Party Talk

Fun Fall Party Themes

We have a lot of exciting things going on at Party411.com right now. Football is in full swing, it seems everyone is having a party to kickoff the NFL season. I am just starting to plan my football party for September 14^th (I know, I am a procrastinator!) I have sent my invitations (Brown’s NFL Team Invites) and my menu consists of hot wings, soft pretzels and beer cheese dip, veggie pizza, bacon wrapped shrimp, and a deep fried turkey cut up for sandwiches. And lots of beer. I am almost there!

I am also having an Oktoberfest party at the end of the month. (The real Oktoberfest starts in September too) THAT is an easy party. Beer + People + Bratwurst + Polkas = Oktoberfest.

I am also waiting for my invite to Jimmy’s annual clambake. The only thing I love more than throwing a great party is being invited to one. (I am invited, right Jimmy?!?) We work together, you can’t avoid me :)

And I am gathering ideas for Halloween. It’s on a Friday this year, so that means BIG party at my house. What to wear? How to decorate? What’s my theme?!? Aaackkk!

September is going to be a full month for me. What’s on your calendar? Leave a comment and let me know!

Five Tips for a Great Clambake

It's fall, my favorite season of the year and time for one of my favorite parties, the clambake. I’ve been to plenty of clambakes and here are 5 tips for how to make your clambake this year’s best. Now this is for a home party and not a fund-raiser or an organization. That means you can be a little more informal and ask for a little more help from your friends.

1. Have extra clams available. People either love clams or refuse to eat them. So the traditional dozen is too many or too few. Personally I’m good for two dozen at least. Nothing is more disappointing than going to a bake and running out of clams before you have your fill. Ask your guests if they want extra and ask them to pay for them. They won’t mind.
2. Speaking of money, hosting a clambake can be expensive. Everyone knows this. Don’t be afraid to ask your guests to defray the cost. You don’t have to make a profit, or even cover your costs, just ease the pain a bit. One friend of ours charges us $25/couple for the bake which isn’t enough but makes the party manageable on his end and is a very cheap night out for us. If you don’t like asking for cash tell everyone that you’ll supply food and drink is up to them.
3. Have a fire going. Not for the food but for your guests to gather around. Fall nights are beautiful but they’re cool so the warmth of a fire is appreciated. Oh, and I’ve found no better place to have conversations with friends.
4. Have enough chairs and tables for people to eat. This breaks one of my most basic rules about parties (have half as many chairs as guests to force mingling). However, clambake food is virtually impossible to eat standing up. Use folding tables and chairs and after dinner fold up a couple of tables to “make space” and you should have the best of both worlds.
5. Check the television schedule. Clambake season coincides with football season and the baseball playoffs. A big game will kill your attendance. (I live in Ohio and OSU plays USC this Saturday. Trust me no one is missing that game.) If you have your date set and there is a conflict assure everyone that the game will be on. We set up a TV outside and people that are fanatic sit and watch and others come over for the replays. It can be a fun thing and it’s the only way to get “true fans” to come to your party.

If you are craving more great clambake ideas, check out our Clambake theme party.

Enjoy your clams, chicken, yams, and chowder. Yum!

NFL Team Invitations

Fall is my favorite season for one simple reason…

NFL Football. More specifically, my home team starts playing (Go Browns!) We choose one Sunday every year and make the game a big ta-do. This year it is Sunday, September 14, Browns versus Steelers.

We invite a bunch of people over to watch with us, I make various foods containing cream cheese, butter, and bacon, and we serve a lot of beer.

And now I have the perfect invitation to send...

There is one for every NFL team. (Even the Steelers)

Check out all of the NFL Team Invitations.

Oktoberfest Theme Party

Throwing your own Oktoberfest celebration is easy. Make your own invitations using the red, gold, and black of the German flag, or the blue and white of the Bavarian flag; they are both fantastic color schemes. Use a Fraktur font, which is a German style of blackletter, or a gothic font for your wording.

For inexpensive but beautiful decorations make flower bouquets using carnations, dried wheat and hops, and use beer mugs or steins as vases. Balloons and crepe paper to match the colors of your invitation is another great way to decorate a large space. If you are looking to purchase unique Oktoberfest decorations we have plenty of choices in our Oktoberfest Decorating411.

The Bavarian oom-pah band is one of the most lively parts of Oktoberfest. CDs with German music and polka oom-pa-pas will add an authentic oomph to the evening. If there's an accordion player in town, he might be available for a live performance.

Feed them and they will come! Your guests will savor each moment of Oktoberfest if you serve the best of the wurst. No Oktoberfest is complete without the finest sauerkraut, wurst, weinerschnitzel, kielbasa, crispy potato pancakes (served with applesauce and sour cream YUM!) and, of course, apple strudel and German chocolate cake for dessert.

And, as ol' Benjamin Franklin said, "Beer is God's way of showing us He loves us and wants us to be happy" (Really, he said that!) So, you want your guests to be happy, right? Have lots of beer (or Märzen, as it is called in Munich) on hand and you'll have your guests so happy they'll be singing for their supper! Many beer companies market their own "Oktoberfest" brew this time of year, so have a selection.

Want more ideas? Check out the full theme - Oktoberfest Planning Guide

Ein Prosit!

Car Theme Party

Welcome to Adam's Car Lot!  This Bar Mitzvah was set in Cleveland's Crawford Auto Museum.

Guests entered through hanging car lot flags (that you can find online) and were greeted by a lifesize cutout of the guest of honor.

We personalized mini license plate holders and created seating cards to look like licenses on a car! Next to the seating cards was 3D sign in book!

For the candlelighting, we had a small cutout of a car standing behind votive candles.

Adult centerpieces were mini-tires with balloons coming out of the top, and the kids had model car kits that were donated to charity.  And, of course, an extra large sign hung over the DJ.

Adam even bought each of his guests a new car!  Well, not really! But, he did pass out personalized candy bar wrappers with a custom car theme.

Party411 can plan your car theme party!  Let us know if you would like more information on any of the products seen in the photos or if you have car theme party questions!

September is...

National Coupon Month - Yep, it’s time to celebrate the "four billion dollar savings American consumers receive each year by redeeming coupons for their favorite brands." Have a coupon clipping party.

September 17^th is Anniversary of the Premiere of "M*A*S*H" - It was 1972. "This popular CBS series was based on the 1970 Robert Altman movie and a book by Richard Hooker. The show aired for 11 years. Set during the Korean War (actually, the show lasted longer than the war), it followed the lives of doctors and nurses on the war front with both humor and pathos…Its final episode, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" was the highest rating program of all time, topping the "Who Shot J.R?" revelation on "Dallas." A great theme for a party!

September 19^th is the Beginning of National Dog Week - Celebrate the dog. I do that daily, but everyone should stop and think about man’s best friend. So make dog biscuit shaped cookies, serve everyone their dinner in a bowl with their name on it and have a ball! Or consider having a puppy theme party.

September 24^th was the Premiere of "The Love Boat" - It was 1977, and we obviously had nothing better to do because this cruise ship comedy became a huge hit. So if you need a theme for your party, use this. It’s easy and fun, and we have boarding pass invitations that are perfect.

See more Stuff to Celebrate for September, or take a sneak peek at October!