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Your Easy Livin' Summer Cocktail Party

Mason Jar Lemonade
It's summertime and the living is easy! This is a season for relaxing and enjoying the simple things in life. Hosting a summer party is no exception. Follow us as we show you the best way to throw a summery cocktail party where you can sit back, relax, and have fun with everyone else.

Cocktail parties are such a great adult theme choice because everyone likes to try new drinks. And by making the event a drop-in, there are no worries about guests arriving late and missing out. So get your Mad Men on and break out the barware.

Chill Time Party Prep

Send your invites at least a week ahead of time. Because this is a no-fuss party that doesn't require special attire or gifts, now is the perfect chance to lure out all those friends you haven't seen in awhile. And you'll hear few excuses because who doesn't want to chill out on a summer night?

Whether hosting inside or out, make sure you have plenty of seating so everyone has a chance to relax. If you are outdoors, this is the perfect time to hang your hammock and light some tiki torches. For decorations, keep it simple. Choose your favorite bright colors and show them off with some coordinated party supplies. An eye-catching tablecloth becomes the backdrop to your bar set-up. Create some balloon bunches to hang for some added whimsy. If you want a more natural look, try a beautiful fresh flower centerpiece from your local florist.

Warm Weather Appetizers and Snacks

It's hot out so keeping the food simple and the drinks cold is a great plan. Fresh fruit displayed in a fun way is both refreshing and decorative. We love all these examples that mix summer favorites like watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi and cantaloupe. Using mini terracotta pots for veggies and dip are as cute as can be. Plus, it frees up your guests to grab and go mingle. Opting for some healthy salsa and festive blue corn tortilla chips help keep things on the light side. Don't forget that a pickle and olive tray works great for snacking and garnishing drinks.

Relax With Easy Cocktails

These make-ahead drinks are incredibly refreshing and look so pretty chilling in a tub of ice.  You will enjoy compliment after compliment without ever having to play bartender during the party! Place colorful straws and a bowl next to the ice bucket so guests have a place to put the metal lids after opening their own individual serving of spiked lemonade. Might want to make more than one batch. They will go fast!

Mason Jar Spiked Lemonade
(serves 10)

You Will Need:

  • 10 pint mason jars with lids
  • 2 cups water / 6 cups water
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 2 cup fresh lemon juice (12-16) lemons
  • 15oz rum (or your choice of liquor)
  • lemon or lime slices for garish

— Make simple syrup by boiling 2 cups of water and adding 1.5 cups of sugar.
— Stir to dissolve completely. Steep herbs or berries at this stage for different flavors
— Chill syrup in fridge
— Mix together:  rum, lemon juice syrup, 6 cups water
— Divide the lemonade into the 10 jars, leaving space for garnish and extra ice
— Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime
— Screw lids on tightly and keep chilled

Mix it up! Try these variations:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Mint Leaves and Fresh Ginger
Fresh Herbs (steep in simple syrup)
Cake-Flavored Vodka
Pink Lemonade
Limeade
Orangeade

Easy Livin' Summer Playlist

Throw together some old favorites with a few new highlights to make the night's perfect soundtrack. Whether you just want to lay back and groove or enjoy a dance or two, this mix has you covered.

  • Summertime – Billie Holiday
  • Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince
  • Wouldn't It Be Nice – Beach Boys
  • Hot In The City – Billy Idol
  • Bar-B-Q – Wendy Rene
  • Got My Mojo Working – Muddy Waters
  • Roosevelt Island – Eleanor Friedberger
  • Under The Boardwalk – The Drifters
  • Pipeline – The Ventures
  • Got To Give It Up – Aaliyah
  • In The Sun – Blondie
  • Little Latin Lupe Lu – Don Norviel and The Visions
  • Heat Wave – Martha and the Vandellas
  • Walking On Sunshine – Katrina and The Waves
  • Rockaway Beach – The Ramones
  • King Of The Beach – Wavves
  • Summer In The City – Lovin' Spoonful
  • Sunny Afternoon – The Kinks

This summer will pass by faster than you think. So there is no time to waste.
Break out the flip-flops and dress summers so you can chill out with good friends.

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Wanna Throw a 4th of July Party?

What better way to celebrate our freedom than with a get together with friends and family? There are plenty of ways to decorate your home in order to invite guests over and Wedding and Party Network has a few tips on throwing together a great 4th of July party.

  1. The easiest thing to start with would be the staple 4th of July decoration: you guessed it, the flag! You can find little flag replicas all over stores, like your local party store. Start with placing a flag in your yard, or hang it from your porch.Throughout your house, you could use them as part of table centerpieces. There are endless options. You could also buy streamers and ribbons in red, white, and blue throughout the house. What about a decorative, festive 4th of July wreath? It's a great way to welcome guests into your home. There are such fun ways to decorate for this red, white and blue holiday!
  2. Food! Food is important at any party, and the best thing about this kind of party is that you can theme it!  Try making star shaped cookies with cookie cutouts, cover them in red or blue frosting and use white sprinkles. (This could be a fun family craft for the kids to enjoy, too!)Also, have red and blue popsicles around: not only is it festive, but it's hot outside! The popsicles will help everyone to cool off. Food is such a fun way to display your patriotism.
  3. If you really want to spice things up, make some refreshing cocktails for the adults, or keep them alcohol free for the kids to enjoy, as well! Mix up some red punch and throw in some blue colored ice-packed stars. You can easily incorporate the theme of any part in with drinks and they keep everyone cool.

With our simple tips, you'll throw an amazing party with festive decorations! Everyone will want to be back at your place next year, and maybe even the next!

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How to Plan & Decorate for Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo is a spanish holiday held on the 5th of May each year, and celebrates the Mexican army’s' victory over French troops in the Battle of Puebla. However, for many it is simply a day to celebrate the mexican culture.

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo With Style

Parties are a great way to get together and celebrate, but how does one go about decorating for this holiday? Why not celebrate with a festive fiesta. Here are a few tips to help plan and decorate for this holiday:

  • Be festive with some brightly colored party invitations with the word "fiesta" printed on them.
  • The Spanish are all about bright colors, so choose some brightly colored tablecloths and bowls. These are good for chips, salsa, and other finger foods.
  • Don't forget photo props! A fun way to keep guests entertained is with a homemade "photo booth." Just grab some small banjos, guitars, maracas and sombreros to create that Mexico feel. Provide cheap, disposable cameras for guests to take pictures on, and have them create copies of the prints for you to keep in a keepsake album.
  • It wouldn’t be a fiesta without some lively music. Play tropical, Spanish style music to create a beachy, party environment.

Parties and celebrations are fun no matter what the occasion! Just remember to spice up the party with tasty foods, sweet beverages, entertaining music, games, and fun things to do. You'll be the best party host ever!

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And They're Off…Celebrate The Kentucky Derby

These famous words begin the greatest two minutes in sports. The Kentucky Derby has been a traditional horse race held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Folks flock to this Kentucky town to watch the two-minute race and share in the celebration that traditionally includes roses, hats and mint juleps. We may not ever be able to join the folks in Louisville, but we can create our own celebration steeped in tradition to share with our friends. A few enthusiastic friends, some mint juleps, hats, roses and appropriate food are all you need.

How To Celebrate The Derby At Home

I like to give six couples a week or two notice that we will be celebrating the Derby at our home. This gives the ladies time to find a hat or embellish one they already own. Notices can be sent by text or email. If you want to be real fancy, handwritten invitations are the way to go.

If you are only sending five or six invitations, it isn't that much trouble. The note might read something like this:

" Please join us on Saturday, May 4 at 2:00 p. m. for a Derby Day party. We will be serving mint juleps and traditional Derby food. Ladies get your best hats ready. We look forward to having you enjoy the race with us. Best, Jane and John Doe "

Starting your celebration at 2:00 gives your guests plenty of time to enjoy libations and food while visiting before the 4:00 race begins. The men in the group may even want to make up a betting pool, but I always leave that to them. Men always seem to know better about those things.

On to the Libations and Food…

I am fortunate to have 12 silver mint julep cups. Well, actually 4 of these are what my mother referred to as Jefferson cups, but the size works here. If you don't have any silver, glass is the way to go as glass julep cups are used at the official Kentucky Derby.

Now, the key to a mint julep is to use crushed ice. I don't crush it myself as a local fast food outlet will sell a 10 lb. bag to me for a couple of dollars. Mint is a must have for this drink and I also grow mint in my yard, but you can get this at your local grocery store. The mint julep makes this party truly festive.

Mint Julep

Serving Size: One Mint Julep

Crushed ice

2 tbl. mint syrup (Recipe Below)

2 oz. good Kentucky Bourbon

Chill glasses.  Fill with crushed ice. Add 2 tbl. mint syrup, 2 oz. bourbon. Stir and serve. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Mint Syrup

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

1 bunch of mint

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and pur over a handful of mint leaves and crush with a spoon. Cool and refrigerate syrup overnight in a closed jar. Remove mint leaves. Will keep in the refrigerator several weeks.

Serve this traditional drink with pimento cheese sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and I like to do something substantial like ham and biscuits. The pimento cheese can be made 4 or 5 days ahead, as well as the spread for the cucumber sandwiches. The ham can be cooked several days ahead and set out to come to room temperature. The biscuits can be cooked early in the day (I use the frozen ones and they are great). If you feel the need for something sweet, lemon bars can be made ahead and will be a good addition.

It is always wise to serve enough food to keep your guests from leaving your home inebriated. Also, I always have other drinks available as not everyone will partake of the mint julep. Wine, beer, and lemonade should suffice. As you will know your crowd, you can decide what they might drink.


Run for the Roses

Roses, as many as you can cut or afford, should be everywhere. Roses should serve for the centerpieces for the serving table, cocktail table, powder bath, etc. This is the run for the roses after all.

With a little effort on your part, your friends will enjoy this party so much that they will look forward to the next year with much excitement. Get your best hat ready and  give yourself some time to organize this great party so you will be ready for those three famous words "and they're off".

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Get Lucky on St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching and now is the time to plan the greenest St. Patrick's Day party of them all! What do you do that hasn't been done before? Wedding and Party Network has a party idea that is full of elegance, green, and full of luck!

Why not host an elegant dinner party for St. Patrick's Day? It's something different, especially if you just host a themed party every year that is centered around four-leaf clovers and green. Here are a few tips that will definitely create an elegant setting for your friends and family members to enjoy the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

Create a beautiful tablescape – Find a neutral table-cloth that pairs well with green. You can go with white, tan, or a nude color. Once you find that, it's on to finding the right table runner and table cloths. Emerald is a great color to go with it or mint is a very popular as well.

Next up is to talk with your florist to find the right centerpiece that will truly make a statement. It would be great to feature a cream arrangement to add a variation against a green table runner. However, it may also be unique to feature beautiful greenery as well down the table.

Don't forget about the candles, great dinnerware, servingware, glasses, place settings, and menus. Add fun little touches of St. Patrick's day to your place settings and menus.

For the "lucky" food – Of course, go with an Irish themed menu. What do you serve? Consider serving stout braised short ribs, cottage pie, Irish lamb stew, shepherd's pie, apple mash, cabbage, cream de menthe brownies, Irish soda bread, and corned beef hash. It's always great to add a bit of green into the food menu as well. Don't forget, if you don't have a clue on what to cook, visit your local caterer.

Mix this years St. Patrick's Day party up a bit by hosting an elegant dinner party. It's something everyone will enjoy!

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7 Great College Party Themes

If you want to plan a party for your college friends, it’s likely you want your party to be unique and for guests to remember it for years to come. In this case, don’t go with the typical luau or toga party themes. Wedding and Party Network has some suggestions for party themes that are appropriate for post-grads of all ages.

  • Dancing the Night Away
    1. ABC Party     – This stands for “Anything But Clothes”–but before you assume something naughty, remember this just means your attire has to be created entirely from non-clothing items. Show up in a wardrobe made of duct tape, plastic bags, newspaper, or any craft or household supply. This can be a truly tricky party theme as guests put effort into creating a costume worth showing off.
  • 2. Stoplight Party– In an effort to pair up your single friends or highlight a new relationship, host a stoplight party! Guests arrive wearing red to show they are taken, yellow to indicate “it’s complicated”, or green to declare their single status. Get creative by decorating red shirts with your boyfriend or girlfriend’s name or green shirts that read “Ready to Mingle.”
  • 3. Rubik’s Cube Party– If you want a theme that compels guests to interact with everyone in the room, host a fun party that’s as challenging and competitive as the cube itself! Each guest must arrive with one article of clothing in each color of the Rubik’s cube–white, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow. Throughout the party guests must trade garments with one another to achieve a solid color outfit.
  • 4. It Used To Be Cool Party – Do you, or maybe your parents or older siblings, have clothes tucked in the back of the closet that you wouldn’t be caught dead in? Arrive “in style” with your old Hammer pants, track suits, hair scrunchies, or shoulder pads. Everything you wear must be something hideously out of style–no come-back trends.
  • 5. Breakfast Club Party– Most people have seen this 1980’s brat pack classic where five teens of vastly different stereotypes attend Saturday detention together. Guests must attend your party dressed like a high school stereotype–a nerd, jock, prom queen, rebel, or wallflower are a few examples. Play the soundtrack of The Breakfast Club as well as favorite hits from your high school years.

This blast from the past can bring back some timeless memories.

  • 6. Highlighter Party – Create a high energy party with lively dance music and lots of socializing. Guests wear a plain white t-shirt, glow stick jewelry, and come armed with highlighters. For part of the party, have guests write personal messages on other guests t-shirts with highlighters, then turn off the lights and turn on some black lights! Everyone’s messages will be illuminated and can make for some funny reads.
  • 7. Olympic Party – If it’s an Olympic game year, host a party for the opening ceremony or even just a night of competitions. Guests must support America, or their home country if they are exchange students, by wearing patriotic colors. Another option is for guests to wear their best Olympic athlete attire. Bring on the workout gear, sweat bands, and gold medals.

Additional themes may include superhero, decades, masquerade, favorite childhood character, reality star, or all-one-color parties which are self-explanatory. Guests will be challenged to piece together costumes from what they have in the dorm or from what they can scavenge at a thrift store. Whatever theme you choose, your party is sure to be one that is remembered and you may gain a reputation as the most creative host! Suit up and stay safe with all of these fun party themes–remember there are dozens of weekends in a school year, so try them all!

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Decorations
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party decorations near you!

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The Secret to Taking the Toga Party from Sheets to Chic

Ever since Animal House made “Toga! Toga! Toga!” famous, the toga party has become a rite of passage for party lovers around the world. With its popularity on college campuses, it's no wonder it has acquired a questionable reputation.  Don’t let this ruin such a fun party theme! Wedding and Party Network knows just how to create a classy mixer from this classic party theme, promising to give your club or Greek organization an Olympic image.

Amp Up the Theme and Transform the Toga Party

Greek Party Decor
Why party like the average Greek when you could party like the gods? Tell your guests this toga party is for Olympians only with a Mount Olympus theme. With this simple change, you have made a sloppy cliché into a soiree promising lavish food and decorations worthy of Zeus himself. The transformation will take only a few minor changes.

The Invitations

To take your toga party to the next level, start with an elegant invitation. Use rich colors, specially gold, and a font which looks like calligraphy. Choose your wording to match the Olympic theme with something like, “Athena (or whichever Greek god or goddess you choose) requests your presence on Mount Olympus for a night of food, drink, and music.” Bonus points if you have them printed on scrolls and hand-delivered!

The Costumes

The best thing about a toga party is the costume. Togas are easy, affordable, and fun costumes that all of your guests can easily put together. There will be those who are reluctant to surrender themselves to the toga, so help them out. Offer to help guests with their toga 20 to 30 minutes before the party starts so no one has to worry about making their own.

Encourage guests to make their most inventive Greek god or goddess costume for an elegant twist to these classic costumes. To reward guests for their efforts, have several thrones set up throughout the venue and have those with the best costumes claim their right to the throne. These thrones would also make great photo backdrops.

The Decorations

For the Mount Olympus party theme, the decorations are very manageable. Start collecting sheets and pillows in deep reds, blues, creams, or white.  Ask friends if  you can raid their linen closets and search your local department store. Drape the sheets over seating and hang it from the walls. Cover the floor with the pillows for a simple, lush detail. If you have any stone statues or pillars, these will be perfect accents to the decor.

You can also check your local party store for the perfect Greek pieces. To add the Mount Olympus touch, think paradise. Collect potted plants and trees and fill the area with greenery. String lights can add a magical touch. It’s as simple as that!

The Food

Depending on how formal you want the event to be, you can really make your toga party with the food. Of course grapes, cheeses, and olives are all perfect matches for the theme; but to really step up your game, don’t hold back. Wherever you serve your food, make sure to give it the appearance of abundance. An overflowing buffet will give your toga party an unforgettably extravagant touch.

Fill golden bowls past the rim with apples, pear and oranges. Have grape bunches of different colors hanging over the edges of the table and platters.

It doesn’t take a huge budget to achieve this look. If you are lacking enough food for the “overflowing” style, find smaller containers and tables. Remember, it's about achieving a lavish image without breaking the bank!

Why stop with the food? Build a chalice tower of sparkling cider for a party without alcohol, or your favorite wine for those wanting some harder drink. Just remember, keep it classy!  The chalices will give the powerful tone of the gods and the overflowing cups will delight guests.  If you really want to impress, hire a catering service to meet all of your guests culinary needs.

Speak with your local caterers and see who specializes in Greek food and if they could provide some waiters to serve your demigod guests – maybe even in their own togas!

The Party Favors

When they come to your Mount Olympus party, your guests are going to want to feel like gods and goddesses. So give them what they want! Party favors can make your guests feel like royalty and leave with a reminder of how great your event was. A laurel wreath is the perfect addition to any toga costume, but not all of your guests will know how to make one. Hand them out as party favors and guests will be ecstatic. Don’t forget these are gods and goddesses, so paint your laurels gold with spray paint for a luxurious touch.

Around the room you can also have fun, themed props.  Cut out and paint some lightning bolts for the Zeus-lovers and place roses around the room for your Aphrodites. Golden bows, spears, hammers, and other weapons will be perfect for warrior gods. Whatever you use, just make sure it's fun and sticks with your Mount Olympus theme.

The Entertainment

Laurel Wreath
If you want to entertain your Olympic guests, think extravagant. For music and an added class bonus, find or hire someone to play the harp while guests mingle. Even if you don't stick with the Greek theme for your music – let's face it, it's not easy to find authentic greek musicians – hire music entertainment worthy of the gods.

For games,  why not look on the local sports channel? The Greeks claimed the root of the ancient Olympic games were their gods. While many stories circulate about the Olympics’ origin, the purpose always remained to serve the gods and bring peace and harmony to the lands.

Organizing your own Olympic games would be a fun way to get everyone involved. Traditional games included foot races, long jump, discus throws, and other sports in today’s track and field competitions.

For a simpler take on this, think of fun, picnic relay races. Sack races, water balloon tosses, or a football throwing contest would be fun for everyone.

Everyone loves a good toga party, so it won’t be hard to delight guests with this classic party theme. When you transform it into this elegant Mount Olympus party, you open up your event to impress everyone in attendance. The Mount Olympus theme is perfect to introduce your sorority, club, or organization to the masses. While they’re having fun partying in a toga, they won’t forget that you made such an impressive party out of Animal House’s old party theme.

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Invitations
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party invitations near you!

Greek party decor via Momentary Madness

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Flashback to High School

Are you looking for a fun party theme for a birthday party or even a class reunion? Of course, there are many out there. You can find various party themes, party colors or decorations. Wedding and Party Network has a great party theme that will take you back to high school.

Theme of this party – Really, the idea behind this party is to grab some of your friends together that you are close with or you may not have seen in awhile and center it around high school. It's a time when you and your friends can relive the good ole' days.

Megaphones
Invite your guests – For your party invitations, include elements of high school into it. Pom poms, glasses, books, footballs, basketballs, instruments or make it a chalkboard themed invitation. Tell them to dress up as some high school stereotypes or maybe what they were known as in high school. It may have been the jock, band student, honor roll student or cheerleader. It would be fun to relive that aspect in high school.

Party decorations – How do you decorate for a high school party? Break out the foam fingers, pom poms, signs like you used during pep rallies, textbooks or even maybe some cheesy prom decorations. Whatever you decide to use, make sure to incorporate something fun that everyone will remember. Hang signs on the wall, decorate the tables with foam fingers & pom poms and incorporate textbooks into the centerpieces.

High school food – What did you eat in high school? Does macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, chips, jello, sandwiches, pudding, nacho bar, pizza, candy, chocolate milk in milk cartons, tator tots and brownies. Basically, everything junk food inspired. Don't forget to serve the food in the cafeteria lunch trays too. This makes for a fun addition to your party.

Party activities – Besides reminiscing on your found memories of high school, there are some games to incorporate into the party as well. Think about having a photobooth where you can take yearbook photos or have people vote on the most popular and who ended up being just what they planned in high school. It can be fun categories or really see how everyone's life has turned out so far and if it is what they expected.

This party is great for birthdays, class reunions or just because. Get all your friends together and remember the high school days like they were yesterday.

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Photo Booths
Not in Richardson, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find Halloween Decorations near you!

Megaphone photo via Westside Shooter

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A Muddling Party

It's always great to come up with an unexpected party theme. Having something that is unexpected will definitely draw your guests in.There are many unique party themes, but you must find a theme that fits your style and personality. If you want something unexpected and out-of-the-box, Wedding and Party Network has just the theme for you.

A muddling party is such a fun get together for all your friends. This party is super simple to setup and you really need little supplies. Here are a few tips to make this party a success:

Beverages at an Event
  • Table – You need to a place to set up all your muddling supplies.
  • Table Cloth – Choose two colors that you want to focus on and incorporate those in your table cloth. The table is the main attraction so make sure you achieve that.
  • Cocktail Stirrers & Napkins – Once you've chosen the color theme, make sure to find cute cocktail napkins and stirrers for your party. This is a muddling party, so these items are a must.
  • Centerpiece – Of course, a centerpiece will definitely make the table the focal point of the night. Talk with your local florist and tell them what type of party you are hosting. They may have some great ideas on how to incorporate the theme of the party into your arrangement.
  • Mixing Glass & Muddler – You definitely need these items for your party. You may find some basic ones and decorate them up a bit with some paint or glitter to match the colors of your party.

Now that you've got the supplies. What will you serve at this party? What are the essentials you  need for a muddling party?

  • Fresh Herbs – Basil, Mint,
  • Fruit – Cherries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Lemons, Limes, Pineapple, Kiwi, Mango, Watermelon, Orange, Grapefruit
  • Spices – Cloves, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger
  • Ginger Syrup
  • Soda Water
  • Sugar
  • Spirits

The point of this party is just to invite your friends over and do a little experimentation with drink recipes. It's fun to mix and match what you think will taste good together. You may be surprised. Some flavors may not mesh well, while other unexpected combinations may taste great. Gather up your friends and get to experimenting.

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Super Fun & Cost Friendly Party Themes

You enjoy hosting parties, yet it can be a bit of strain on your budget. There are so many elements that go into planning a party that it can definitely be time consuming and costly. Well, Wedding and Party Network has a few tips and ideas on super fun and cost friendly party theme ideas.

Fun Party Theme
Movie Party – Do you and your group of friends have that one movie that you find quoting all the time or relating your life to? Why not have host a movie night at your house and watch that movie? Sure, it's not a big deal, but it's still a fun time to have everyone over at your house and laugh at your favorite movie. You more than likely own the movie, so all you need to buy is the popcorn, candy and drinks. Total Cost: $15.00 for popcorn, drinks & candy.

Flash Mob – You've all seen these floating around on the Internet. Why not create one of your own? This is just a super fun time to get all of your close friends together and bust out some of your favorite dance moves. However, if you want to think outside the box and not just have a dance party in the middle of a food court, you can think of having a water balloon fight at your local park, break out in song at a random festival going on in your town or crash a party. Total Cost: FREE!

Go Retro – It's always fun to have a costume party. Going back in time and creating fun costumes with your friends is always a fun time. So, host a retro costume party. Pick a few decades for your guests to choose from, like the 50's, 60's and 70's. Create a fun playlist, make a trip to your nearest Goodwill to find appropriate clothing, let your guests bring their own drinks and one appetizer for entry into the party and you have yourself a party. Total Cost: $25.00 for your costume, appetizer & drinks.

Stock The Bar – Need a fun and cost friendly party idea for a housewarming party, engagement or shower? A stock the bar party is always a fun way to go. Just have guests bring bar tools, drinks and you're all set. Everyone is sure to have a good time at this party. Total Cost: $30.00 for appetizers & your drinks.

When wanting to gather a group of friends together for a party, it doesn't have to be about a huge celebration. There are always some fun and budget friendly parties out there that everyone will enjoy!

This post is brought to you by Houston Party Caterers.
Not in Houston, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party caterers near you!

7 Tips: Hosting for the Holidays

The holiday season is all about joy, togetherness, and celebration. But let’s be honest—it can also be a little stressful, especially if you’re the one hosting. Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner with family or a lively party with friends, these tips will make hosting for the holidays a breeze!

Hosting 101: Tips for a Seamless Event

Hosting an event can be a rewarding experience, but it requires detailed planning and execution. Whether you're organizing a party, shower, holiday dinner, or just a casual get-together, it's important to ensure everything goes according to plan so that your guests have a great time, and *bonus* you come across as a hosting pro! To make this easier, we've outlined some tips to help you host your next event with confidence.

Winter Wedding Tips

Breaking news… winter weddings are our latest love affair! The days are shorter and the nights are colder, but winter weddings are full of romance and have a uniquely magical essence.

2024 Bid Day Themes

In recent years, these trendy Bid Day themes have made waves on campuses nationwide, combining nostalgia, elegance, and fun into celebrations that are unforgettable and awe-inspiring! This year is no exception, and it's safe to say that we've got a few rush crushes of our own. We've compiled a list of some of our favorite 2024 Bid Day themes that you can take inspo from for your next event.