It's Friday night. You get ready, gather up all your friends and then do the same, old, tired thing you did last weekend...and the weekend before that. Doesn't that same hangout spot get boring after a while?
Why not try to spice up your social scene by hosting a fabulous black and white party? Themed parties are a great way to get friends together for a night that will create lasting memories. Plus, they are a lot of fun not only to attend, but also to plan.
For your black and white party, just follow the ideas and steps below and your event will be the hit of the season!
Party Invitations. What better way to let everyone know about your party than by creating some awesome invites? By actually mailing your invitations to your friends, it will not only set the tone that this is going to be a big event, but also lets you get any additional information out such as what to wear. You might also want to ask each guest to bring a food or drink item to help keep the cost down on your side.
Party Decorations. Keep in mind that your decorations should reflect the theme of the party. In this case, you want to try to use decorations that are mostly black and white. Feel free to use an accent color. Silver works best when working with black and white, but don't let you accent color dominate your decor. Black and white balloons make perfect decorations since they are very noticeable and can be placed almost anywhere. A nice table centerpiece can be created by using hot glue to adhere black ribbon to white candles of varying sizes. Place the candles on a mirror and sprinkle black and white table confetti on the mirror. It looks fabulous! Most party supply stores sell cardboard stars in assorted colors. Get a bunch of sizes, in both black and white, and hang them up using string. Local party supply stores also carry different streamers and decorations as well. Feel free to shop around and buy what you think will work with the black and white theme, as well as your party location.
Tableware. Try using a black table cloth on the table where you plan on serving the food. Alternate black and white paper plates, plastic cups, flatware and napkins. Use large black and white trays to serve your food.
Party Food. Food is typically a big part of any social gathering. Although not all of the food you serve will be black and white, try these ideas to help tie in the theme.
Rye, white and marble breads are excellent choices for serving finger sandwiches on.
Try serving chocolate and vanilla brownies, cupcakes and even cake for dessert.
Spinach dip paired up with a dark bread is a great way to incorporate both black and white.
Even simple, premade foods such as Oreos work flawlessly.
Drinks. Having a drink to reflect the theme of the party is also a great idea. In this case, since we are working with black and white, consider the following as being the preferred drink of the night....chocolate martinis, white and black Russians, or mudslides.
Attire. Since you will be going all-out for your black and white party, why not use this as the perfect time to let your guests dress up! However, it is up to you as to how formal you want to make the event. Dressy casual seems to work best. I would include a little note in the invitations to let people know what the attire of the night is going to be. Ladies should stick with cocktail dresses. Gentlemen should wear dress pants and a nice button-down shirt. The attire should be strictly limited to black and white.
Music. What's a party without some music? Create playlists that reflect different genres of music. Try choosing songs with titles that tie into the black and white theme. Think Michael Jackson's "Black or White", AC/DC's "Back in Black", Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and Paul McCartney's "Ebony and Ivory". You might have to do some research on this one!
Favors. If you really want to go all out for your black and white event, consider giving each guest a small favor as a thank you for attending. My favorite idea is to personalize plastic martini or champagne glasses, which can be found at any party supply store. You can fill the glasses with Hershey kisses, noise makers, and black and white party beads. Decorate the outside of the glass with black and white paint pens, which can be found almost anywhere...you can even include their name and the date of the party! Guests love these and it will give them something to remember the night!
Miscellaneous. There are a lot of other things you can do to pull your party together. When guests enter the party, set up a large black poster board with a metallic pen so that each guests can sign their name or write a special message. Leave disposable cameras with black and white film around the party for guests to take pictures. You can even play old black and white movies! Anything that will make the event extra special!
Best of luck to you as you plan your own black and white party! Once you plan your first theme party, you will want to start planning others as soon as it's over. Hopefully you can retire that same old hangout you visit every Friday night. And don't forget to have fun!
Required Tools:Be sure you have a place to hold you even to accommodate your guests...whether it be a house or a rental hall.
Quick Tips:Plan your party around the theme...in this case, black and white.
Visit your local party supply store for other ideas and decorations.
Have fun!
