South Africa Event Planning

Some party themes have stood the test of time, and always seem to be fun. When deciding on your theme, bear in mind that not all of these are appropriate for all occasions or groups of friends / invitees.

1. Anything But Clothes (ABC) – guests have to dress in balloons, boxes, sandwich bags – whatever they want (except, of course, clothes).
2. A particular letter – choose a letter (often the one with which your name begins) and ask everyone to come as something beginning with that letter.
3. Barter Party – ask each guest to bring a range of small items from home that they are willing to barter for someone else’s items. These can be used facecloths, a bottle of wine, instant noodles or a pot-plant.
4. Around the World – decorate each room in your house or venue as a different country (India, South Africa, United States of America, Peru, Italy, etc…). Each ‘country’ should have its own food and beverages; encouraging the guests to move around from room to room to see what else is on offer.
5. Bad Taste Party – bad taste means different things to different people, so leave your guests to get creative, and be prepared for some really unsavoury attire.
6. Number Party – choose a number and ask guests to dress up as something relating to it. For example, if you choose number seven, they could dress up as a heptagon (seven-sided figure), 7-Up soda, 7-11 store bag, James Bond (007), one of the Seven Dwarves, or the seventh element on the Periodic Table (Nitrogen).
7. Swop Shop – this works well in a group of friends that know one another well. Each person is required to dress up as someone else in the group – imitating their style of dress, make-up, hair and mannerisms. Then, the others should guess who he or she is. Be careful not to offend.
8. Pyjama Party – finally, you can feel comfortable in your party clothes! Don your favourite pyjamas and dance the night away in cosy, soft slippers.
9. Masquerade Ball – this can be formal and sophisticated or fun and silly, suiting a range of events and people. Each person simply has to come wearing a mask, which is easily available and allows for a huge amount of flexibility.
10. Seven Deadly Sins – each person should choose their vice and dress accordingly. The Seven Deadly Sins comprise Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy.
11. Colour Party – pick a colour and ask everyone to dress accordingly. The food and beverages as well as all décor should also fit the theme. This makes for creativity and innovation, as well as great photographs.
12. Back to School – there’s something about dressing as school kids when you’re an adult that is just completely fun and hilarious. Guests can don school uniforms or the clothes they wore for sports practice.
13. Moustache Party – men and women should find ridiculous fake moustaches and wear them for the entire night.
14. An 80’s Party – whether it’s the neon spandex or the synthesised music that gets us going, everyone loves a good 80’s party. Play music from the era and sport plenty of plastic accessories.
15. Remember When – this party theme is all about wearing the things that were once uber trendy. The great part is that it does not have to come from a particular era, but can be something that rocked the previous season or 20 years ago. Think Ugg boots, snap bangles and Mickey Mouse motifs.

Photo Credit: 80s DJ