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In Advice

10 Fun Engagement party ideas for a celebration that feels like you

August 13, 2026 No Comments

You’ve got the ring, you’ve said yes and you’ve probably told everyone who will listen. Now comes the fun part: celebrating. An engagement party is the first opportunity to gather your favourite people together before the wedding planning really gets underway. And while the traditional engagement party still has its place, couples are increasingly choosing celebrations that feel more personal, relaxed and reflective of who they are.

In fact, the latest wedding trends are moving away from one-size-fits-all celebrations in favour of experiences that feel intentional and individual. Pinterest’s 2026 Wedding Trends Report points to low-key pre-wedding soirées and celebrations shaped around personality, while Wedding ETC’s own 2026 wedding coverage has highlighted the growing preference for intimacy, personalisation and meaningful experiences.

So, if a formal dinner with a predictable playlist isn’t quite your thing, here are 10 engagement party ideas worth considering.

1.Host an elevated backyard picnic

You don’t need a fancy venue to throw a beautiful engagement party. Turn your garden, courtyard or even a spacious backyard into an intimate picnic setting with low tables, cushions, fresh flowers, candles and plenty of good food. A grazing table or shared platters can keep things relaxed while still making the celebration feel special.

The trick is to make the setting feel intentional rather than simply putting a few blankets on the grass. Think layered textures, beautiful glassware, seasonal flowers and a playlist that feels like you.

It is also a great option for couples who want something intimate without spending a fortune on a venue.

2. Plan a garden dinner

If you love the idea of an outdoor celebration but want something a little more polished, take the party outside after dark.

A long table dressed with candles, flowers and beautiful tableware can create a romantic setting without requiring excessive décor. Add string lights overhead, serve a relaxed dinner and let the evening unfold naturally.

This also taps into the wider move towards dinner-party-style celebrations. Rather than focusing on formal programming, couples are increasingly putting food, conversation and quality time with their guests at the centre of the experience.

3. Have a wine and cheese tasting

For the couple who would rather spend the evening eating and drinking than playing awkward party games, this one’s for you. Host a wine and cheese evening at home, at a wine farm or at a private venue and create a tasting experience around a few of your favourite varieties.

You could ask a local wine expert to guide the tasting, pair wines with South African cheeses and add seasonal fruit, charcuterie and freshly baked bread to the table.

For a South African engagement, this is particularly fitting. A Winelands setting gives you a naturally beautiful backdrop, but you could just as easily recreate the experience at home.

4. Make it a brunch

Who says an engagement party needs to happen at night? A daytime celebration can be just as memorable, and brunch gives you plenty of room to play with the menu. Think pastries, pancakes, fresh fruit, breakfast boards, good coffee and a celebratory toast.

You could host it at home, book a beautiful restaurant or take over a garden space for a relaxed morning with family and friends.

Brunch is also a practical option for couples who want to celebrate without turning the engagement party into an entire weekend event. Engagement party inspiration increasingly includes daytime celebrations such as brunches and picnic lunches, proving there is no longer a strict formula for when these parties should happen.

5. Recreate your first date

This one is less about the décor and more about the story. Think back to your first date and use it as the inspiration for the engagement party.

If you met at a particular restaurant, recreate the menu. If your first date involved takeaway and a movie, lean into that. If you bonded over a particular cuisine, build the evening around it. The best engagement parties do not necessarily have the biggest budgets. They have details that mean something to the couple.

And that is increasingly the direction celebrations are heading in: personal details that tell a story rather than generic décor chosen simply because it looks good online.

6. Throw a themed dinner party

A theme does not have to mean matching costumes and novelty decorations. Instead, build the entire evening around somewhere you love.

A Mediterranean-inspired dinner, an Italian summer soirée, a 1970s-inspired dinner party or even a celebration inspired by your favourite holiday destination can give the event a strong identity without making it feel like a children’s birthday party.

Think themed food, music, cocktails or mocktails, stationery and décor. The key is restraint. Choose a concept and let a few thoughtful details carry it.

7. Plan a sunset celebration

South Africa has no shortage of beautiful sunsets, so why not make one the backdrop to your engagement party?

Find a venue, garden, rooftop, beachside location or private outdoor space with a view and plan the celebration around golden hour.

Keep the décor relatively simple and let the location do most of the work. Add candles or warm lighting once the sun goes down, serve drinks and canapés, and create a playlist that takes the evening from sunset into night. It is a particularly good option for couples who want something that feels special without overproducing the event.

8. Turn it into a games night

If your relationship is built on competition, laughter and a little friendly chaos, embrace it.

Set up lawn games, board games, card games or a couple’s trivia competition based on your relationship. You could even create a quiz about the couple and see which family member or friend knows you best.

This works especially well for smaller gatherings because it gives guests something to do beyond eating and making conversation. Just don’t make the games so complicated that your guests feel like they’ve accidentally arrived at a corporate team-building exercise.

9. Host an at-home celebration

There is something wonderfully intimate about celebrating at home. You could cook together, order your favourite food, create a cocktail or mocktail menu, put together a playlist of songs that mean something to you and invite only your closest family and friends.

An at-home engagement party also gives you more freedom to personalise the space. Display photographs from your relationship, recreate moments from your story or create a memory table featuring little details from your life together.

This kind of celebration fits neatly into the broader shift towards smaller, more intentional gatherings. Current wedding trends increasingly favour authenticity and meaningful details over creating an event purely for appearances.

10. Plan an experience instead of a party

Perhaps the biggest shift of all is that your engagement party doesn’t actually have to look like a traditional party.

Book a boat day. Plan a weekend away. Organise a cooking class. Go glamping. Arrange a private picnic. Host a pottery workshop. Spend the day at a wine farm. Organise a sunset hike followed by dinner.

If you and your partner have a shared hobby or favourite activity, build the celebration around it. The point is not to recreate somebody else’s Pinterest board. It is to celebrate your relationship in a way that feels recognisably yours.

The bottom line

Your engagement party does not need to be another box to tick before the wedding.

It can be a backyard dinner with your closest people, a boozy brunch, a sunset picnic, a weekend away or an elaborate celebration with everyone you love. There are no hard rules anymore, and that is exactly what makes planning one so much fun.

The best engagement party ideas are ultimately the ones that tell your story. So forget about what an engagement party is supposed to look like. Think about how you want the celebration to feel, who you want beside you and what you and your partner genuinely enjoy doing together.

Then build the party around that. After all, this is the first celebration of your future together. It should feel like you.

ALSO SEE: Not all diamonds wear the same: How to choose an engagement ring that actually suits your hand

Not all diamonds wear the same: How to choose an engagement ring that actually suits your hand

Featured image: Pinterest

In Advice

Cape Town’s most romantic proposal spots for an unforgettable Engagement

June 5, 2026 No Comments

If there’s one city that knows how to set the scene for romance, it’s Cape Town.

From mountain peaks and botanical gardens to pristine beaches and iconic landmarks, the Mother City offers no shortage of breathtaking backdrops for one of life’s biggest questions. According to a survey conducted by Cape Town Tourism across social media platforms, alongside insights from proposal planners, some locations consistently stood out as favourites among locals.

The overwhelming winner? The V&A Waterfront, followed closely by Table Mountain.

It’s not difficult to see why. Cape Town’s combination of dramatic scenery, ocean views and world-class experiences has earned it a reputation as one of the most romantic destinations on the continent.

Other much-loved proposal locations mentioned by Capetonians included Hout Bay, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Signal Hill, Franschhoek, Boulders Beach, Aquila Private Game Reserve and Strand.

To prove that there’s no single formula for the perfect proposal, here are a few real-life stories from couples who found their special moment in some of Cape Town’s most romantic settings.

Here are sweet proposal stories from some of the city’s most special spots to bend the knee:

Kirstenbosch: When bigger really is better

Some proposals are intimate affairs shared between two people. Others involve months of planning, hundreds of witnesses and a surprise that no one sees coming.

One local shared how he proposed after a screening of The Notebook at an outdoor cinema event in Kirstenbosch. Unknown to his partner, he had arranged for a personal video documenting their six-year relationship to play after the movie.

As the video ended, he led her to the front of the audience and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. When she said yes, family and friends emerged from the crowd to celebrate the moment.

V&A Waterfront

For Masego and Letlotlo, a holiday in Cape Town became the beginning of a new chapter.

Wanting something different from a traditional proposal, Masego worked with planners to arrange a private art experience at the V&A Waterfront. Hidden within an interactive artwork was a message waiting to be revealed.

As Letlotlo peeled back the layers of the canvas, the words “Marry Me” appeared. Her answer was an enthusiastic yes.

Signal Hill: Proof that perfection is overrated

Not every proposal unfolds exactly as planned.

Janine Naicker recalls how windy conditions and a lack of parking nearly derailed her partner’s carefully thought-out moment at Signal Hill. After several unsuccessful attempts to get her out of the car to admire the view, he resorted to Plan B.

He handed her a box of cupcakes and asked her to pass him one. Inside the box, nestled in the icing, was an engagement ring.

Sometimes the best proposals are the ones that embrace the unexpected.

Table Mountain: A proposal above the clouds

For many couples, Table Mountain remains the ultimate proposal destination.

One local shared how her partner planned a sunrise hike to the very spot where they had enjoyed one of their first dates together. As the sun rose over the city, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

Years later, it remains one of her favourite memories.

Strand Beach: Coming full circle

For Bianca Engelbrecht, the proposal happened exactly where their story began.

The couple’s first date took place on Strand Beach, where they spent hours talking while listening to the waves. Years later, under the impression they were simply meeting friends, Bianca was surprised when her partner suggested a quick detour.

Back at the beach where they first connected, he asked her to marry him.

Sidebar: ‘Secret’ spots to pop the big Q:

Here’s a list of some of Cape Town’s lesser-known locations that are perfect for proposals:

Majik Forest (Door de Kraal, Cape Town): Secreted in the northern suburbs, with soft green grass, trees, ducks, a dam and a mountain bike trail in the forest section, this pet-friendly park is the perfect place to propose to your significant other with your furry friend present.
Lichtenstein Castle (Hout Bay): The privately owned castle, located in Hout Bay, can be visited by appointment only. It’s the perfect place to propose in a fairy-tale setting.
Woodstock streets: Urban adventurers will find a perfect proposal setting amidst the gorgeous, gritty surrounds of Woodstock’s world-famous street art.
Tintswalo Atlantic (Hout Bay): Rumour has it a penguin gives its mate a pebble when courting. Pop your person a pebble on Tintswalo’s secluded stretch of beach, below Chapman’s Peak Drive.
Dias Beach (Cape Point): Wild and whimsical, this hidden coast offers unparalleled sea views. It’s the ideal backdrop for ‘I do’.
Secret Rock (Bantry Bay): Perched at the top of Nettleton Drive is a secret rock where many a couple has come for some special moments alone…

The perfect proposal is personal

While Cape Town offers countless spectacular locations to pop the question, the most memorable proposals often have little to do with the setting itself. Whether it’s a mountaintop sunrise, a beach at sunset or a meaningful place that tells your story as a couple, the most romantic proposal spot is the one that feels authentic to you.

That said, if you’re looking for inspiration, locals have spoken – and Cape Town’s iconic landscapes provide some of the most unforgettable places in the world to say “yes”.

ALSO SEE: Nature-based proposal spots in Cape Town

Nature-based proposal spots in Cape Town

Featured image: Bianca Asher

In Celebs

‘Let’s get married’: Char Carrie hints at engagement

May 11, 2026 No Comments

It looks like love is officially in the air for Char Carrie. The rising Suidooster star sparked engagement speculation over the weekend after sharing a heartfelt post with partner Joshua Adams on 10 May.

The actress posted a carousel of romantic images alongside the simple caption: “let’s get married” — but it was the sparkling ring on her left hand that immediately caught fans’ attention.

Although Carrie has yet to publicly confirm the engagement in an official statement, social media users were quick to flood the comments with congratulatory messages, with many convinced the actress had just shared her engagement news on social media.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Char Carrie (@chxr_cxrrie)

For many South Africans, Carrie has become one of the fresh faces bringing warmth and humour to Suidooster through her role as Angie Jantjies. The outspoken, bubbly character quickly became a fan favourite.

And if the comments section is anything to go by, fans are more than ready to celebrate alongside them.

Congratulations appear to be in order for the happy couple.

ALSO SEE: Neels van Jaarsveld reportedly ties the knot

Neels van Jaarsveld reportedly ties the knot

Feature image: Char Carrie/Instagram

In Planning

Sitting Pretty – A mini guide to planning the seating at your wedding

April 21, 2022 No Comments

If you’ve just made it past the potential minefield that is the guest list, here’s your next challenge: How are you going to seat everyone? Round tables? Long ones? One long banquet table? Goodness.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Get down and boogie:

While your nuptials are all about sharing the love, it’s the dance floor that will have your guests remember your big day. Having said that, this is an excellent starting point. The most popular – and effective – option is to plonk your dance floor in the centre of the room. Then you’ll position the band or DJ against the wall. Of course, there are a whole host of ideas that will have your guests dancing until their feet hurt, and if your venue doesn’t allow for this, you can place the dance floor at one end of the room, centred and backed up against a wall.

dance floor wedding — Picture: Pinterest

It’s all about the size:

Long or round – choose the shape and size of your tables, but beyond this, make sure that the two of you are in the central spot so that your guests can see you in all your glory. A great place to start is to figure out how many guests fit at each table, this will allow you to figure out how many tables you will need.

What’s the plan – the floor plan that is:

We may think that the dance floor is the most important aspect of the wedding celebration, nothing is possible without creating a floor plan that the two of you are happy with. Start with the two most important people – you and your partner as you need to have the best seats and view in the house. Arrange your tables as symmetrically as possible – in a U-shape around the centred dance floor or fill one end of the space (if the dance floor is on the one side).

Don’t forget the VIPs

Reserve the tables closest to the two of you for your immediate families, and set aside tables further from the band/DJ for the older guests. The less desirable seats should be saved for your friends. Keep people together who will enjoy the time together – perhaps there are family members who haven’t seen each other in a while?

The bar area

This will also be dependent on your venue, but as a rule of thumb, the bar should be away from the entrance to avoid possible congestion. If you have more than one bar (one bar with two bartenders for every 100 guests is a good point of measure), then position one close to the dance floor and another one on the other side of the room.

But, how will your guests know

It’s time to dab the sweat that’s been dripping from your forehead and let a little stress go because we have something else on the agenda. How will you let guests know where to sit on the day? Whether you have 150 or 20 guests, displaying their names in alphabetical order is the most convenient option, to eliminate confusion and unnecessary time spent hovering around the seating chart. To make it more exciting, give each guest a refreshing cocktail or glass of bubbly along with their table number – it really sets the tone for a festive reception! Why not go a step further and add a signature cocktail to your wedding reception – here are a few ideas.

Feature Image: Grace Charlotte

In Engagements

Exceeding expectations: Amazing public marriage proposals

November 15, 2019 No Comments

You always expect your proposal story to be a great one. For some people, a great proposal story would be simple, quiet and intimate. Other people, however, prefer grand romantic gestures – the type that people never forget.

Going all out for a public proposal is no small task. A lot of planning and co-ordinating is required and there are many moving parts, not to mention all the factors you can’t control.

Check out this list of five outstanding public proposals.

-The Skyscraper

This is a large scale, high tech proposal if we’ve ever seen one. Marzo, the proposer, asked his girlfriend, Lisa, to marry him using the lights of a skyscraper!

It starts with Marzo filming Lisa as they go on an evening walk. Marzo then has Lisa answer a phone call; on the phone call she needs to say her name and say “Hi”. She does this and the phone cuts off.

The next thing she knows, the lights of a nearby skyscraper goes off. The lights then come back on spelling her name on the wall. They go off again, and the next time they flash the words “will you” brightly on the side of the building. The next two repetitions of this show the words “marry” and “me”.

This must have taken some crazy co-ordination skills!

– Written in the Sky

A man proposed to his girlfriend by writing it in the clouds. He hired a professional ‘skywriter’!

From the video, it seems he and his unsuspecting girlfriend were spending a lovely afternoon in Central Park, when suddenly the words appear in the sky. The girlfriend is sure to never forget this proposal.

– Like a movie scene

Matt put together an entire movie trailer to propose to his girlfriend, Ginny.

He enlisted the help of Ginny’s brother, Charlie, to take her to see a movie. They’re in the movie theatre and the trailers start to play. Ginny is a little confused when she hears Matt’s voice coming from the speakers. She is brought to tears by the trailer in which he asks her to marry him.

This one gets extra points for creativity!

– Puppies in the park

This one involves puppies! A man organised to have puppies walk by as he and his girlfriend sat on a bench in Central Park. Each puppy wore a customised vest with a sweet message like “I want u 4 ever”.

At first his girlfriend didn’t catch on, because the dog walkers were strangers. The third and final puppy’s vest read “will you marry me?”

His girlfriend didn’t believe it at first. We can’t blame her since it was April Fool’s Day! But when he got down on one knee, she knew it was real.

– Live Lip-dub

Isaac planned and co-ordinated an entire dance number, involving some of their closest family and friends, to propose to his girlfriend, Amy.

He asked Amy to meet him at his parents’ house. When she arrived, his brother was instructed to seat her in the back of a Honda and give her some headphones.

As she sat in the back of the slowly moving car, she watched a well co-ordinated lip-sync and dance number. The presence of all their loved ones must have made it so much more special!

Considering how difficult it can be to organise, these public proposals blew our minds!

Image: Pexels

In Engagements

5 unusual wedding proposals

October 10, 2019 No Comments

The way your partner asks you to get married will probably stay with you forever. From extra-terrestrial visits to swimming with mermaids, these guys made sure their proposals were unforgettable.

1. Our love is timeless

On their second anniversary of dating, Steve and Amanda buried a time capsule that contained a few sentimental items and letters they wrote to each other in a forest they love to walk in. One Saturday, about six years later, Steve casually suggested they dig up the capsule just for fun. Inside was one letter he specifically urged her to read. It was a beautiful letter asking her to marry him. He had snuck it in there all those years ago, already knowing then that she is the One. His genius not ending there, he made sure a photographer caught it all on camera!

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A post shared by How They Asked (@howtheyasked) on Sep 27, 2019 at 9:27am PDT

2. Will you be my player 2?

Retro Shanerator and his girlfriend are avid gamers. Rather than creating one of the insanely challenging Super Mario levels that have been making waves on the internet, he decided to create a fully playable level with his proposal written out via game blocks. He then set the proposal in motion, having his girlfriend play through the level he’d just created. This guy’s not playing around.

3. Hold your breath for this one

Now, this proposal was straight out of a fairytale. Literally. Eric Martinez popped the question to Cammy Cuoco in the middle of a photo shoot during their vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Cammy had always been obsessed with mermaids and her favourite princess is Ariel from the popular Disney movie The Little Mermaid. Coincidentally, their photographer (who was in on the whole thing) had previously been a fashion designer and made the bride-to-be a spectacular mermaid outfit to surprise her with for the shoot. Magical indeed.

4. Love you to the moon and back

Varun Bhanot told his girlfriend, Anisha Seth, that they would be going up in a helicopter to celebrate his birthday. Anisha, who loves all things sci-fi and space related, got into the helicopter expecting to fly over the Cheshire, England countryside. Unbeknownst to her, Varun had spent nearly three months calling farmers asking if they could accommodate a crop circle on their land and eventually found someone willing to help set up a proposal that’s out of this world. While up in the air, at just the right moment, Varun made a heart-felt speech and told Anisha to look out the window. When she looked back at him, he had the ring ready. We’re pretty sure it wasn’t too outlandish for her.

5. I love you in every language there is

Niriksha and Michael have been besties for years, and even went to school together from Kindergarten. One weekend, he told her they were going on a surprise breakaway. They are both from the US, but Niriksha had studied in Paris (her favourite city in the world) and that’s where they were headed. He took her to a wall called Le murs de je t’aime, which has the words “I love you” in all the different languages written on it. Pretending to want a picture on impulse, he gave his phone to a stranger (who was, in fact, the hired photographer) and got down on his knee. Luckily, she said “oui”.

Featured image: Unsplash