Inside Giannina Gibelli and Blake Horstmann’s Engagement Party (Exclusive)

Giannina Gibelli and Blake Horstmann celebrated their intimate engagement party in their backyard.

The Love Is Blind star and the Bachelor in Paradise alum were joined by their 1-year-old son, Heath, and 40 of their closest friends and family members at their “coastal castle” engagement party at their Colorado home on Saturday, Aug. 16.

“We really wanted this to be a taste of our wedding next year, so people could get excited to travel a long distance and know it’ll be a good time,” the couple tells PEOPLE. “Think Lake Como in a backyard — that was the inspiration.”

Gibelli and Horstmann spent the past two and a half years renovating their “dream home” and “completely transforming” the space into their “little oasis.”

“We’ve poured our hearts and souls into this property and we want to create as many memories as we can here,” they share.

The duo frequently hosts gatherings, but they wanted this one to “feel different” and “really personal.” So, they added their “own personal touch on everything.” For example, Gibelli made the flower arrangements and the cake herself.

“She wanted to take on the challenge and pay homage to all the things her family as taught her about hosting,” Hostmann says. “We just wanted everyone to feel like they’re a part of our love story. They’ve seen us fall in love, make our house a home and become a family these past three years, and we really wanted to show them that we appreciate their love and support, while giving them a little tease of our wedding in the process.”

Guests were treated to a curated selection of the couple’s favorite seafood, such as lobster and oysters, catered by 14K Catering, plus meats from Rugby Scott. Signature cocktails from Boujee Booze Mobile Bar were a twist on the Aperol Spritz.

Sponsors included Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Crumbl Cookies, Celsius Energy Drinks, Poppi,Aspen Vodka and Flecha Azul Tequila.

After dinner was a high-spirited dance party, which featured live performances from a saxophonist.

“G wanted this party to be something she could hold on to forever. Her love language is hosting and serving food for the fam like it’s her job, so the pieces she’s curated will last a lifetime and be staples in our dinner parties, reminding us of this moment every time,” Hostmann says.

The soon-to-be groom notes that “90% of the decorations” were thrifted by his fiancée, who “drove all around Colorado finding just the right timeless look.”

“She’s giddy every time she comes home with something new. That’s easily been her favorite part,” he says.

Although Gibelli had several outfit options for the party, she “kept gravitating toward” her mother’s dress.

“I remember her wearing this dress to a wedding when I was in my teens and being in awe,” she says. “It’s vintage Sue Wong and it fits the vibe beautifully. I was always meant to wear it at my engagement party, and since she can’t attend, it’s my way of having her here with me.”

The bride-to-be’s hair was styled by Beige + Bronde.

Gibelli — who got engaged to Horstmann on Oct. 30, 2024, during a sunset proposal in Parque del Retiro in Madrid, Spain — partnered with Shutterfly to design their perfect save-the-date.

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She and Horstmann have been planning their wedding “in record time,” and they admit it’s been a mix of stress and excitement.

“At first, we weren’t stressed out because just the thought of it is enough to keep the adrenaline going,” Horstmann says. “We were on time with everything, found our venue, G’s dress, everything in record time. And now it’s less than a year away, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t think about eloping.”

He continues: “But overall, it’s been really exciting and special. We toured the venue in person this past July as a family, and when we got to the venue, there was a massive double rainbow over it. That was a sign to us that it was meant to be. We even teased on social where it could be, and everything just turned out to be even better than we expected. So, to say we’re feeling all the feels is very accurate!”