Party Talk

MAY you have a great month!

I love May.  Mostly because it starts out with a fiesta.  As I write, I’m gearing up for Cinco de Mayo.  Gearing up means I’m not eating for 48 hours, and I’m playing my salsa CD.  Cha cha cha.

The party that has a little bit of everything, fiesta is the greatest theme ever invented, and I thank the saint it was celebrated for dating back to the 17th century. 

An actual fiesta is celebrated for ten days, however I’m not sure if I would live through ten days of the following.  Do it right, and you start with a fabulous menu (I’ll take a gallon of guac, a large nacho platter all washed down with a Corona), add fashion forward chic (who doesn’t look great in a sombrero), some easy décor (who doesn’t love those paper flowers), dance steps you can have fun faking (Merengue, Mambo, Samba, Tango, Rumba, Conga or Cha Cha) and ridiculous games that are worth at least one try (limbo anyone or how about a Mexican hat dance).  I’m tired thinking about it.

But since May is also graduation month for many a student, I’m having an epiphany—why not urge everyone one I know to have a graduation party with a fiesta theme?  In fact, I’m going to call all my friends with kids that are graduating 8th grade, high school, college, graduate school (even graduating from Berlitz or The Barbie School of Hairstyling) and offer free decorations if they have a fiesta.  If you want to have a graduation fiesta check out our Fiesta Planning Guide and our Graduation Planning Guide for ideas.

That way, I can have my taco and eat it too.  Maybe 10 fiestas but not all in a row!  Am I a cool señorita or what?!

The Party Girl

Hollywood Couples Bridal Shower

Jack and Jill bridal showers and fairly common nowadays, and we get questions all the time regarding how to throw a shower that is fun for both guys and gals. One theme that works really well for a couples shower is Hollywood. You can go old or new Hollywood, but you can't go wrong when you treat your guests like stars!

Here are a few ideas for a Hollywood theme co-ed bridal shower:

Pick a color scheme that combines black, white, red, silver and gold. You don't have to use all of these colors, but they are the ones that work best for a Hollywood theme party.

Send a fun Hollywood theme invitation. Check out Party411's personalized Hollywood invitations. Let everyone know they have to come dressed as their favorite couple--past, present, or future. Some fun couples from the past have been Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (or Eddie Fisher), Lassie and Timmy, and Mickey and Minnie!

Decorate the party space like a red carpet event! All of your “celebrity” guests deserve a fabulous entrance so be sure to have an actual red carpet waiting for them at the front door. Latex balloon bouquets tied to movie awards are great table decorations. Sprinkle Hollywood confetti or even popcorn on the table to add extra interest. Seating cards can be "Walk of Fame" stars. Fun!

A cute favor is a pic of the couple in a film style frame. Or a bag of microwave popcorn with a personalized label on it.

Want more ideas? Check out the full Hollywood Couples Bridal Shower theme.

New Kid's Birthday Party Themes

The Party Girl and the Partyettes have been slaving over a bunch of new kid's birthday party themes. We love them, and we hope will too. Take a look, them come back here and let us know what you think in the comments! Feel free to leave suggestions for themes you would like us to tackle in the future.

Candyland Theme Party - What kid doesn’t love candy? Easy, fun and you get to eat some candy, too!  This party will have your guests shouting "Goody Goody Gumdrops!"

Super Mario Brothers Birthday Party - I know many a young boy and girl who would love to have this Nintendo themed birthday (and a few adults as well!)

Hannah Montana Birthday Party - Treat your future rock star to a birthday party featuring her favorite songbird, Hannah Montana!

Home on the Range Cowboy Birthday Party - You can bring the spirit of the wild west home for your little buckaroo by having a Home on the Range theme birthday party!

Dinosaur Birthday Party - Dinosaurs are a great kid's party theme; it has excitement, adventure, the thrill of discovery, and it can be a learning experience too (we won't tell the kid's if you don't).

Firefighter Birthday Party - What's cooler than a big red truck that makes a ton of noise and heads out to save the day?

 

Hello Kitty Birthday Party - This fun party is filled with vibrant colors and all of the whimsy and fun of Hello Kitty. With kid-friendly Hello Kitty themed menu and fun party activities and crafts and you have a party that will be fun for the birthday girl and all of her friends (and the parents will love it too)!

Pink Poodle in Paris Birthday Party - Ooh la la!  We think this party is "tres magnifique!"  A pink poodle in Paris is a lovely theme for a girl's birthday party.  It makes a for a great tea party and the pink, lavender and pale green color scheme is very feminine.

 

Under the Big Top - From bright circus decorations, yummy food and great entertainment to the tiny personalized touches that make a party special, this circus theme has it all! So come one, come all...

Out of this World: A Space and Alien Theme Birthday Party - Space is a great theme for a child that is always dreaming big. Lots of glowing decorations and fun activities will make it a night to remember for the guest of honor and all of their friends!

A Patriotic Rehearsal Dinner "Barbecue"

For a wedding on July 4th, a Patriotic barbecue is a great theme for a rehearsal dinner!  This one was held indoors - who says a barbecue has to be outside??

 

Guests arrived to find a fun patriotic balloon arch directed them into the room. Next to the arch, bunting and balloons decorated the seating card table.

 

Inside the room, patriotic balloons hung from the ceiling. There were a lot of speeches and a video planned for the evening, so we didn't want bouquets of balloons on the tables.  This kept anyone from having a blocked view, but still allowed for us to have fun with balloons!

 

A caricature of the bride and groom as Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam, sitting on a skimmer hat were great centerpieces on the tables!  By the end of the evening they were being worn by all the guests!  Tablecloths were white and napkins in blue and white were rolled for a fun fireworks feel.

 

Favors were "barbecues to go" with gummy hotdogs and hamburgers.  They were set at each seat as a fun favor for the guests.

 

We added more balloons next to the buffet, including hot dog, hamburger and grill Mylar balloons.  On the menu were burgers, hot dogs, salad, lots of fruit and of course, apple pie for dessert.

 

It was an all American evening for the bride and groom and all their guests!

 

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

 

Quick Tips For Your Memorial Day Party

Sometimes a party is all about the little things. With this in mind we wanted to share a few small and often overlooked tips that will help you prepare for your Memorial Day cookouts and parties -

1. If you are having your outside, which most of us will be doing, forgo using helium balloons as centerpieces on tables because even the slightest breeze will cause them to play whack-a-mole with your guest's faces.

2. When you are at the party store buying your plastic table clothes, pick up those plastic clips that hold them onto the table. No one wants to chase the food when it goes flying!

3. Invest in food covers and a few citronella candles to keep the bugs at bay. Let the guests get their protein from the hamburgers and not the flies!

4. Don't underestimate you need for one of the most important party elements - ICE! Make sure you have enough. Everyone will be picking some up this weekend and you don't want to run to 4 different gas stations trying to find a few more bags.

5. Adding a little entertainment to the party is always a good thing. A bocce set or a game of volleyball will do the trick. You can check out Summer Party Games for more ideas.

Have a fun and safe Memorial Day!

May is...

National Barbecue Month- Enjoy yourself with a hot dog or some kabobs off the grill. If you are feeling benevolent invite your friends over for a backyard BBQ and share some of that char-grilled goodness!

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo - marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a tasty Corona Margarita!

May 11th is Mother’s Day – Need ideas? Plan a special celebration for mom with Party411's Mother's Day Guide.

May 25th is Memorial Day - host your own “Spectacular Patriotic Holiday Gathering” Memorial Day party.

See more Stuff to Celebrate for May, or take a sneak peek at June!