter side since your guests might be alternating between pool time and lounging.

3. Summer camp

Transport your guests to camp for a unique and memorable summer party. (No mosquito-filled cabins required.) Set up an arts-and-crafts station, organize relay races, and build a fire where everyone can roast marshmallows and share their favorite stories about the newly engaged couple.

Game time: Feeling super ambitious? Organize a scavenger hunt where guests search for items that are meaningful to the couple’s relationship and complete challenges that require teamwork. After all, what’s summer camp without a bit of adventure?

S’mores station: Roasted marshmallows are great on their own, but they’re AMAZING when turned into ooey-gooey s’mores. Set up a table with graham crackers and chocolate bars so people can build their own campfire dessert. Add peanut or almond butter, white chocolate, Reese’s Cups, or other alternative toppings for more customization.

4. Ice cream social

An ice cream social feels relaxed and playful, and who wouldn’t want that kind of atmosphere for their summertime engagement party? Guests can create their ideal dish before settling down for a bit of socializing and ice-cream scooping. Offer a variety of flavors (and a non-dairy option or two) and load up the topping bar with sprinkles, pretzel bits, candy pieces, chopped nuts, various syrups, whipped cream, and the quintessential cherry on top.

Serving selection: Just like everyone has their favorite flavors, your guests likely have serving preferences, too. Provide bowls and spoons as well as cake and waffle cones so that everyone can find what they like.

Soft serve, anyone?: Want to offer more than standard ice cream? Search for soft-serve machine rentals near you — they’re more common than you think!

5. Brews and backyard bites

Wine tastings at a scenic vineyard are nice, but consider switching things up by hosting a different type of beverage tasting. Using a selection of local beers, put together flights so guests can sample what’s brewing close to home. Set out bar snacks to complete the experience, or offer heartier fare like sandwiches and homemade chips.

Know your location: Hosting away from home? Make sure that the venue is okay with serving alcohol on-site.

Provide options: Not everyone will want to imbibe, so include other beverages to suit their taste. Non-alcoholic beer, flavored root beers, and seltzer are all solid options.

6. Tropical island

Lean into the summery, sunshiney vibes and create a tropical oasis to celebrate the couple’s engagement. Decorate the space with palm and banana leaves (faux is fine) and brightly colored flowers (leis are a great touch), and invite guests to wear their finest resort wear to the island-inspired soiree.

Food ideas: Fresh fish tacos with pineapple salsa or grilled chicken skewers in a mango marinade are the perfect nourishment after a hula competition. And you’ll obviously want to serve drinks with tiny umbrellas because…of course.

Decor: If you want the mood to feel more fun than formal, scatter a few lawn flamingos throughout the space for a fun surprise. After all, how many parties have you attended and seen a flamingo peeking through a palm frond?

7. Christmas in July

Give your engagement party a Christmas in July theme, and suddenly it’s the second-most wonderful time of the year! String holiday lights around the space, hang paper chains and snowflakes from the trees and along the tables, and play holiday music to get your guests in the Christmas spirit. And if you can persuade Santa to make an appearance, you’ll definitely be on the engaged couple’s nice list!

Entertainment: Let guests get crafty at an ornament-decorating station. Buy plain wooden ornaments at a dollar store, then put out plenty of glue, glitter, paint, beads, and tinsel so they can design their own keepsake ornament.

Special extras: Planning to pass out engagement party favors? Wrap them in holiday paper to give guests that Christmas-morning feeling.

What to ask when booking a summer engagement party venue

Before officially choosing a theme, one of the first items on your engagement party checklist should include securing a venue. We’ve compiled a short list of questions to keep in mind when figuring out the kind of space you need.

Available space

• How many guests are permitted, and are children allowed?
• Do you need indoor and outdoor space?
• For outdoor space, do you need a large lawn? Swimming pool? Outdoor kitchen?
• In the event of bad weather, does the indoor space offer enough room for guests?

Food and drink

• Can you bring in a catering vendor?
• Can you prep and cook food onsite using the kitchen, outdoor kitchen, grill, etc.?
• How far ahead of the party can you get into the kitchen?
• Is there plenty of refrigerator or freezer space for your food and beverages?
• Can you serve alcohol?

Seating

• Does the space include tables and chairs on site?
• Are you required to use the furniture provided, or can you bring in rental furniture?
• Does the maximum capacity change if furniture is removed?

Entertainment

• Can you hire a band or a DJ?
• Does the space have rules about music volume or noise ordinances?
• Can you add extra speakers, or is the house system sufficient?

You can find answers to questions like this and more by searching for venues on Peerspace. Easily filter your search for the perfect engagement party space to zero in on the venue designed for your celebration. With detailed venue profiles that include high-quality photos, capacity details, amenities lists, and host rules, guests know exactly what they’re getting when they book on Peerspace.

Take your summer celebration from engaging to exciting

From lawn games to easy eats, our engagement party ideas roundup elevates any sunny get-together. If you want the big question to feel just as relaxed, dive into these engagement ideas.

Organizing an engagement party is fun when you have a theme you’re sure everyone will love, and everything goes smoothly in the lead-up to the event. With Peerspace as your partner, you can put your mind at ease.

Our hourly booking model ensures you only pay for the time you need, and our transparent pricing makes budgeting your big summer blowout a breeze. Check out engagement party venues near you to get started.