Engagement parties can range from low-key barbecues to extravagant costume parties. No matter what style and scale you are going for, the wedding experts at Bride Magazine have come up with eight out-of-the-box ways to celebrate your engagement.

1. A games afternoon

For a fun engagement celebration, consider hiring out a bowling alley or games arcade for a cocktail party. For a bar with benefits, take a look at the quirky Mr Wow’s Emporium in Fitzroy, where guests can play table tennis, bocce and pool whilst enjoying popcorn, killer cocktails and tasty catering from the on-site food truck.

2. A Roaring 20s lawn party

String up the bunting and whip up some punch for an afternoon on the green. Provide deck chairs, parasols and market umbrellas for guests to lounge under. Buffet-style meals can be an easy way to dine alfresco. Consider hiring a caricaturist to draw Gatsby-inspired portraits of guests. Fun lawn games to try could include croquet, bowls and badminton. If you intend to hold your party in a public park make sure you apply for any necessary permits.

3. A glam costume ball

Lavish themes to consider for a costume party are a Marie Antoinette inspired masquerade ball or Greek gods and goddesses. Make your guests feel like celebrities as they arrive by laying out a red carpet complete with paparazzi photographers and flutes of champagne at the ready.

4. Hire a food truck

Food trucks are ideal for a couple wanting a laid-back celebration with delicious no-fuss catering. There are a large variety of different food truck cuisines available, including these great options around the country. Don’t forget to plan for dessert.

5. Feel like dancing?

Why not hire out a retro nightclub for a 70s disco-themed dance party. Think American Hustle meets Saturday Night Fever to celebrate your engagement in over-the-top 70s style. Serve pina coladas and use disco balls, strobe lights and retro music to create a groovy disco vibe. Take a look at Marquee nightclub at the Star in Sydney or Club Retro in Melbourne.

6. A classy tea party

Engagement parties don’t always have to be an evening celebration. Why not host a morning or afternoon tea party? Guests can sup on scones with jam and cream, cupcakes, ribbon sandwiches and tea and coffee in dainty teacups. Perfect for an engagement party on a budget, you can host a tea party at home or hire out your favourite local café.

7. A candy bar

A modern twist on the lolly bags we all loved at childhood birthday parties, a candy bar is a fun way to add colour to your party and provide sweet treats for your guests. Macaroons, musk sticks, red liquorice and lollypops all work well in a sweets bar. If you plan on having a colour scheme for your engagement party a lolly bar is a great way to make your chosen colours pop.

8. Wining and dining

A vineyard tour or winery lunch can be a great way for your guests to get to know each other in beautiful surrounds. Hire a minibus, then hightail it to the Yarra Valley, Bellarine Peninsula or the Hunter Valley. Scotchman’s Hill on the Bellarine, Yering Station in the Yarra Valley and Margan Estate in the Hunter all team cellar-door tastings with top-notch dining experiences.

For more planning tips and wedding reception ideas, visit Bride.com.au.

Compiled by Larissa Gardner for Bride Magazine for The New Daily.