6 Tips for Choosing a Party Theme
So, you're having a party…….and??? You can’t just throw a party, if you want it to be remembered. Take some time to read through these tips/tricks for establishing a party theme that will help organize the event and its execution.
Choosing a theme, for me, is where to start. Often this can help guide the mood, venue, budget, and invites. If you have trouble figuring out what exactly you need to consider, have no fear, Cole is here.
Please note, for wedding themes there are, at times, a few more things to consider. You can use this guide to get the ball rolling.
OH, and of course, check out our Pinterest board for visuals, as well as a sneak peek into the Beach Theme Stag ‘n’ Doe we are currently working on.
<-- Cake by Dawn Garnette
(coming soon to Cole's BAKED Concepts)
All of these are a great starting point to zone in on what exactly you are hoping to create.
Themes are endless and can be done in a million different ways. You could have a Gatsby inspired lavish ball on New Year's Eve, a chic black and white dinner party for some of your closest friends, carnival themes are great for birthday parties that have both young and old attendants. That being said, don’t feel like you have to be stuck with the traditional execution of old time themes – e.g. a masquerade does not have to have the classic face masks, you could opt for having guests re-create popular celebrities or childhood superheroes, and give out a prize to the best dressed. Ultimately, it is about putting your spin on the theme and infusing it with some personal charm to truly make it yours.
Colours/Patterns could guide your thinking. Maybe you don’t need a lavish concept to get the wheels turning, and instead would like to use colour(s) to motivate and set the mood. You could use a colour or an entire palette. Neutral tones, pastels, neon, metallic, bold colour blocking, stripes, or animal print. The possibilities are endless.
Season/Time can inspire a great theme for any event for a number of reasons. 1. The time of the year will guide the setting of your party (indoors/outdoors); 2. Create a focus and/or activity (Halloween); 3. Determine the type of food/beverages to be served (summer BBQ); 4. Influence the way that guests will dress (Christmas – cold – ugly sweater).
Time can be understood of in terms of an era (Greek goddesses, Medieval Times, Western Cowboys) – again theme heavy.
Or, time can be thought of in literal terms – how long is the party – this will influence how much time you will have to carry out the theme focus, prizes, contests, food, etc., make sure you have time for it all – make a plan.
Now, all of this is not meant to stick you into a box of mediocrity, you can use season/time as a reason to do just the opposite or create a new way that people experience an age old tradition. A great example of this is the upcoming beach themed Stag ‘n’ Doe that is happening dead in the middle of a cold Canadian winter – that's exactly why the party hosts are really excited about their theme.
2. Personal Touch
I truly believe this is what can make and break a party, you have to include your own personal touch. It never hurts to use a tried, tested, and true theme party idea, but the success in your event (outside of planning) is that you and your guests are able to identify elements within the event that exemplify the host(s). This can be done in a number of ways. Do you have a particular movie you are known to love? A colour that everyone knows you wear? Do you have a ‘saying’ that everybody has heard? (how you doin'?) A particular passion? Food that you are obsessed with? Whatever it is bring it to your party and its theme. This will help add that personal touch and things to be remembered.
3. Consider your Budget
As forgiving as a theme can be, in terms of budget, it can also be the crux to crunching numbers. Be aware of how much you are willing to spend and how many people are being invited when deciding on a theme, and how much your event is going to be saturated with said theme. If you are working with a lower budget, or you have a lot of attendees, you might want to steer clear of lavish themes (Gatsby) that can require a lot of ‘stuff’ to make it come to life. That is not to say that lavish themes cannot be done on a budget, but you will need to be prepared to put in a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of creativity.
Also, try and find ways that you can ‘multipurpose’ an item. Try not to have items at the event that only serve one purpose. For example, if you are having a Mario Bros. theme party, try to create décor that can double as food or a take away, tableware, a photo backdrop that adds to décor and creates an activity. The possibilities are endless.
4. What is Important? What do you want remembered?
Much like making a party priority, what do you NEED your guests to experience, remember, or share? Whatever it is make sure it happens. Put this at the center of the event. Make announcements, put up signs, post to social media, and put 'it' on the invite. If you're featuring delicious craft beers and warm pretzels, offering a magical pony ride, or creating take-home art, whatever it is make it clear and make it happen.
5. Put IT everywhere
Just as the title says, put your theme EVERYWHERE. In the invitations, wall décor, napkins, plates, candy, food, tables, lawn, inserts, stickers, WHATEVER…..put it WHEREVER and EVERYWHERE. Again, your budget might dictate how much you are able to saturate the theme. This is why it is important to make sure you are picking a theme that can be pulled off with the budget in mind.
6. Do your research
This is one of the easiest ways to get ideas, tricks, tips, and advice. This day in age with the WWW finding inspirations and instructions is right at the tip of your fingers, which can really lend to the creative process when we ‘get stuck’. I always suggest throwing in key words to good old Google and switching over to the ‘Images’ section – immediate visuals.
To take it a step further, start saving these photos (or better yet PinIt) and this way you have a nice and organized visual that you can pull up at any time. Sometimes, after a couple hours of sifting and clicking, you will open a completed board with the best party ever.
– Now, all you gotta do is throw it.
