Personalized engagement party invitations are an exciting way of sharing the news of your impending nuptials with all of your friends and family. Your engagement party is a fun event to celebrate, plan, and to receive engagement gifts and well-wishes. As much as your engagement invites will resemble your future invitations in some way, one has to remember that the rules to writing an engagement party invitation are a lot more lax than that of its intricate cousin, the wedding! While your engagement is a simple gathering or party, your wedding is usually a far more formal ceremony followed by a celebration. Either way, your engagement party is another important milestone in your life, just like a birthday party only bigger, and the main things you need to consider when writing are the essential details; who, what, when, where and RSVP.

Whether you're looking for the most elaborate styles like rose gold engagement invitations and letterpress engagement invitations, or you're looking for simple engagement invitations or cheap engagement invitations, you can create your engagement invitations online with Paperlust. We offer a huge range of personalised engagement cards, from vintage engagement party invitations to sleek modern engagement invitations, in a range of print types from digital print to letterpress and gold foil. We also offer photo engagement invitations so you can make the most of that engagement photo shoot.

Who to invite?

It’s not a necessity when it comes to engagement invitations, but you always have the option to address the people who you are inviting to your engagement. There is nothing better than receiving a personalised engagement invite as it creates all the feels, but if these people are also invited to the wedding then save it for the wedding invites!

When to send the invitations?

What date and at what time have you asked your guests to come and join you for one hell of a gathering? Make sure you organise the space or venue before you send the invitations out!

Where is the engagement party being held?

A location is definitely preferable on any kind of invitations, and don’t forget a few directions if the venue is a bit tricky to find!. Create matching engagement party signs for your venue

When and how should guests RSVP?

How can your guest best contact you to know whether they’ll be attending or not? To be extra cautious, you can always place an email address as well as a phone number. Just triple check the details are correct before printing!

That’s essentially it. Those are the key things you need to have on your engagement party invites. There is no need for subsequent documents like a save the date to forewarn the date, a physical RSVP card for guests to fill out and return, a wishing well or gift registry card for your friends and family to peruse. Thank guests for engagement gifts with personalised thank you cards. Save this delightful informative bundle for the wedding invites where it counts on a completely different level.

ENGAGEMENT INVITATIONS ETIQUETTE

The rules of etiquette when it comes to the engagement invitation are on the leaner side of things than that of your wedding invitation further down the line. Your engagement is a time when you hash out a lot of the details that will become important when you start looking at your own wedding invitations. The most important being the guest list.

The invite - I choose you!

This is the time in your life when you can be either incredibly brutal or incredibly lenient in your guest list. Both are as equally justified because in the end, it is your engagement.

With each different kind of engagement, there are a few key things to keep in mind when preparing the amount engagement invites you will need.

The engagement party! - You can invite people who won't be invited to the wedding

Yes, you read right. It is becoming more common to make your wedding annoucements the big affair and then have a wedding on a more intimate scale. It make sense on many levels because let’s face it - weddings are expensive. As much as you’d like everyone to be there, the cost of some snags, a salad and some wine at the engagement versus a fixed cost per head at the wedding puts things into perspective for many couples.

The key is to let people know that you are planning a smaller wedding. That way they can be assured that they did not do something in between the engagement and the wedding that had them struck off your list!

The great thing about this is that is also addresses the age old question of ‘do I have to invite my boss and/or work colleagues to the wedding?’ - no, not at all. Just invite them to the engagement!

You don’t have to invite everyone

If your family is on a particularly larger scale, come engagement/wedding list writing time you end up having ‘*insert name you don’t recognise* whose cousins of your cousin who remember you from when you were two years old when they looked after you that one time’ thrown onto your list. Before you start hyperventilating as your list gets longer by ten fold remember one important thing - this is your list.

As hard as it is when your family berate you to invite their friends or family to your engagement, it all comes down to who you know, who you want there and who has had something to do with your relationship.

Sometimes it just seems easier to invite those people. However if you do resort to it, make sure it is a compromise - they’ll be at the engagement but you don’t have to invite them to the wedding. Simples!

There is nothing wrong with a small engagement party

Sometimes big parties aren’t for everyone, especially when you’re saving for a wedding. And it’s okay! Choosing 50 people out of a possible 150 means you have more time to get around to everyone at your engagement, and you’ll most likely get to speak them more than once which can be a rarity at these kind of events as it can be pretty exhausting being a social butterfly.

STYLING YOUR ENGAGEMENT INVITES

Now the guest list is dealt with, it’s time for the fun part - the engagement invitation design! We have a great range of engagement party invitations from Australian designers, but before you nuts with all the possibilities, you need to knuckle down some facts:

What kind of event are you having?

This can be easily determined by your guest list! From there you’ll need to answer some questions such as are you having a big family gathering? Or a gathering mainly made up of friends? Will the people be likely to dress up if you set a theme? Or is it easier to set a simple theme than an intricate one? The location of your party might also factor into your choice or theme - Engagement invitations for Perth are likely to be different than engagement invitations for Sydney or engagement party invitations for Melbourne, especially if the environment is a big part of your day.  

Once you’ve figured it out we can move onto working out the theme. For example if you were going for a rustic theme, you would match it in with rustic engagement party invitations.  

What is the theme of the engagement party?

Deciding whether or not to have a theme for your engagement is important, because if you do decide to have one, it then snowballs into every other detail for the day. The invitation, location, the decorations, your engagement banner, engagement bunting or engagement signs, the food and the hair all depends on the theme you have or have not chosen! Not to mention it plays an integral role in the last deciding factor. So make a decision and stick to it!

What is the dress code for the engagement party?

What will your guests be expected to wear to your engagement? For an elegant black tie event, a formal design will probably be best, ‘garden party attire’ might call for a floral masterpiece, and if your guests are going to be coming in casual attire, casual or even funny engagement party invitations might be appropriate.

Each of the above play a crucial role in then deciding how your invitation is going to tie in with the wedding. Will it be a colour? An image of a croquet mallet for your garden party? A festive illustration for your Spanish Fiesta? Or a classic white card with black text that ties in with the venue? Do not fear, once you have the guest list and a game play of the day the rest will settle into place. You can read more about choosing a party invitation templates here.

ENGAGEMENT INVITATION WORDING THE WORD, WORD!

Engagement invitation wording is quite similar to that of a wedding invitation, perhaps even only a few words different! Thankfully at Paperlust we have done the hard work and have created engagement invitations templates for every design for you to keep, change or alter to suit your engagement.

Wording your engagement invitations might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! There are just a few keys to engagement invitation wording and engagement cards messages that you should keep in mind, including:

Know your event type

Is your party going to be a formal cocktail party or a casual backyard barbecue? Is it a small gathering of your closest friends and family members, or a huge gala featuring everyone you ever met? What feeling or vibe are you aiming for at your engagement party? Once you have the answers to these questions and a solid understanding of your event, you can channel this into your engagement invitation wording.

For a more formal event, go for more formal wording, sticking to proper invitation etiquette. Formal engagement invitation wording usually demands more words: full titles and names, numbers and dates written out in words, and transitional phrases like ‘will be held on…’. 

For an informal event, minimalism in your engagement invitation wording is appropriate. You can use digits for your numbers and leave out a lot of transitional phrases. A more casual context means ‘Jemma and Raph’s engagement party, October 12, 2019, 7pm’ is perfect. There’s no need to write out ‘Jemma Louise Askew and Raphael John Montana request your presence at their engagement party, to be hold on Saturday October 12, 2019, at 7pm’, unless you want to! 

Know your audience

Your engagement invitation wording should be tailored to the guests you are inviting. If you are inviting acquaintances, clients or important people from your professional life, you might want to use more formal engagement invitation wording, with things written out in full. Steer clear of humour and jokes if you are inviting people you aren’t close to. Funny engagement invitation wording can accidentally turn offensive or just fall flat to people who don’t understand your sense of humour. 

On the other hand, if your guest list is made up of close friends and family - people who know you well in real life - it makes total sense to use your personality and speak to them how you normally would. Feel free to use nicknames, jokes and sarcasm if you can be sure everyone will ‘get’ it.

Knowing your audience will also help you avoid an etiquette faux pas. Should you include information about engagement party gifts (a link to a registry, or a request for contributions to a wishing well) on the invitation itself, or is that a no-no? This largely depends on how traditional your guests are, and how important classic 'rules' are to them. 

Know your engagement invitation design

Your engagement invitation design should be chosen based on the same considerations as your wording, particularly the type of event you are having and the style of that event. This should make it easy to match your engagement invitation wording to the invitation design itself. Basically, you want to make sure there’s not a disconnect between the two. It doesn’t make sense to have a fun, playful design with stilted, formal wording on it. Pick a vibe and stick to it. 

If you’re still in a bit of a pickle, here are a couple examples of some engagement invitation wording for you to peruse:

Let’s Celebrate!

Please join us in drinking a toast to the engagement of

Kali & Adam

Saturday the 29th of March 2015

5pm - late

The Love Bar 123 Hubby Street, Malvern

RSVP to Kali on 0400000000

We’re Engaged!

Come and celebrate the future Mr & Mrs Smith

Kali & Adam

At the Smith’s Residence on the 2nd April 2015

143 Mayne St, Richmond

5:30pm

RSVP to Kali on 0400000000

Kali Johnston and Adam Smith are

ENGAGED!

Come and join us for an afternoon of eating and drinking on the

25th of May 2015 at 1pm

Carlton Gardens (cnr Nicholson St & Carlton St)

RSVP to Kali on kali.johnston@email.com

Obviously each invitation will be different in how you will be able to lay it all out, but don’t forget that our team of Paperlust designers are always on hand to help and look over your design!

ENGAGEMENT INVITATION TEMPLATES

Engagement invitation templates are paid or free templates which can be downloaded from online to be edited with your own information. You are then responsible for printing and actually creating your own physical invitations (unless, of course, you want to keep it digital and send them in an email). 

Engagement invitation templates are popular for people interested in saving money on their engagement party, but what do you sacrifice to save? Are printable engagement invites the best option for you?

Professional engagement invitations vs engagement invitation templates

Professional engagement invitations offer you more than just invitations. You have far more options with a designer or a professional stationery company, not just in terms of the style of your invites but also in terms of the print type. Professional engagement invitations may come in digital, letterpress, foil stamping, raised foil, print on wood, white ink and other premium printing methods not achievable on a home printer.

Free shipping for engagement party invitations

Professional invitation companies offer superior quality paper stock, ink and printing methods because they have the right suppliers and can get discounts on items purchased in bulk. Envelopes (including address printing) and shipping are usually included in the price you pay for the invites. They are able to ship to you within a week or two, and they provide full coverage in case of any errors.

If you decide to go for engagement invitation templates, you need to remember to factor in the cost and time involved in getting the right paper, ink and envelopes, printing your invites, addressing your envelopes, and reprinting things if anything goes wrong. If you don’t consider the price of these extras and the skill and time required to get them done, using a template could turn out pricey and disappointing. Good planning is crucial to preventing that outcome!

Paid vs free engagement invitation templates

Since engagement invitation templates are often chosen as a way to save money, free engagement invitation templates are very appealing to people making the choice between the two. If you decide to track down free engagement invitation templates, make sure they are coming straight from the source: Many designers and wedding invitation companies offer engagement invitation templates free online, so look for these rather than freebies on sketchy websites. Some people illegally access designs and make them available free, and you definitely don’t want to support piracy of designers’ work.

Sticking to free engagement invitation templates drastically reduces the pool of possible designs you have to choose from, so if there’s something specific you have in mind then you should probably be prepared to look beyond what is the engagement invitation templates free online. This doesn’t have to be a huge extra expense: some paid templates can be found for under $20! When you’re already paying for paper, ink, envelopes and other practical things, a little extra to cover the design isn’t all that much.

As always, you tend to get what you pay for with designs: free engagement invitation templates usually aren’t the highest quality and it can be extremely difficult to replicate professional quality if you’re working with freebies.

Of course, if you can afford to support an artist or designer by buying a paid design or by sending a small tip for a free design, this is always appreciated. It’s great to support independent designers!

DIY engagement invitations

An engagement party is one of the most memorable experiences of your life: your first opportunity to gather all your friends and family members and all your partner’s friends and family members to celebrate your love for one another. Your invitations set the tone for the whole occasion, so you want to get them right. DIY engagement invitations are extremely popular because they give you full control over the result and they show that you have put care and time into the day. 

DIY engagement invitations look beautiful, but they can become very time consuming and difficult to produce, especially if you’re planning a large engagement party with many guests. Luckily for busy people, it’s possible to have a DIY look without the time investment. This is also great news for people who love the look of DIY engagement invitations but don’t feel confident to actually do any DIY work themselves. If you don’t have a crafty bone in your body, we’ve got you covered. 

Some popular elements of pseudo DIY engagement invitations are script fonts that look like calligraphy, watercolour washes that look like they have been painted by hand, and design motifs that look hand-drawn. What’s important is that it looks like it could have been done by hand: it has a warm, personal feel that really makes a statement. 

If you’re interested in following up your DIY engagement invitations with other DIY look stationery for your wedding, we can help you find what works, including save the dates, wedding invitations, RSVP cards and thank you cards. 

When to Send Engagement Party Invitations

Timing your invitations correctly ensures maximum attendance and gives out-of-town guests enough notice to plan:

- For a local engagement party (within the same city): Send invitations 4–6 weeks in advance. This gives guests enough time to save the date without so much lead time that they forget.

- For a party with interstate or international guests: Send invitations 6–10 weeks in advance. If you know travel is required, a brief "save the date" text or message to key people even earlier (10–12 weeks) is considerate.

- For a surprise engagement party: Work with whoever is organising it — typically invitations go out 4–6 weeks in advance with clear "SURPRISE!" messaging so guests don't accidentally mention it to the couple.

- Same-day digital invitations: For last-minute or spontaneous celebrations, digital invitations (sent via email or WhatsApp/messaging platforms) are completely acceptable for engagement parties. Save the premium printed cards for the wedding.

More Engagement Invitation Wording Examples

Building on the examples already on the page, here are additional scenarios:

Modern / Minimal Wording

ENGAGED Jake & Sophie Saturday 14 March 2026 · 6pm onwards Rooftop Bar, Hotel Lindrum, Melbourne RSVP by 28 February: sophie@email.com

Hosted by Parents (Traditional)

Together with their families, Mr. and Mrs. Chen and Mr. and Mrs. Williams invite you to celebrate the engagement of

Mei & Daniel

Saturday the fourteenth of March, two thousand and twenty-six at six o'clock in the evening

The Garden Room, The Botanical Hotel, Sydney

RSVP by 28 February to Sarah Chen: 0400 000 000

Surprise Engagement Party

SHHH — It's a surprise!

We're throwing a party for Jake & Sophie to celebrate their engagement!

(They think it's just dinner.)

Saturday 14 March 2026 · 7pm (arrive before 6:45!) The Back Room, Darlo Bar, Darlinghurst

RSVP essential: tom@email.com | 0400 000 000

Same-Sex Couple / LGBTQ+ Inclusive

They said yes to each other! Join us to celebrate the engagement of James & Marcus

Saturday 14 March 2026 from 5pm The Terrace, Prahran Hotel, Melbourne

Cocktail attire · RSVP by 1 March to James: 0400 000 000

Casual Backyard Barbecue

🎉 WE'RE ENGAGED! 🎉 And we want to celebrate with you.

Jake & Sophie's Engagement BBQ Saturday 14 March · From midday 14 Smith Street, Brunswick

BYO drinks · We'll handle the food RSVP to Sophie by 7 March: 0400 000 000

Fun / Rhyming

He popped the question, she said YES! Now we're throwing a party — come in your best.

Sophie & Jake's Engagement Party Saturday 14 March · 7pm The Rooftop Bar, 88 Smith Street, Fitzroy

Drinks, dancing, and plenty of reasons to celebrate. RSVP to Sophie by 7 March: 0400 000 000

Short & Playful

Things just got real — we're engaged! 💍

Join us for drinks, food, and questionable dance moves. Saturday 14 March · 6pm The Backyard, 22 River Road, Alphington

RSVP: jake.sophie.engaged@gmail.com by 1 March

Punny / Light-Hearted

Of all the fish in the sea, she picked him. (We're still not sure why.)

Come celebrate Jake & Sophie's engagement! 14 March 2026 · 7pm The Local Pub, 44 High Street, Northcote

RSVP to Jake by 7 March: 0400 000 000

How to Address Engagement Party Invitation Envelopes

Addressing your envelopes well adds a polished finishing touch:

- For a couple at the same address: Mr. & Mrs. David & Sarah Chen (or simply: Sarah & David Chen — equally acceptable for casual events)

- For unmarried couple living together: Ms. Sarah Thompson & Mr. David Chen

- For a single guest with a plus one: Ms. Claire Thompson & Guest

- For a family being invited: The Thompson Family

- For guests you're being deliberately inclusive with: [Guest Name] & Partner (if you don't know partner's name)

- Addressing for a surprise party: Only address to the host/organiser's name on envelopes — never to the couple being surprised!

- Handwriting vs digital printing: For a small engagement party (under 50 guests), handwriting is a lovely touch. For larger events, printed addresses are completely acceptable. A calligraphy-style font maintains the elegance of a handwritten look.

Engagement Party Themes & Matching Invitation Styles

Your theme should drive your invitation design choice. Here's a quick guide:

Garden party / outdoor celebration

Invitation Style to Look For: Floral, watercolour, botanical illustrations

Rustic / country

Invitation Style to Look For: Kraft paper, wood textures, hand-lettered feel

Black tie / cocktail

Invitation Style to Look For: Clean typography, foil stamping, black & white

Boho / festival

Invitation Style to Look For: Pampas grass, terracotta, earthy palettes

Tropical / beach

Invitation Style to Look For: Bright colours, illustrated palm leaves, watercolour

Modern minimalist

Invitation Style to Look For: Simple sans-serif type, monochrome, white space

Vintage / retro

Invitation Style to Look For: Art deco elements, dusty pinks and golds, decorative border

Surprise party

Invitation Style to Look For: Fun, bold colours, emoji or playful typography

Australian-specific: Outdoor garden parties and casual backyard celebrations remain the most popular engagement party format in Australia. Botanical and native flora designs — banksia, waratah, eucalyptus — are a distinctly Australian choice that resonates beautifully for summer and autumn celebrations.

From Engagement Party to Wedding: Planning Your Stationery Suite

Your engagement party is actually the perfect opportunity to establish your wedding stationery aesthetic early, Some couples use it intentionally:

Option A — Engagement as preview: Choose an engagement invitation style that hints at your wedding direction. This builds anticipation and gives guests a first look at your wedding aesthetic months before the invitations arrive.

Option B — Keep them separate: Many couples treat their engagement as a distinct, more casual event — lighter and more playful than the wedding — and then surprise guests with a completely different aesthetic for the wedding itself.

Option C — Match them completely: Some couples choose from the same Paperlust designer collection for their engagement invitations and their full wedding stationery suite. This creates an incredibly cohesive brand story across all their stationery.

Whatever you choose, your engagement party is the ideal time to trial the Paperlust ordering and customisation process, so by the time you're ordering wedding invitations, you'll know exactly what to expect.

Browse matching wedding invitations → Start planning with save the date cards

SUMMARY

Engagement invitations are an easy way to get a feel of how you would like your wedding invites to be designed, and the process that goes into choosing and customising an invitation for your engagement party.

With its lax structural guidelines and freedom of stylistic design, you have the option to be as creative as you would like with your engagement invites! Don’t be restricted by expectations of your engagement being exactly like your wedding sans celebrant, because in the end it’s just a party with your friends to celebrate some great news.

Paperlust is the ideal place for you to shop, whether you're planning an engagement party in Perth or looking for engagement invitations in Melbourne  - we ship express around Australia free of charge, and offer affordable flat rate shipping around the world. 

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