Plan A Spectacular Spanish Engagement Wedding Party (Part 1)

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The vibrant and festive culture of Spain provides the perfect inspiration for an exciting engagement dinner party featuring art and music, food and drinks, table decorations and favors for guests. This is the first part of a three-segment article.

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Looking for a fun-filled engagement party with that extra kick? Why not plan a memorable one with a Spanish influence? We’ve come up with some exciting ideas to help you plan a fun-filled evening that will leave your guests saying “ole” from the beginning to the end of the party.

A Little to Know About Spain

Spain is a country that spans more than a dozen regions - each having its own distinct identity. Its culture and history is a confluence of Iberian and Latin origins with Catholic and Moorish underpinnings. A new visitor to the country will realize early on that its people are warm, passionate, and outgoing. And if you stay a bit longer, you will also notice that the concept of nightlife in Spain is quite different from American standards, as most restaurant establishments remain open late at night - even through the early morning hours. For this same reason, partying is no exception to the rule.

Party Tip #1: If you’ve ever been invited to a traditional Spanish household for a dinner party, you will find that they typically start at around 9pm and end late into the wee-hours of the morning.

The Culture - Vibrant and Festive

When crafting the details to design a Spanish themed event, a practical approach is to simply highlight the most exciting aspects of Spain. This can be any number of things, but most notable about Spain is their passion for Flamenco music and dance, spectacular cuisine, and beautiful works of art. Using these unique aspects of the culture, here are some tips to help you plan the party:

Send Guest Invitations Decorated with Spanish Artwork

Select artistic pieces inspired by contemporary Spanish artists such as Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Salvador Dali, or Joan Miro. Because of their great popularity, many of their works are featured on decorative items such as plates, postcards, place mats, and linens, as well as stationery that include guest invitations and thank you cards - search for them in specialty shops at museums, bookstores, or art galleries. You can also find many online boutiques that feature specialty stationery by popular artists.

Party Tip #2: Creating your own invitations isn’t as hard as you think. Get creative and use your favorite artistic piece as inspiration. Once you’ve produced your own beautiful design, just print them out from your home computer. Use a set of elegant stationery or card stock and you’re ready to go.

Play Flamenco Guitar Music

With origins in the Andalucian region (i.e., Southern part of Spain), Flamenco dance and music is at the heart of the Spanish culture - playing a prominent role in many Spanish celebrations. Flamenco music, known for its lively and mysterious rhythms and melodies ranging from traditional to modern dance pieces, is a wonderful way to set the ambiance for your party. You can either be adventurous and hire a guitarist to perform live at the party, or for a more affordable solution, you can play musical selections by flamenco artists such as Carlos Montoya or Paco de Lucia. Since music is a key element in setting the mood for the event, have fun and play an assortment of your favorite flamenco music.

Party Tip #3: Infuse a romantic element to the occasion by playing Flamenco dance music. Use this an opportunity for you and your fiance to showcase your dancing skills. You may also opt to hire a flamenco dance instructor to be at the party, so your guests can how to dance and everyone can participate in the fun.

Next - click to read more about Spanish Food and Wines

Read Part 1 | 2 | 3 » continue reading