Epic Engagement Parties Are a Big Thing in 2023 And We Love Them
Okay, so at this point, everyone is looking forward to an exciting year in weddings. We’re going big again (smaller-scale celebrations are still awesome too, def not saying those are gone) — yay!! But it’s not just the wedding day itself, it’s the whole engagement journey that’s getting honored, from directly-following-the-ring-on-that-finger parties to night-before-the-big-day welcome events (and all the anticipated others, like bridal party proposal brunches, wedding shower soirees, bridesmaid luncheons, rehearsal dinners, etc.). And you know what we’re loving in particular? Engagement parties that hint at your wedding to come. We’re talking vibe-setting, soon-to-be-wed debut parties that take place at your wedding venue. The team at Mint Springs Farm, a luxury wedding and events venue just outside of Nashville, TN, knows just what we mean…
Cotton Candy: Fluff Nashville; @fluffnashville
Why we kind of love this #justengaged wedding preview party
Yes, your wedding day is a big deal, so there should obviously be a lot of mystery surrounding it. That said, there’s something so cool about having an engagement party that gives all of your favorite people a hot take on the fete they’ll be getting an invite to in the not-so-distant future.
Here, a few more reasons we’re obsessed with said party POV:
If you’ve booked your date and place already, you can start hyping it up!
We’re quite familiar with that ecstatic feeling. The one when you put the deposit down on the place you’ve fallen in love with, and it officially becomes yours. Your day, your venue. We’re never about competition or “finders keepers,” but a place as beautiful as Mint Springs definitely gives way to those feels. We, too, wouldn’t be able to contain our excitement over solidifying our dream venue, so it seems kind of fitting to want to mark your territory (and we mean that in the nicest way possible), so to speak, with a party that says “We’re getting married, faves!! And it’s happening here, so get ready!”
You can write your own rules with a party that’s all personality.
Alright, so the fun thing about an engagement party that gives your VIPs a sneak peek at your wedding event, way before it happens, is that… You can try out all the best/most creative services, installations, photo spots, food and bev that made you so pumped to choose your venue in the first place. BUT you can do it in a way that’s oh-so-you. You might very well want to wear a traditional white or cream dress on your eventual wedding day, you might want to have a cocktail hour with classic or truly epicurean-inspired indulgences, you might even want tame, always-iconic florals to feature in your bouquet, your wedding parties’ pieces, your accent moments, and reception centerpieces. At your engagement party, though, you can dress in a punchy palette, you can have sserts (that’s desserts) and sips as your core sustenance (it’s your engagement party, and you can do ALL the sweets if you want to), and you can do bouquets and fresh-floral focal points that are high-energy and so much fun.
And you can even do wedding portraits in all the best places at your venue!
Okay, so when you're venue ‘shopping', there are always tons of factors that play into your decision to say ‘I do’ at one place over another. Ample photo-worthy vignettes? A huge deal. And Mint Springs Farm has so many stunning scenes to stage your portraits—after all, your wedding ceremony itself can be set with a backdrop of the farm’s beautiful lake and rolling hillsides as its canvas. On the day of your wedding, you'll be so caught up in the tizzy of celebration (spending time with your guests, enjoying your cocktail hour and reception overture, overall), that you might not want to slip away for pictures with your photographer. That’s why we love pre-wedding portrait sessions that end up becoming totally-styled engagement photos. It could help you get comfortable being in front of the camera, too… So that once your BDE comes around, your photogeniety is at an all-time high.
We can envision a ceremony mock-up with a beautiful floral altar and wildflower-strewn aisle, boasting a sign that says “So pretty, right? Just imagine what this will look like on XX.YY.ZZ…”
Yep, we’re big fans of the big engagement party idea. Especially because it’s just a tease of the epic wedding day to come…
You can still be surprised by…
Your bridal suite.
At Mint Springs Farm, it’s a 1,700 square foot open room complete with four salon stations, four lounge areas, a full bath and a half, oversized full length mirror, and lunch and drink buffets — plus a balcony that overlooks the reception barn, ceremony pavilion, and lake. There’s an equally-impressive groom’s loft, too. In case you were wondering.
Your ceremony space.
Mint Springs’ open air pavilion comes complete with vintage pews, crystal chandeliers, and built-in sound reinforcement. You have the joy of outside ambience without the stress of worrying about weather. And it can stay open air in the warmer months and/or be enclosed and heated in the cooler months.
Your reception barn.
We totally get it if you want to keep your reception space a secret until your big day—because the reception barn at Mint Springs is so worth the wait. The space can accommodate 250 seated guests, and is equipped with a complete sound system, specialty spot lighting, built-in dance lighting, and an immaculate six foot crystal chandelier. Add to that one-of-a-kind farmhouse tables and charming cross-back chairs, and you’ll get the sense that the team behind MSF moments has thought of every detail—from lighting and floral design to catering and farewell sendoffs.
Reach out to the owners and planning team at Mint Springs Farm now to get your wedding AND post-proposal party penciled in. Pro tip: If you already have an idea about the vendors you want to book for the main event, see if they’re available for your engagement party too… It’s a great way to trial their talents and start getting psyched for their wedding day services (which will be epic, as well).
Follow mint springs farm on ig to see what this nashville venue has in store for your nuptials
- Venues: Mint Springs Farm
- Catering/Bar: G Catering
- Dress & Apparel: The Showroom
- Floral Design & Balloons: The Bloom House
- Cookie Cake: The Sugary Cookie
- Cotton Candy: Fluff Nashville
- Wedding Photographers: Sowing Clover Photography
- Model/Bride: Lauryn Evans
- Rentals: Please Be Seated Rentals