How to Find Engagement Party Venues Near You That Are *Chef's Kiss*

If you're recently engaged, you don't have to wait until your wedding to get lit. Engagement parties are a great way to gather with friends and family to celebrate your forthcoming marriage. They're also pretty straightforward to plan, provided you book an engagement party venue early in the process. Fortunately, with The Knot Vendor Marketplace, you can easily search engagement party venues near you (along with wedding venues and vendors, when you're ready), and browse by location, capacity, price and more. Want to learn more about choosing an engagement party venue near you? We've got you covered with this step-by-step guide to find the right spot for your post-proposal, prenuptial celebration.

In this article:

• Where to Have an Engagement Party Near You
• Who Pays for the Engagement Party Venue
• Who Selects the Engagement Party Venue
• How to Decide on an Engagement Party Venue
• When to Book an Engagement Party Venue
• How to Coordinate With Your Engagement Party Venue After Booking

Where to Have an Engagement Party Near You

Ready to start your engagement party venue search? Well, it's super easy to find an engagement party venue near you with the help of The Knot Vendor Marketplace. Simply choose the "Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Showers & Parties" option under "Category" and then enter your desired location. You can then narrow your search even further by filtering by distance—so if you want to stay within 10 miles of your hometown so your loved ones don't have to travel far, for example, The Knot makes it a breeze.

Potential Engagement Party Venues

When it comes to choosing an engagement party venue near you, you have lots of options. Engagement parties tend to be smaller and more relaxed events than weddings, so that opens up your options to casual spaces—but it all depends on your desired theme and style. Here's a list of venue ideas to help you get started.

• Restaurant/Bar: Restaurant, lounges and bars make great engagement party venues because they're usually pretty turnkey—food and decor are handled in house so you just have to show up and celebrate. Depending on the size of your party and the venue, you may be able to rent a private room or buy out the entire space.
• Hotel: If you're hosting out-of-towners for your engagement party, you might consider hosting your engagement party in a smaller event space at a hotel. It's certainly convenient for loved ones who have traveled (they can stay on site!), and hotels tend to be all-inclusive venues.
• Park/Outdoor Space: If you want to celebrate alongside nature or keep your party super-casual, why not host a picnic engagement party at a local park or garden? Note that you'll have to bring in your own food and decor, and a public park or outdoor space may require a permit to host a gathering.
• Banquet Hall/Event Space: For a larger engagement party, you might consider a banquet hall or event space. Some of these venues have onsite catering, while for others, you'll have to bring in your own caterer, rental company, decor, etc.
• Private Home: Many engagement parties take place at the home of one of the hosts. While that can be convenient and personal, it does require a lot of work and expense. You'll need to bring in catering, rentals, decor and more—plus set up and cleanup.

Who Pays for the Engagement Party Venue

An engagement party is typically hosted by one or both sets of the couple's parents. It can also be hosted by other family members, friends or the couple themselves. The host or hosts plan and pay for the engagement party, and that certainly includes the venue. The engagement party hosts will also pay for other vendors and services associated with the event, including food, decor, entertainment and more.

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Who Selects the Engagement Party Venue

Whoever is hosting (read: paying for) the engagement party will select the venue, though we do recommend consulting the couple to make sure everyone is on the same page about the general location, guest list, dates and more. The couple may also want to join the hosts to tour venues to provide feedback. If a surprise engagement party is in the works, the guests of honor won't have a say in the venue and the hosts will be on their own to plan.

How to Decide on an Engagement Party Venue

While it can be tempting to jump right into the engagement party venue search, there are a few important decisions you'll need to make before getting started—ideal date, estimated guest count and budget, to name a few. By thinking about what you're looking for in an engagement party venue early on, you'll be able to narrow down the many venues out there to find the ideal spot for the celebration. Here's a list of factors to consider as you browse engagement party venues.

Location

It's important to nail down the general location of the engagement party before looking at venues. Usually, an engagement party takes place either in the city where the couple currently lives or in someone's hometown. Sometimes, a couple may even have two engagement parties if they have loved ones in different parts of the country or world.

Availability

Before starting to look at venues, figure out when you'd like your engagement party to be held. Note that if you're planning an engagement party during peak wedding season (May through October), many venues may already be booked up on Saturday evenings. Consider hosting your event on a Friday, Sunday or even during the week—you'll have more options if you're flexible with your date.

Capacity

Engagement parties can range in size from super-intimate events to huge blowouts with 100 people or more. It's a good idea to jot down an estimated guest list early on in the planning process so you can eliminate venues that are too big or too small.

Cost

As with any event, creating a budget is a vital step in planning an engagement party. And fortunately, with The Knot Vendor Marketplace, you can filter venues by their general price range and even view package pricing so you can find event spaces that work with your budget.

Style

As you're browsing through potential venues, look for spaces that vibe with the newly-engaged couple's personality. Are they beer lovers? Check out a brewery! Love the beach? Maybe a restaurant near the shore is the perfect spot. Engagement parties tend to be more casual events, so venues with a more laid-back feel are usually a safe bet.

What's Included

Be sure to read a venue's package information carefully and find out what's included—and what's not. If you'll need to outsource catering, rentals, decor or other services, ask if there are approved or preferred vendors that typically work in the space.

Important Features

Don't forget to ask about seemingly small details that can have a big impact on the success of your celebration—parking, accessibility, rain plans for outdoor venues and restrooms to name a few. Touring venues in person is the best way to make sure you get all your questions answered.

When to Book an Engagement Party Venue

An engagement party usually takes place two or three months after the proposal, so it's a good idea to book the venue as soon as you've figured out who's hosting, the approximate guest count, general location, workable dates and budget. This should take place at least two months before the event, though you can work with a shorter lead time if you're flexible about the date (hello, weekday engagement party!).

How to Coordinate With Your Engagement Party Venue After Booking

If you're working with an all-inclusive engagement party venue, such as a restaurant, most of the details will be handled in house so your planning process should be a breeze—you'll just want to confirm the menu and timing as you approach the date of your event. For venues where you'll be bringing in other vendors and services, there's a bit more coordination involved. Lean on your pros who will help you with the logistics, and work in conjunction with your venue coordinator to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.