Engagement party invitations
Engagement party invitations for the first celebration of many.
An engagement party is the first time your families and friends gather around the news, and often the first time they see how the two of you like to celebrate. The invitation sets that tone early. Below are twelve engagement party wording examples, from a formal dinner hosted by her parents to a barbecue, a surprise, and a video toast for friends who live far away, each shown on a real Bloomvite template. Use one as your starting point, add an engagement photo as the cover, and send each guest a personal link by text or email. Replies and the headcount collect themselves. Free for up to 50 people with no watermark, and the same look can carry through to your wedding invitation.
Reviewed September 2026. Etiquette and timing are sourced below.
Lauren & Ryan
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Collins
request the pleasure of your company
at a dinner celebrating the engagement of their daughter
Lauren Collins
to
Ryan Patel
Saturday, February 6, 2027, at seven o'clock
The Union League Club, Philadelphia
Templates we would start with
How it works
- 1
Pick a template
Choose a design, then change the font pair, accent color, and cover photo on a live preview that is the real invitation.
- 2
Add details and guests
Create the event as "Engagement", fill in the date and venue, and add guests by hand, or import a list on Pro or Large.
- 3
Send and relax
Send each guest a personal link from your email or messages. Review replies in the guest list. Pro and Large add reminder emails for eligible pending guests with email addresses.
What to include
- Who is hosting
- Parents, both families, friends, or the couple. The host's name tells guests whose party it is and who to ask about details.
- What you are celebrating
- The engagement of two named people. Full names for a formal party, first names for a relaxed one.
- What kind of party
- Dinner, cocktails, brunch, or a barbecue. One line is enough, and it quietly answers the question of what to wear.
- Date, time, and place
- With an end time for a daytime party. The address gets a map link automatically on Bloomvite.
- A gift note, if you want one
- Leave any registry off the invitation. If guests may wonder whether to bring something, a short line settles it.
- A photo
- An engagement photo as the cover image does more than any decoration and makes the invitation feel personal from the first glance.
Wording examples you can use
Each example is shown on a real template. "Use this wording" starts your invitation with it, and you change the names and details to yours.
By who is hosting
Traditionally the bride's parents host the first party, but today it is just as often both families, friends, or the couple.
Lauren & Ryan
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Collins
request the pleasure of your company
at a dinner celebrating the engagement of their daughter
Lauren Collins
to
Ryan Patel
Saturday, February 6, 2027, at seven o'clock
The Union League Club, Philadelphia
Jasmine & Tyler
The Washington and Nguyen families
invite you to celebrate the engagement of
Jasmine Washington
and
Tyler Nguyen
Sunday, March 14, 2027, 1 to 4 p.m.
Magnolia Hall, Atlanta
Sofia & Liam
We're engaged!
Sofia Marino and Liam O'Brien
invite you to raise a glass with us
Friday, January 22, 2027, 7 p.m.
Death & Co, Denver
Chloe & Andre
She said yes!
Join us to celebrate
Chloe Anderson and Andre Baptiste
Saturday, April 10, 2027, 6 p.m.
Hosted by Megan, Priya, and Tom
at Megan's place, 88 Hawthorne Street, Portland
By kind of party
The invitation should sound like the party. A cocktail evening and a rib-heavy barbecue deserve different words.
Victoria & James
Cocktails for the couple
Victoria Lane and James Whitfield
Thursday, May 13, 2027
six to nine in the evening
The Aviary, Chicago
Cocktail attire
Kayla & Drew
I Do BBQ
Kayla and Drew are getting hitched!
Come celebrate with ribs, lawn games, and a keg
Saturday, June 19, 2027, 3 p.m.
The Millers' backyard, 27 Pecan Drive, Tulsa
Emma & Noah
Brunch, bubbles, and the happy couple
Please join us to celebrate
Emma Larsen and Noah Kim
Sunday, October 17, 2027, 11 a.m.
Tartine Manufactory, San Francisco
Surprises, announcements, and faraway friends
For news that has not been shared yet, a party the couple does not know about, or friends who cannot travel.
Ashley & Ben
Shh! It's a surprise
Help us surprise
Ashley Moore and Ben Carter
with a party for their engagement
Saturday, February 20, 2027
Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. sharp
The Glass House, Nashville
Grace & Henry
Big news!
Grace Liu and Henry Adams
are getting married next fall
Come celebrate the engagement with us
Saturday, November 6, 2027, 4 p.m.
Henry's parents' home, Lexington, Massachusetts
Aisha & Connor
A toast from wherever you are
Aisha Rahman and Connor Doyle
are engaged and would love to see your faces
Sunday, March 7, 2027
12 p.m. Pacific, 3 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. London
The video link is below
Special situations
A party with no gifts, and an engagement later in life hosted by the couple's grown children.
Hana & Luis
Hana Sato and Luis Ortega
are engaged, and we want to celebrate with you
Saturday, September 11, 2027, 5 p.m.
Lilia, Brooklyn
Your company is the only gift we want.
Linda & Robert
At long last
Linda Harris and Robert Chen
are engaged!
Their children invite you to a garden party
in their honor
Sunday, May 30, 2027, 2 p.m.
The Huntington, San Marino, California
Etiquette notes
Who hosts
By tradition the bride's parents are offered the first chance to host an engagement party, followed by the groom's parents. That is a courtesy, not a rule: both families together, close friends, or the couple can host, and more than one party is common when families live far apart. Whoever hosts is named on the invitation.
Source: [1] Emily Post Institute
Only wedding guests
Invite only people you are sure will be invited to the wedding. An engagement party invitation reads as a hint that a wedding invitation will follow, so a guest left off the wedding list later will notice. If the wedding will be small, keep the party small too.
Source: [2] Emily Post Institute
Timing
Engagement parties are typically held within one to three months of the engagement, and invitations usually go out two to four weeks before the party. A digital invitation lets you send closer to the date without anyone missing it in the mail, but give out-of-town family more notice.
Source: [1] Emily Post Institute
Gifts
Whether guests bring an engagement present depends on local custom, and when they do it is usually small. The invitation should not mention a registry. If you would rather nobody brought anything, a short line such as your company is the only gift we want spares guests the guessing.
One look from the engagement to the wedding
Many couples want their engagement party, save the date, and wedding invitation to feel like one family of stationery. On Bloomvite, create each as its own event and pick the same template, font pair, and accent color. Guests start to recognize your invitations on sight, and you make each design choice once. Start the next one from save the date wording or wedding invitation wording.
RSVPs without a group chat
Every guest has a personal link, so every reply is tied to a name. You see who is coming, who has not answered, and any dietary notes in one list. Send links from your own email or messages. On the paid tiers, Bloomvite can email them for you and send reminders before your deadline, so you do not have to chase anyone. For a big family, add everyone at once from a spreadsheet on the paid tiers.
When to send it
- 1 to 3 months after the engagement Hold the party while the news is fresh. [1]
- 2 to 4 weeks before Send the invitations, one personal link per guest or household. [1]
- 1 week before the deadline Nudge anyone who has not replied. On Pro, Bloomvite emails the reminder.
- A few days before Close replies and give final numbers to the venue or caterer.
Pricing
Free
1 event, up to 50 people, every template and RSVP. You share it yourself. No watermark.
$39 per event
Up to 300 people, plus emailed invitations and reminders, seating, CSV import, and QR check-in.
$79 per event
Up to 1,000 people. Everything in Pro.
One-time, no subscription. Full pricing.
Questions
- Who traditionally hosts the engagement party?
- By tradition the bride's parents are offered the first chance to host, then the groom's parents. Today both families, friends, or the couple often host instead. The host's name goes on the invitation.
- Who should be invited to an engagement party?
- Only people you plan to invite to the wedding. Inviting someone to the engagement party suggests a wedding invitation will follow, so keep this list inside your wedding list.
- Are gifts expected at an engagement party?
- It depends on local custom, and gifts are usually small when guests bring them. If you want to spare guests the question, add a line such as your company is the only gift we want.
- When should engagement party invitations go out?
- Usually two to four weeks before the party, according to Emily Post, and earlier if guests need to travel.
- Can I send engagement party invitations by text?
- Yes. Send each guest their own link by text, WhatsApp, or email. It is personal, and they can reply in seconds without an account.
- Can I use the same design for the wedding invitation?
- Yes. Create the wedding as its own event and choose the same template, fonts, and accent color, so your invitations look like one set.
- How do I invite guests to a virtual engagement toast?
- Create the event as usual, put the video link in a section below the invitation, and give the time in the time zones your guests live in, like the virtual toast example above.
- Is it free?
- Free for one event and up to 50 people, with every template and no watermark. Above that, $39 per event for up to 300 people, one-time, no subscription.
Sources
- Emily Post Institute, Inside Weddings: Celebrating Your Engagement. Read September 25, 2026, from an archived copy.
- Emily Post Institute, Who to Invite to Your Wedding, Engagement Party, & More. Read September 25, 2026, from an archived copy.
- Emily Post Institute, Wedding Invitation Dos and Don'ts. Read September 25, 2026, from an archived copy.
Free for 50 people. No watermark, ever.