15 Budget-Friendly Engagement Party Must-Haves

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You feel unreal right now. The love of your life proposed, and you said yes. You’re now a fiancé. You know what that means, right? It’s time for the engagement party!

The engagement party is the perfect way to celebrate without all of the expectations of a wedding. However, just as weddings have become bigger and bolder, so have all of the other elements of wedding planning, including the engagement party. We’re talking about party favors, personalized decorations, and so much more.

There are a number of factors to consider when planning the engagement party and cost is definitely one of them. The good news? You can plan an amazing party without breaking the bank. And to help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 15 budget-friendly engagement party must-haves. Let’s jump in!

1. A Colorful Balloon Chandelier

Not only is this a very aesthetic addition to your party, but it’s also very economical and DIY! All you have to do is take some festive colored balloons, fill ‘em up with helium, tie them together, and then attach them to a cute little jar with a floral arrangement in it or a cake stand.

Depending on where you're hosting the party, you can either make a central chandelier or place individual chandeliers at the center of each table.

Nothing speaks cheer and celebration more than balloons.

2. Custom Drink Stirrers

Remember, it’s about sticking to a central theme, and the central theme is celebration. Infuse that into each element of the engagement party.

A Bubbly Life had the terrific idea of making gilded drink stirrers shaped like hearts by using gold leaves, wooden hearts, and some wooden sticks.

It’s novel, it’s fun, and it adds a certain zest to the drinks. Plus, you can change up the colors or the shapes to match the theme of your party.

3. Save the Date Coasters

Now that you’ve sorted out the drink stirrer situation, you need to think about where people are going to put down their drinks. If you’re hosting the party in your home or in the home of a loved one, coasters are a must. After all, no one wants drink stains on their table or countertops.

Coasters are a classy and low-cost solution to the problem at hand.

Even better, you can customize your coasters with messages such as “save the date” or for a more personalized approach, include a picture of you and your fiancé with the wedding date in a unique font.

4. Greenery Globe Light Garland

Globe and string lights are all the rage right now. You can use them in so many different ways and they add an elegant touch to any event.

Have fun with the lightning at your engagement party by transforming globe lights into an ethereal greenery garland. It will not only liven up the place, but it will also make it look like you’re hosting the party at some fabled glen where fairies dance at night.

All you have to do is take a string of globe lights and wrap artificial greenery around them. The Merry Thought has a great breakdown on creating your own globe light garland.

5. DIY Dinner Notes

The point of the engagement party is to celebrate you and your fiancé. It’s also about celebrating love with all of the most important people in your life. Why not tell those people how much you care about them in a place they can easily see? Their silverware!

Silverware messages are easy to create, low cost, and go the extra mile in making those around you feel loved. And if you don’t want to print out individual notes, we have wedding favor labels that would fit perfectly on these.

6. Party Boxes

There’s no better way to let the guests know they’re valued than gifting them party bags or to-go boxes at the end of the night.

You can get creative and put cute (and low cost) things in these boxes, ranging from little chocolates and candies to homemade cookies or small succulents.

Remember, it’s more about gifting them the box than it’s about what’s inside.

7. Tea Favors

You cannot go wrong with tea favors. Here’s why: Everyone loves tea. Plus, tea is cheap!

For many, tea is their go-to healthy beverage when they’re home. It’s warm, it’s comforting, and it goes well with just about anything. Find a tea that best represents your theme (ahem…wedding tea) or spice things up by buying a variety of teas and putting them in elegant bottles or sealed bags.

Tea favors aren’t just fantastic gifts; they add an amazing aesthetic to the party.

8. Personalized Wedding Stickers

Here’s why personalized stickers are a great party must-have: They’re versatile, they are cost-effective, and they’re easy to apply. Plus, they can be used on so many different things!

Create save-the-date wedding stickers and use them on your napkins, on your favors, on your silverware roll-ups, or on your guest book. The best thing about personalized stickers is you can also use them at your wedding, making them extra budget friendly.

9. A Recycled Guestbook

Do you have books from when you were a kid? Maybe they are just sitting around on a bookshelf or in a trunk somewhere. Why not use one as your guestbook?

Find a few pages in the book that mean something special to you and your fiancé and have your guests sign their names along with their well wishes. It’s a terrific way to bring two special elements in your life together. Plus, it’s free!

10. Champagne Bar

We know, we know, it’s only champagne if it’s from the Champagne region of France, otherwise, it’s just sparkling wine. Don’t let that hold you back, though. You can create your very own champagne bar with a selection of fruits, cocktails, and wines so that your guests can make their own drinks.

Want to go a step further? Print fun cocktail recipes on colorful paper and stick them by the bar or add decorations to the bar’s wall to make it more festive. Think glittery golden balls, pompoms, and flowers. It will add a touch of elegance without the cost.

11. Chocolate Favors

It’s a well-established fact that everybody loves chocolate and there’s no better occasion for festive chocolate favors than an engagement party.

To keep your budget low, purchase a pack of chocolates from the store and wrap them. You can either have labels custom-printed or simply print your own on nice paper. Similar to the favors mentioned earlier, include your name and wedding date to give them a personal touch.

12. DIY Photo Booth Props

It’s time to say cheese and take some pics that you can cherish for the rest of your life. But don’t just take boring old regular pics. Get a photo booth!

Photo booths are easier than ever to set up and you don’t have to spend a ton of money on props. Create your own mustaches, glasses, top hats, lips, crowns, and other fun shapes to get people in the mood to take some pictures.

13. Personalized Plastic Cups

We all love a red solo cup but is that what you really want at your engagement party? Probably not. That doesn’t mean you have to go all out ordering custom drinkware, however.

Clear plastic cups offer endless possibilities -- dip the bottom in glitter for a glamorous look or take those wedding stickers we mentioned earlier and add them to your cups for a low cost but personalized look.

14. Banners, Banners, Banners

Nothing screams a party like a banner. You can opt for a photo banner with a picture of you and your fiancé or you can go for a wordy banner. Hang it up over the fireplace and surround it with lights to highlight what the party’s all about.

The cool thing about banners is they can be made to fit any theme and can be made out of basically any material. Don't feel like making them yourself? That’s ok too. Banners are relatively inexpensive and can often be used for multiple occasions.

15. Magnets

Magnets aren’t just for real estate agents and souvenir stores. They are also fabulous engagement party favors! Get some heart-shaped magnets, some with messages printed on them, and a few that have the wedding date printed on them. Sprinkle them all over the place. You can make your own or order personalized magnets.

Paired with everything else such as the stickers, banners, lights, and decorations, they will bring out the life of the party and add to the festiveness. Plus, you can let the guests take them home afterward.

Do you feel like you have everything you need to plan an affordable yet amazing engagement party? At Stomp, we produce high-quality personalized wedding accessories, including wedding stickers, save the date coasters, wine bottle labels, and more.

If you don’t see what you need, contact our printing experts and see how we can help.