Sometimes it’s hard to look forward to weekends filled with the same old activities. Whether it’s a frat party or a get together at a friend’s house, doing the same thing every weekend can make a semester get stale fast. There are exceptions, like the Blarney Blowout, of course, but for the average spring weekend, here are a few ideas to spruce up your next party.
One of the most common but still entertaining party themes is “around the world.” This kind of theme can be incredibly fun if everyone participates: guests should dress either as either tourists or a culture they would like to represent. Costumes aren’t necessary for this party to be a hit though, if your friends aren’t into dressing up. Instead, outfit every room in the house with a different drink and theme from around the world, like a world tour. Cinco de Mayo and margaritas can represent Mexico in one room, while Caribou Lous (made with rum, coconut rum and pineapple juice), and a luau can create Hawaii right next door. You can even add a patriotic room with some classic American lager (like Bud Light) and plenty of red, white and blue. This theme lets the hosts be creative and represent the cultures of their own choosing, meaning that no two around the world parties will be the same.
If you want to give your festivities a classy twist, go with a Monte Carlo theme. Bust out the cards, suits and champagne – this party will bring you right into a Las Vegas experience, only classier. For this party to work, dressing up is required. That means suits and ties for the guys, dresses and heels for the girls. This should be strictly enforced: the more people who are into it, the more fun it becomes. Set up different card games around the house for the guests to try their hands at. If you’re feeling ambitious, there are a few ways to step this theme up a notch. One idea is to include a few tables where people (18 or older) can place real bets to add some excitement to the games, and another is to have a few friends dress like Vegas bartenders and walk around the party serving your guests martinis and champagne.
For non-drinkers, a clothing exchange is a great get-together idea. Have your most fashionable friends raid their closets for pieces they don’t wear anymore and want to get rid of. Then, have all of these people can bring their selections to your house and swap items. There are a few variations on this idea, depending on the host’s preference. One way to swap items is on a piece by piece basis, meaning that guests try other guests’ clothes on and then barter with their own items. For a more relaxed environment, just have everyone throw their pieces on a bed or couch and provide an area for clothes to be tried on. That way, you might end up with some extra items to hold onto at the end.
These are just a few ideas to help liven up your weekend, and the good news is there are plenty more. Don’t settle on another regular party next weekend; surprise your friends with a dash of creativity and it will certainly pay off.
Adria Kelly-Sullenger can be reached at [email protected].
