Engagement Party Wollongong

Everything for an Engagement Party

Compare suppliers on Party Hero ready to help plan your engagement party, then enquire direct – free.

Occasion: Engagement PartyLocation: WollongongListings: 6

Who to Book for an Engagement Party

How to Plan a Wollongong Engagement Party

Engagement parties around the Illawarra lean casual – drinks on a deck, platters doing the rounds, a few words from each family – and most of the venues here are set up for a standing crowd. That makes the guest list, not the seating plan, the first thing to pin down.

For 50 to 150 people, the pub function floors do a lot of the work. Terrace Bar & Lounge @ Balgownie Hotel has a balcony wrapping around the building and room for 140 standing. Waterfront Tavern at Shell Cove has six areas over the marina, with canapé packages from $40 per person, and the O Bar at Towradgi Beach Hotel comes with a microphone and two TVs for a photo slideshow. For a bigger family-and-friends night, The Loft @ The Builders Club holds 250 for cocktails, and the Sorrento Room @ Centro CBD takes 260 with a dance floor and chandeliers.

Something looser suits plenty of couples. Connie's Rooftop @ The Corrimal Hotel is an upstairs cocktail bar with platters for groups of 20 or more, Stoic Brewing in Gerringong lets you drink among the brewing vats with no venue hire fee, and Towradgi Park Bowls and Recreation Club runs barefoot bowls with a cocktail bar on hand.

Suppliers worth adding once the venue is booked:

Balloons – Balloon Expressions (from $150) builds garlands and arches across every region, and Bunches Balloon Boutique (from $120) covers Kiama and Shellharbour.
Photo booths – Showtime Photobooth & Event Hire has 360 video and magic mirror booths; Diamond Booth Co brings an open-air retro booth for GIFs and boomerangs.
Live music – Mark Dabin Music (from $700) plays acoustic guitar and vocals with looped beats, Q Strings brings violin and cello, and Ultimate DJs (from $800) adds a DJ and MC.
Food for a party at home – Dine In (from $28 per person) or smoked brisket and wings from 2 Smoking Barrels.

Compare photobooths or party decorations to dress whichever room you choose.

Up to 50 – North Beach Pavilion serves share feasts for 10 to 48; Lu Mare's courtyard and function room each seat about 30.
Around 100 – Bóveda takes canapé parties for 100 in a former bank vault (from $8,000 minimum spend), and Central Hotel Shellharbour's Garden Courtyard holds 100 cocktail.
Around 150 – Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant takes canapé functions up to 150, as does Waterfront Tavern across its larger rooms.
200 and beyond – The Auditorium @ Kiama Leagues Club has a stage and dance floor, North Wollongong Hotel's beer garden holds up to 500, and The Groundz in Dapto goes to 650.

Styling and extras

Owl and Pussycat Events has silk floral party packages from $700, including delivery, setup and pack down.
Stylish Outdoor Weddings hires greenery walls, lolly buffets, signs and backdrops.
ES Wedding & Event Hire makes handmade timber tables, signage and decor packages.
Go Hire The Event People supplies marquees and furniture for a backyard engagement.
Divine Productions (from $2,200) covers live singing, DJ sets and MC duties in one booking.
Ellie Maye Belly Dance performs a feature set, solo or with her troupe, using veils, fans or wings.

Photos, cars and drinks

Poppy Peterson Photography covers parties from $350 per hour with travel included.
Gavin Cato Photography and Michael Boyle Photography both send preview images the next day.
Superior Hire Cars and Wollongong Limousine Services can bring the couple in by stretch limousine.
M2 Kitchen adds drinks packages with RSA staff and glassware for a party in a hired hall.

Frequently Asked Questions About Engagement Parties

What does an engagement party venue cost around Wollongong?

Per-person options start with canapé packages at The Loft @ The Builders Club from $25 per person and Waterfront Tavern from $40 per person. Some venues use a minimum spend instead: North Wollongong Hotel from $1,500, Terrace Bar & Lounge @ Balgownie Hotel from $2,000 and Bóveda from $8,000.

Are there engagement venues with no room hire fee?

Stoic Brewing charges no venue hire fee, Central Hotel Shellharbour's heated Deck has no room hire, The Loft @ The Builders Club waives room hire with 50 or more guests, and the Balgownie Hotel's Terrace includes five hours of room hire at no charge.

Which venues can show a slideshow during the speeches?

Towradgi Beach Hotel's O Bar has two TVs, a microphone and a DJ booth. The Sorrento Room @ Centro CBD has two projector screens, and every room at The Pavilion Kiama has a projector or TV with wireless microphones.

Can we have the engagement party at home with catering?

Yes. Dine In sends a chef to cook canapés, grazing or a banquet, 2 Smoking Barrels drops off barbecue packs or brings its food truck, and Go Hire The Event People can supply the marquee, tables and chairs.

Is there an engagement party idea with an activity built in?

Towradgi Park Bowls and Recreation Club runs barefoot bowls parties with set function menus. At Stoic Brewing, group functions can add a brewery tour, a guided beer tasting, paint and sip or trivia.

Which engagement venues look over the water?

Waterfront Tavern sits over Shell Cove marina, Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant and Lu Mare face Wollongong Harbour, North Beach Pavilion is on North Wollongong Beach, and Central Hotel Shellharbour's upstairs Deck has lake views.

Who can perform at an engagement party around the Illawarra?

Q Strings plays as a string trio, a violin and cello duet or a solo violin, Ellie Maye Belly Dance performs Egyptian and Turkish belly dance solo or with a troupe, and Ultimate DJs runs the dance floor from $800 with MC hosting or an open-air digital photobooth as add-ons.