When Lizzy came to me to discuss the design of her engagement party the first thing she told me was that she did not want it to be anything like the wedding she was planning in DC the following year. She wanted her engagement party to be a completely different vibe than the wedding and she wanted to go with an upscale all-white affair with rustic accents since we would be hosting the party in her parents backyard. You would never know from the photos but the party was actually on a tennis court. We really didn’t want guests to feel like they were in a backyard or on a tennis court so the transformation began!
We added an all white flower wall with a neon sign behind the dance floor as a statement piece and as a backdrop for guests to take photos.
The dessert bar was a must have for the sweets loving couple. We wanted to have as many white and gold desserts as possible while incorporating rustic design details. The dessert bar had custom personalized cookies with the upcoming wedding date. Additional desserts included cake pops, individual popcorn boxes, gold brushed macaroons and Rice Krispies
All white tiled flooring was placed on top of the tennis court and we draped the perimeter of the space with white draping. We strung bistro lighting to give it ambient lighting. We decided to do a mix of long and round tables, the long tables were rustic dark wood tables and we covered the round tables with white linens and added cross back chairs. The long tables featured long, lush centerpieces and were filled with candles, greenery, and white floral accents. Tall floral arrangements were placed on the round tables for contrast.
We opted for upscale interactive food stations so that it was less formal and guests could walk around and mingle while they ate. We had a rustic bread and salad station, Mediterranean station, slider station, and gourmet Mac & Cheese station where guests could choose their own ingredients.
Cake Designer: Rolling in Dough | Other:Tasty Treats by Teri | Caterer: Invitation to Dine | Caterer: Liquid Courage | Equipment Rentals: RSVP Party | Lighting: Bliss Entertainment | Event Designer: Emily Reno Events | Floral Designer: Alexander Wong Events | Photographer: Kristen Marie Weddings + Portraits
This engagement party was also featured on Kate Aspen’s Blog and Pretty my Party Blog.