Themed Parties and Events

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been captivated and intrigued by masquerades, carnivals, inventive costumes, surprise soirées, and signature birthday parties.  Additionally, I have a strong interest in concocting recipes for distinctive but tasty drinks and meals with an artistic flair and for sharing various forms of amusement with like-minded individuals.  Simply put, I revel in the art and experience of themed festivities.  All of those interests play a role in creating a themed event.

I’ve attended many carnivals and I often envision and sketch out fanciful costumes sometimes attached to wacky characters. I am also inspired by Edwardian balls, Venetian carnivals and the attire and masks that adorn attendants of these events. Over the years, my hobby in experimental recipes has led to the creation of a large list of original recipes for both food and drink to amuse myself and others. However, I have yet to carry out the fantasy of actively designing and executing a themed event of my own.

I feel that anyone can come up with an amazing and fantastic idea for a themed party. It just takes a willing mindset, a glowing imagination and an entertaining spirit.

I think many people feel very silly thinking about either attending or hosting a stylized event because by their very nature, these types of festivities encourage all involved to be free and inhibited in ways they usually aren’t. A person must be willing to step outside of his/her day-to-day code of behavior and even, dare I say, pretend a little. I think each and every one of us has some level of attraction to make-believe and pretend play, enough to where we’d like to have fun with some of the whimsical ideas that cross our minds or things that inspire us.

I also think that themed bashes can present a coaxing experience to the individuals that are often overcome by shyness. The leveling effect makes me think back to the old trick that speech instructors use when they often tell their students, before delivering an oral presentation, to imagine everyone in the class naked. I always liked to think that the objective was not necessarily about getting the student to solely desire humiliation for others, but rather to bring the presenter’s perspective back down to earth so that he or she could realize the humanity that was shared between everyone.  Decorative get-togethers can offer a similar sensation for those who are socially nervous and rigid thus making the truly intoxicating agent at a get-together not come through in the alcohol served but in the spirit of the party.

A themed party can be designed and hosted  by yourself or with a few creative and motivated friends. You have to make time to plan and gather your resources. You can literally celebrate anything. The purpose of celebration doesn’t have to be traditional or grand. In fact the more mundane, odd, or simple the concept celebrated is, the better and more imaginative a party can be.

The first step in planning for a themed party is to create a list of important planning questions.

These would be some questions that you might ask yourself and/or anyone else involved in the planning process:

What kind of theme would you base your party on?

You can come up with all sorts of ideas and incorporate them no matter how bizarre, plain or unlikely they seem.  Come up with motif and design arrangements that tie into what you choose to base your theme on.

Celebrate the current season, the month, the day of the week or an anniversary for anything you’ve done for more than a year.

Celebrate by honoring a particular film genre such as Asian horror, cult, black comedy, B movie,  film noir, silent movie or 70s vintage flicks. You can also theme a party entirely around a movie series or a single film.

Celebrate by dedicating a theme to Hawaiian cocktail drinks, boba/bubble tea beverages,  Asian or African teas, exotic fondues and wines, original pastry recipes, savory sauces and homemade jams, 50s diner foods, a certain type of fruit or finger foods.

Celebrate by designing the party around Venetian masks, RPG characters, astrological signs, colors, patterns and textures, comic book characters, a random adjective, a subculture, or an art period.

Who would you invite?

Think about people you relate best to; people who would be interested in attending a themed party and would possibly not mind helping out in some way to make the event as exciting as it could be. If you are open to inviting casual friends and other acquaintances, this is fine as well. The machination of the invitation list is up to you.

How would you go about inviting others?

In this part of the planning, you can also show your zest for creativity. You might choose to send out invitations in a way that foreshadows the style and intended festive mood for the party.  For example, if your party is going to be cop-themed, you might send out invitations that resemble parking tickets, traffic violation citations or badges.

How big or small do you want your party to be and can people bring guests?

This will be an important area to plan for because the size of your party will determine the details for so many other stages of the planning process. You will be able to figure out the size of space you will need to carry out your party, how much food and drink supply will be needed, how many invitations you will officially be sending out and how much money will be spent overall. Furthermore, if you require guests to also contribute food, drink and decorations, your guest list will let you know how to keep tabs on offerings.  Guests should also be told how many extra people they can bring.

When and where would you hold the party?

Once you figure out how many people will be attending the party and helping out, you can firm up details about where the party will be. If your party theme is based on mermaids and pirates, you might want to look into outdoor or beach venues. You can also research party locations that feature pools such as hotels, neighborhood gyms and certain resort lounges. Take this time during the planning process to also decide on the date and time of the party.  The guest list you devise should give you a clue as to when most people can make the event. Contact everyone on the list after it is firmly made and figure out a time that is workable for everyone.

Keep in mind that whatever location you choose, make sure it is fiscally reasonable for yourself and all invited.  If you create themed parties regularly, consider hosting smaller events in familiar, inexpensive and easily accessible locations.

What types of foods and drinks would be served and do others have to contribute any of the edibles?
As mentioned before, making your guest list will let you know how many people you can rely on if the party requires offerings (whether it is in the form of gifts, food, drink, party supplies and paper ware) from everyone. This is a great way to make a party inexpensive and doable. If everything rests on your shoulders, you might start to feel the idea for a party is overwhelming and unfeasible. It doesn’t have to be. In fact, the best parties usually involve guests bringing stuff in to help set up.

Should people come dressed a certain way according to the party’s theme?

Themed parties don’t always have to involve dress up and costuming although those tend be more entertaining and innovative. For example, if your bash involves marathoning through Twilight Zone films, it would be unrealistic for all of your guests to arrive dressed up as Rod Serling look-alikes. It would be cool if you could actually pull this off, but again this would be impractical in most cases. If you really desire any kind of costuming from your guests, you might require everyone to dress up in 50s and 60s attire since the original Twilight Zone series aired during these time periods.

How much money will you spend for supplies and other resources?

Once you figure out who will donate what, what your guest list looks like and where and when you will hold the event, it is time to create a budget and calculate how much of your own money you will be spending for creating invitations (even if they are homemade), buying some food and drink and getting some of the decorations. If you can afford it, if the party will not be held at your place or someone's house or if others have not been required to chip in, you might also consider expenses for where your party will be. In some cases, you could look into renting a space for the day or for a certain number of hours. If you look around well enough, you can get a great deal that can meet your budget.  If your party will be held at a club, most clubs require early reservation of a room or table which might include the expenses of bartending and kitchen services.

How long will the party last?

How long will your party be? Will it be from 4pm to 8pm, from midnight to early morning on a weekend, for an entire day or will it take place over a full weekend?

Will you take pictures and create a themed party photo album of some kind?

It is best to have a digital camera present at the party. A video camera would be better so that you can record everything taking place at your event. You can later send copies of the videotape or pictures to everyone that attended or you can use an on-line resource for uploading photos and videos. Over the years, the parties can help create a dynamic time capsule for everyone involved.

The point of planning a themed event or party is to create a new and exciting experience, honor friendships and to appreciate life in as many ways as you can. It’s something that I definitely wish to do someday and eventually often and I look forward to sharing these experiences with good friends.

I think if you are unsure about these type of experience, the first place to start is in attending a themed event that someone else has managed. Try it out for yourself and savor what the experience offers.

Let it enthuse.