Engagement Party Details
We’re Engaged! (Okay you already knew…but here are some deets I wanted to share about planning our engagement party!)
Why we wanted to do an engagement party
We got engaged back in March 2021 and our approach to wedding planning has been really relaxed, especially given the pandemic and all of its … vibes. So our first event we wanted to plan was an engagement party–to get our families and close friends together (for the first time!) and dip our toes in the water to understand what event planning is like. Both Jackson and I don’t really love being the center of attention in a social setting–we’re awkward little introverts and growing up, never had large parties, etc. So this will be a first for us.
The venue
We wanted to host a tasteful little gathering that was not only meaningful, but also super enjoyable for our guests. After a few months of searching and inspiration gathering, we finally found our perfect venue–Radhaus. My family is from Austria and I grew up learning the German language, traveling to visit family, and enjoying the culture–so finding a location that had this influence was such a win win. Jackson and I often walk over to enjoy brews out on their patio on sunny weekends so this place was super familiar to us.
I’m so excited that we hired this amazing photographer! We never did formal engagement photos, so this was our way of having a more relaxed photo session with our friends in a beautiful setting with candid shots as opposed to posed. I found our photographer over on AntiBride…and fell in love immediately! When they said they could do our event I was over the moon. Its quite an investment, but these photos will last forever and will create such beautiful memories.
We reserved this section at Radhaus, near the windows for our group to gather over drinks and small bites.
The group
My family is from the West Coast, while Jackson’s family is from the Midwest–so our intimate families have never met before, nor have our close friends. So we wanted to plan an event where folks can come together in a relaxed way to get to know one another before our actual wedding. (We also wanted to use this event as a testing ground, to see if we wanted a real wedding with guests, or just a small affair perhaps at the courthouse, etc.) So we invited both our parents, intimate family members and close friends. However, due to Covid–we had to reduce our guest list. Sigh. I would have loved to get everyone together–but at the end of the day we want our family and friends to stay safe during this crazy time.
The vibe
We wanted to offset the minimal and industrial vibes of the space itself with some feminine, earthy florals and candles. I’m so excited to have my dear friend Jacqueline doing our florals! She’s so talented and I cannot wait to see everything she comes up with.
I came up with a neutral / greens / earth tone color scheme for her to work from and provided a list of florals that I love for her to draw inspiration from.
My goal for this event was to not feel stuffy or forced. I wanted it to be a cocktail party vibe in a casual setting that felt special and relaxed. Nothing sit-down or too formal like a full on meal, so instead we opted for small bites. We were able to curate our menu from an assortment of Bavarian bites–we opted for schnitzel slides, mini pretzels and a few others.
Outfit / Beauty Details
This is probably the hardest part…I had no idea what I wanted to wear but I fell in love with this winter-inspired dress. I also can’t wait for this one to arrive as an alternative option…I have SUCH a hard time with dresses, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t so I need ooooptions.
I’m trying eyelash extensions for the first time leading up to the event and I’m so excited/nervous. I booked them here if you’re local to SF and are looking to try!
