Engagement parties are the perfect occasion to share your happiness with friends and family without entering that bridal craze zone where the wedding planner practically rules over your life.
The moment has arrived; your partner has asked for your hand, placing a spectacular 1.0 carat diamond ring on your finger, signifying the start of a new chapter together. This joyous occasion calls for an engagement party to match the sparkle of your diamond—a gathering filled with heartfelt congratulations, the company of close friends and family, and a feast to remember. Amidst this jubilation, choosing the perfect attire for your engagement party becomes your delightful prerogative, allowing you to complement the brilliance of your diamond ring with an equally radiant outfit.
You need to shine, yet feel comfortable and relaxed. We’ve gathered twenty engagement party dress and accessory ideas for you to get some inspiration. All that’s left for you to do is get creative and have the time of your life.
Photo Credit: Sweet Ice Cream Photography
Dresses
The dress is perhaps the most important piece of the engagement (and wedding) attire. Formal or casual, short or long, the dress sets the tone for all the other items you are going to add to complete your outfit. The building block of any gorgeous look, the engagement dress has to impress, no matter the style or the weather outside.
1. The Little White Dress
It is only logical to wear white at your engagement party. The dress shouldn’t be sumptuous and difficult to wear, but sweet, light and gorgeous. There are plenty of classy and chic white dresses for brides-to-be and you should pick one that accentuates your personal style and feminine charm. You can opt for casual fabrics or more noble ones, such as lace, satin or silk.
2. The Floral Patterned Dress
Photo credit: Demetrius Washington
If you get engaged in spring/summer, keep in mind that floral patterns make a huge fashion trend. As bridal styles go, floral, fairy-like, light dresses are the best choice if you feel romantic, bohemian and young at heart.
If you throw your engagement party in the fall, a chromatic matching cashmere shawl and an African maxi dress will do the trick just fine. But if you party in the warm season, go floral all the way; you will look gorgeous, fresh and incredibly trendy!
3. Color Your Life!
Photo credit: Roberto Delgado Webb
Each year is all about color so if you want to look fashionable at your engagement party and spice it up a bit then pick a colored dress.
Red is always the choice when in doubt. Or you might want to go for vivid trendy colors to liven up the atmosphere, like the Pantone colors of the year in ultra violet, on the contrary, for creamy dreamy pastels.
4. Glitter and Shine
Photo Credit: Valerie Elash
As we’ve said, you need to shine at your engagement party and now you have even more reasons to do so! The latest fashion reports say that shiny, sparkling glam and destination dresses are always making trends.
In other words, if you want to be fashionable, sexy, playful and radiant at your engagement party, don’t think twice! Metal-like fabrics, golden polished garments, and sparkling adornments are your best dress choices!
5. The Timeless Black and White
Black and white dresses are classic and they work with pretty much any party theme, color scheme or season.
Match that gorgeous dress with a couple of black pearl bracelets and everybody will applaud your magnificent presence!
Headwear
If you really want to look stunning at your engagement party, think about a refined piece of headwear to go with that gorgeous dress of yours.
There are a few head and hair accessories you might want to take a look at if you want to add a dash of originality to your overall outfit.
6. A Silk Coil Hat
Photo Credit: Mimi Todd
This is an awesome alternative to the traditional veil and a headpiece to really make you stand out of the crowd. It goes great with almost any bun or other sophisticated up dos for your big day.
7. Natural Flowers Crown
Photo credit: Dmytro Tolokonov
Perfect with maxi monochrome dresses and flat sandals, a flower crown tells a story about romance, the poetry of the moment, about serenity, natural beauty, and harmony.
Colored flowers can add contrast to a lightly colored dress while pale flowers can tone down a vividly nuanced outfit.
8. A Hippy Headband
Photo credit: Redd Angelo
You can pick one in rhinestones and pearls – intricate models or simple designs successfully replace a veil or a bridal hat, turning you into a true princess.
Many bridal headbands also act as combs, so you can take advantage of them and show off your beautiful long hair or a complex hairdo.
9. A Flamboyant Top Hat
Photo Credit: Everton Vila
We all know bridal top hats are convoluted in design and come in gorgeous fabrics and gemstone adornments. If you think this is too much for an engagement party, but still want to wear a top hat, why not go for the funny side of elegance?
A steampunk-inspired top hat with goggles will make you look like a superstar, while a sparkling lamé one will go great with your radiant dress.
Depending on the party theme and your preferences, you can opt for a minimalist Victorian top hat or a stylish colored one – nothing can stop you!
10. A Tiara
Photo Credit: Gift Habeshaw
A beautiful and elaborate bun goes great with a small tiara in silver or gold – or adorned with small gems or crystals.
A tiara adds a bit of sophistication even to a rather casual engagement outfit, enhancing your feminine beauty.
Jewelry and Accessories
No engagement outfit plan should skip the integration of jewelry and accessories. And just as you are already thinking about your bridal jewelry, you should know that the engagement party pieces are just as important.
What you need to remember is that jewelry should match your dress and your personal style. You can either show off your wedding accessories to give your guests a glimpse of what is about to come, or shop for special, new ones.
11. A Pearl Set
Pearls are timeless and make the best and most refined pieces of jewelry a future bride can wear. If you already have your pearl engagement ring, choosing a pearl set to match it is the easiest option.
White pearls do compliment a white dress, while colored pearls (black, silver, gold or pink) add the exact amount of color, and shine your outfit needs in order to be perfect.
Remember that when you buy pearls, they have to match your skin tone and compliment your facial features.
12. A Statement Necklace or… more…
Photo Credit: Rupali Neelkanth
You can wear a single piece of jewelry and shine bright at your engagement party without adding any other accessories.
One way to achieve such goal is to wear a statement necklace. It can match the hue of your dress or, or on the contrary, it can come in bold colors, large and intricate designs.
From massive metal chokers to oriental pieces (featuring colored beads, rhinestones, gems, and metals) statement necklaces are a smart addition to any engagement outfit.
13. Long Earrings
All ladies know that not all earrings go great together with all dresses. Fashion conventions also warn us that statement shoulder length earrings should not be accompanied by other massive pieces of jewelry, like bracelets or pendants.
However, contemporary fashion designers and wedding stylists agree to a small amount of opulence to spice up a white simple dress or a salmon pink engagement top.
Currently, long earrings (rope, chandelier, and haute-couture statement ones) are highly fashionable, so pick a pair to enhance your face contour and emphasize your gorgeous hairdo.
14. The Immutable Clutch
Leather, snakeskin, fabrics – it doesn’t matter. A clutch is going to be forever the ideal accessory to any outfit, especially for brides to be.
Depending on your engagement dress color and style, you can opt for a simple and elegant clutch, or one with a striking personality.
A less formal engagement party requires a casual, funny clutch, while a more formal one sends you shopping for the perfect glam evening party purse.
15. Party Sunglasses
Photo credit: Dmitry Bayer
Eyewear is not your regular engagement party accessory, but if you want to celebrate the moment in midsummer at noon, you might want to think about sunglasses.
A beach or a garden engagement party makes eyewear necessary – not to mention “out of the box.” Impress your guests with well-chosen sunglasses to match the latest trends and your overall outfit.
Shoes and Sandals
Last but not least, your engagement shoes and sandals have to match the occasion, keep you comfortable and safe and blend in your overall attire. No matter if you choose high heels for a formal celebration or flats for a casual outdoor gathering, your shoes have to be your best friends throughout the entire day.
16. Nude Shoes and Sandals
The greatest thing about nude pumps or sandals is that they go with anything you might want to wear at your engagement party.
Beautifully matching white or colored outfits, nude footwear will make your legs look longer and slimmer.
There is one rule and one rule only when shopping for nude shoes and sandals: they have to match your skin tone and become invisible once you put them on.
17. The Glass Shoe
Photo credit: Jeremy Wong Weddings
If you really want to look like walking on air on your engagement day, you might want to try a pair of transparent shoes. They are not completely invisible but use Lucite heels or transparent ankle straps.
Some come in nude shades, while others sport soft hues like cream, light gray and silver luster. They are perfect for young women with attitude wearing mini or midi engagement dresses.
Glass shoes are also a smart choice when you decided on a certain dress or attire which requires a certain type of footwear. Since Lucite heels and translucent shoes are barely visible, you can wear any style of colored or patterned dress you want.
18. Statement Shoes
Photo credit: Daria Kopylova
They are a party favorite for wedding stylists, as they bring a touch of glam, luxury and sophistication to any outfit. Statement shoes are usually high-heeled and adorned with complex designs in beads, crystals, and rhinestones.
They work best with white or light pastel dresses but don’t get along that well with other chunky statement pieces, be them jewelry or purses. If you remember Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding, you will understand that a luxurious pair of shoes can turn the simplest vintage white dress into a work of art – and you won’t need anything else besides them.
19. Flat Shoes and Sandals
Photo Credit: Daria Kopylova
No matter if you throw your engagement party in an urban setting or in a wilder, outdoor one, flat sandals are your best allies and most precious resources for looking great and feeling comfortable.
They come in dozens of colors, models and shapes, but they do have one thing in common: they keep you free from discomfort, allow you as much movement (and dancing!) as you can take and make incredible accessories to any type of mini, midi or maxi dress.
Pick white or neutral ones for a more bridal stance, colored ones for a drop of exotic summer in your life or glam sparkling ones in hues of metal for a more sophisticated look.
20. Your All-Time Buddies – The Sneakers
Photo credit: photo-nic.co.uk nic
Say you are the unconventional type. You’ve skipped the entire “dresses” section and decided your engagement party was going to be about jeans, shorts or jumpsuits.
Naturally, you might also feel compelled to skip high heels and designer shoes and go right to the sports department for a pair of comfy sneakers.
As you can see, other couples had the same idea and they actually bought matching sneakers for their wedding!
In case your uncles and grandparents are a bit traditionalist and would frown upon flashy neon sneakers, try a compromise: get a pair in white (or a soft pastel color) and make them work with your jeans or maxi dress (in case you are considering it).
These are our twenty engagement party dress and accessories ideas! Our advice is that you don’t follow them to the letter, but use them as sources of inspiration to create your own dream engagement outfit.
No matter the season or the fashion trend du jour, remember one thing: it is your celebration and you should feel on top of the world! The rest is just details! Look good, feel good and party hard!
