Engagement Party Planning Tips
We’ve hosted many engagement parties at The Normanby Hotel. They’re actually some of the most popular events held in our venue because of the fun, easy-going vibe the Normanby is renowned for.
If you’d like more information about holding an engagement party at The Normanby Hotel, email us or call (07) 3831 3353 and our events team will help you out. Or send us an enquiry using our event form (scroll to bottom).
For more information on Functions at The Normanby, download our Functions Package and Food & Beverage Menu.
What’s your #1 tip for making an engagement party special?
Having photos of the happy couple around the room is a special touch. You can make a slideshow or even print pictures and make a cork board of photos and hang them.
Hanging fairy lights around the room makes it look celebratory too.
Which space at The Normanby is the best for an engagement party?
For an engagement party, the Public Bar and The Lounge Bar are our most popular. They are our biggest spaces, providing plenty of space for a cocktail style party.
The Public Bar can accommodate up to 150 guests.
The Lounge Bar can fit 120 guests comfortably.
If you want a smaller space, we recommend the Valentine Room (50 guests) or the Cabana deck if you want it outside (80 guests).
And we also have the Garden Bar for a smaller outdoor space (50 guests).
For information on all our rooms and pricing, download our functions package.
What are some ideas to make an engagement party memorable or a bit different from the ordinary?
- Disposal cameras or polaroids for people to take memorable photos
- Photo booths – we recommend Steve from Photo Illustrated
- Powerpoint slide show of past photos playing in the background. We have plenty of TV’s to use for displaying your photos
- Decorations – balloons, fairy lights, candles (yes we allow candles), balloon garlands. We don’t really like glitter for the obvious clean up reason….
What can the Normanby Hotel help organise?
Food and beverages of course. But can also organise the photo booth. Just ask us and we’ll try help out where we can.
What drinks package should I do?
Our premium drinks package is the best for engagement parties. The selection is wider and the wines are of a higher quality, especially the champagne/sparking wine.
For more information on drinks, download our food & drink functions menu.
What food is the best for an engagement party?
Our recommendation is to have platters of breads & dips, cheese & seasonal fruit or antipasto already on the table.
Then have the more substantial platters, like the brioche sliders (our #1 choice!), pizza slabs, pub classics and Asian appetisers, served half an hour into the event. We offer plenty of vegetarian options too, such as vegetarian samosas and spring rolls.
For more information on food, download our food & beverages menu.
When should I schedule the food to arrive?
From experience, people tend to order it in two stages. Cheese & seasonal fruit or antipasto platters available from the start. The more substantial platters, like sliders, pizza and bao buns, served 30min to 1 hr after the start time.
What items on your menu do you think work best for an engagement party?
Get the party food started with platters of bread & dips, cheese & seasonal fruits platters or antipasto on the tables.
Our pizza slab platters are popular to fill people up. And during summer, for something more special, natural oysters are a favourite treat.
An inside tip, everyone loves a mini burger so definitely have a bunch of sliders. We have these options – cheeseburger, pulled pork, chicken and jackfruit as a vegetarian choice.
Do you have gf and vegetarian options?
Ask us about the gf platters we have available. And we have a vegetarian delights platter that includes arancini balls, samosas, spring rolls and gyozas.
How much food should I order per person?
Each platter feeds 6-8 people which is roughly 2-3 pieces each.
How does the music work for my party?
You can create your own spotify playlist. We have the sound system to easily hook that up. Make it at least 4 hours long. We can also shuffle a party playlist for you if you don’t want to create your own. From my experience, make your playlist a mix of old and new.
Any song recommendations for an engagement party?
Plenty of love songs of course. Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars. Perfect by Ed Sheeran. And for an oldie, Elvis Presley, Can’t Help Falling in Love.
What about dancing. Can I have a dance floor?
We don’t have a physical dance floor but any piece of floor can become a dance floor…
If you want something closer to a dance floor, then reserve the Public Bar because it has built in disco lights for that special disco effect.
Should I have it on a Friday or Saturday night?
Saturday’s are more popular because it’s not a work day for many.
What time should it start and end? How long is the typical engagement party function?
Start time from 6pm is always best. And we close at midnight, but happy to keep things going longer if there is a want to do so… Most engagement parties wrap up at midnight though.
Can I decorate the room?
Absolutely but depends on which room you book.
The Public bar is open to the public when it’s not booked out. You’re welcome to come in and decorate as long as you are considerate of the guests.
For all other rooms, you can come in any time of the day to decorate and prepare.
What information do you need from me to help plan the party?
- Budget
- Timing especially arrival time
- Number of guests
- Bar tab or drinks package
- Which food platters
- What time you want to come and decorate
And let us know the names of the happy couple so we can put up signage around the venue to help direct people.
When should I book?
If your party is in the first 6 months of the year, book at least 2 months out.
If it’s the second 6 months, especially closer to the end of the year, book at least 4 months out to secure your date. We get very busy with functions as the end of the year approaches…
Should I have speeches at the engagement party? What is the set up for speeches?
Yes most close friends love to say something on the night. We have a wireless microphone and AV system for speeches. Let us know and we will set it up and show you how to use them.
I have some more questions.
If you’d like more information email us or call (07) 3831 3353 and our events team will help you out. Or send us an enquiry using our event form below.
We love holding milestone events at The Normanby Hotel. An engagement party is definitely one of these moments. We’ll do everything we can to make your event a memorable one.
