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Engagement Party Ideas


You've popped the big question and thankfully she said yes; now it's time to celebrate! Find all the engagement party ideas you'll ever need here at Alive Network.

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About your engagement
Engagement Party Ideas
Recommended engagement party live entertainment
Popular party formats & themes
Party planning essentials, suppliers & links
Best selling live party entertainment

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About your engagement


Your engagement is a promise to marriage as well as the period of time between the proposal and your marriage. During your engagement you are said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged. Future brides and bridegrooms are often referred to as fiancées or fiancés respectively (from the French word fiancé).

Long engagements were once common in formal arranged marriages and it was not uncommon for parents betrothing children to arrange such many years before the engaged couple were old enough to marry.

Origins of engagement

The concept of an official engagement period in Western culture may have begun in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council, headed by Pope Innocent III, which decreed that "marriages are to be ... announced publicly in the churches by the priests during a suitable and fixed time, so that if legitimate impediments exist, they may be made known."

Such a formal church announcement of the intent to marry is known as banns. In some jurisdictions, reading the banns may be part of one type of legal marriage.

Engagement rings

A woman displays her engagement ring. The modern Western form of the practice of giving or exchanging engagement rings is traditionally thought to have begun in 1477 when Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring as an engagement present.

In the United Kingdom and many other countries, an engagement ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. The tradition of wearing a ring for engagement originated from the Egyptians, who believed the circle was a bond between the two people who were to be married, but was initially first practiced on the fourth finger/ring finger by the Romans, who believed this finger to be the beginning of the vena amoris ("vein of love"), the vein that leads to the heart.

In the modern era, some women's wedding rings are made into two separate pieces. One part is given to her to wear as an engagement ring when she accepts the marriage proposal, and the other during the wedding ceremony. When worn together, the two rings look like one piece of jewellery.

Engagement parties

Some engagements are announced at an engagement party, traditionally hosted by the bride's parents. These parties are given in the family's usual style of entertainment. Traditionally, engagement parties were normal parties at which a surprise announcement of the engagement was made by the father of the bride to his guests. Therefore, it is not a traditional gift-giving occasion, as none of the guests were supposed to be aware of the engagement until after their arrival.

In modern times, engagement parties often celebrate a previously publicized engagement.

More about the history of engagements >

Reviews for Engagement Party Live Entertainment
  • (Rat Pack) The Rat Pack Is Back Live Party Bands (Rat Pack) The Rat Pack Is Back 
    Tribute bands
    Based in Essex
    From £1320 +

    Live Party Band
    . THE RAT PACK IS BACK - THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY RAT PACK. The hit show perfectly captures not only the wonderful music and comedy of the original legends, but also the remarkable personalities.Video Online!

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  • Blue Note Mitch and The Red Hot Jacks Live Party Bands Blue Note Mitch and The Red Hot Jacks 
    Swing and Jive
    Based in North Yorkshire
    From £1020 +

    Live Party Band
    . If it's a party you want, Blue Note Mitch & The Red Hot Jacks will be in their element! This quality act perform Jazz, Swing & Jive hits of the 1930s to the 1960s plus Rock ’N’ Roll, Indie, Funky Disco & Soul hits of the 1960s to the present day!

    Listen Listen to a demo

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  • Hipster Live Party Bands Hipster 
    Rock and Pop
    Based in Shropshire
    From £1439 +

    Live Party Band
    . Young, energetic, super-professional and one of the most exciting and experienced party bands to work exclusively with Alive Network! Hipster are an all male 4-piece band, and cover a huge range of music from The Beatles to The Kings of Leon!

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  • Soul Education  Live Party Bands Soul Education  
    Soul RnB
    Based in North London
    From £2100 + (Compact 9 piece Band)

    Live Party Band
    . An outstanding 8-12 piece Funk, Soul and Pop band featuring male & female session singers and exceptional horn section. Extensive repertoire including hits from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Mark Ronson. Book early to avoid disappointment!

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  • (Blues Brothers)Chicago Blues Brothers Live Party Bands (Blues Brothers)Chicago Blues Brothers 
    Tribute bands
    Based in Essex
    From £793 +

    Live Party Band
    . Pete and Ed are back, and they intend to rock the joint again with the hit duo ‘Chicago Blues Brothers’. The two renowned soul singers will once again recapture the lunacy, music and the essence that is The Blues Brothers.

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  • Live Wires Live Party Bands Live Wires 
    Rock and Pop
    Based in Staffordshire
    From £1199+

    Live Party Band
    . Highly experienced, highly professional & experts at making your night one to remember, Live Wires are a 4 piece rock and pop band with a cool, energetic sound. Their repertoire includes The Beatles, The Stones, Kings Of Leon, Killers and much more!

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  • Motown Vogue Live Party Bands Motown Vogue 
    Soul RnB
    Based in Surrey
    From £2526 +

    Live Party Band
    . Take you & your guests back to the 60s and 70s with the truly authentic & charismatic Motown Vogue. This 7 piece band perform classics from artists such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5 & more! Available UK wide & Internationally.

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  • The Swing Cats Live Party Bands The Swing Cats 
    Swing and Jive
    Based in Kent
    From £1200 +

    Live Party Band
    . Performing western swing jive and jump blues music, The Swing Cats have performed their musical mix to weddings, festivals & corporate events & have been featured in live session on BBC radio. Repertoire includes Louis Jordan, Beatles & Frank Sinatra

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  • (Michael Buble) The Songs of Michael Buble Live Party Bands (Michael Buble) The Songs of Michael Buble 
    Tribute bands
    Based in Worcestershire
    From £420 +

    Live Party Band
    . Performing all the hits from his No. 1 selling album “Call Me Irresponsible”, The Songs of Michael Buble provides an uncanny tribute to the man who introduced swing to a new generation. Fully self-contained with a Blues Brothers Tribute also available!

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  • Munch Live Party Bands Munch 
    Rock and Pop
    Based in Merseyside
    From £1261 +

    Live Party Band
    . One of our most frequently recommended bands! A lively, hugely entertaining 4 piece rock & pop band covering hits from The Beatles & Kinks through to Killers & Kings of Leon! MUNCH can turn themselves on and tune in to any event that wants to party!

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  • The New Breed Live Party Bands The New Breed 
    Soul RnB
    Based in Northamptonshire
    From £1200+

    Live Party Band
    . Fronted by virtuoso award winning vocalist Sophie Garner The New Breed is one of the most versatile bands in the UK. Their repertoire spans from 1920's Jazz & Swing to present day pop through Soul, Motown & Rock so there really is something for everyone!

    Listen Listen to a demo

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  • Wild Live Party Bands Wild 
    Swing and Jive
    Based in Warwickshire
    From £900 to £1440 +

    Live Party Band
    . The band Bryan Adams chose to play at his birthday party, WILD are the ultimate Rock n' Roll party band. Ideal for youngsters & oldies alike, they play great tunes for dancing, from Elvis & Buddy Holly to Beach Boys & Jerry Lee Lewis

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  • Happy Hour Live Party Bands Happy Hour 
    Rock and Pop
    Based in Kent
    from £1284+

    Live Party Band
    . Young, energetic four piece party band from Essex, covering the Beatles to the present day greats such as The Killers & Oasis. Their tight harmonies and professional sound come with years of experience in the live music industry. A great party band.

    Listen Listen to a demo

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  • Stray Horns Live Party Bands Stray Horns 
    Swing and Jive
    Based in Bedfordshire
    From £1440 +

    Live Party Band
    . Fantastic big band sound at a great price! 6-piece, all male brass band with top quality self recorded backing tracks. Trumpets, sax & vocals all performed fully live. A great choice for all events especially where space is short but you need a big sound

    Listen Listen to a demo

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  • The Kicks Live Party Bands The Kicks 
    Rock and Pop
    Based in Hampshire
    From £1284+

    Live Party Band
    . A modern, high energy 4 piece all male band performing rock and pop classics from The Beatles to The Killers. The Kicks go that extra mile to give you a performance like you've never seen before!

    Listen Listen to a demo

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Ideas for your Engagement Party

Because it's often the case that many guests don't know each other very well, it's important to ensure you have plenty of 'ice breakers'. When two families are coming together for the first time it can be a nerve racking experience and so the more you can put guests at ease the better.

Think about mix and mingle acts such as a close up magician, a caricaturist & maybe even a pianist to play light background music whilst guests arrive & chat.

If you have space then try a jazz band who could play up tempo lively music to keep spirits high and feet tapping whilst you great guests and show off your engagement ring!

Ensure the drinks are flowing throughout the party and in no time the two families will be getting to know each other and soaking up the party atmosphere.

Party themes

If you got engaged in an interesting location, you might like to theme your engagement party to suit. Hawaiian or beach themes are relatively easy to put together, as are New York, Las Vegas, Mexican, Australian themes etc. View more party themes in our section below.

Live Music

No party is complete without live music so if your budget can stretch to hire a live band it will be a sound investment towards ensuring the success of your big night.

It's important to consider the age range of the guests who will be attending your party as grandparents, although actually some of the 'most-likely-to-dance' members of the party, might not be quite so keen on hard rock or gangsta rap.

Safe bets are:
Tribute bands (because of the interesting costumes, the stage performances & novelty aspect)
Rock and pop covers bands (as long as they cover music from 50s/60's alongside contemporary tunes)
Rock and roll/swing bands (great to get the 2 families dancing together)
Soul bands (everyone knows Mustang Sally!).

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Popular Party Types & Themes
Click the links below for party ideas, useful tips & advice.

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Essential Party Planning Supplies
Click the links below to view suppliers for all your essential party requirements.

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Entertainers / Meet & Greet
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Fancy Dress Costumes
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From £450 (Avg: £1499)
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From £600 (£1800 avg)
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Best selling engagement party entertainment
View our best selling engagement party entertainment. Click the images to view each artist's profile or scroll to view more acts.

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