There’s nothing better than a themed party: it gives people a chance to celebrate things they’d never usually think of, to dress up, and you can have them for any occasion. They work especially well for hen parties! The downside? Themed parties take a lot of planning time and preparation – however, if you know what you’re doing, it can be a really fun process. Here's our advice for the perfect themed party:
1. Pick a theme
You can’t have a themed party without a theme, and sometimes it can be hard to think of one that everyone will enjoy. The easiest ones are the holidays: Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s parties always go down well, and they’re great ideas for a costume party too (Galway offers many costume shops, so there’s no need to worry about giving everyone large DIY tasks ). Or you could go for a patriotic tradition and host your own St Patrick’s day party, providing you can get to all the green decorations before anyone else does!
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Source: Rene Guerrero Photography via Facebook
Other good ideas for costume based parties include having a party with a specific nation or decade as the theme, such as a Mexican or 80s night.
Of course, if you’re looking for something more casual, it’s always fun to host a party for a televised event: a Comic Relief party would be a fun idea, complete with red noses for everyone, and these GastroGays cocktail recipes published on Deliveroo would make anyone want to host a Eurovision night. Whatever way you look at it, there’s always an excuse to have a themed party!
2. Decorations
Bunting and balloons might seem more like things you’d find at children’s birthday parties, but they come in such a wide range of colours and styles that they work for any themed party. Following on from that, it depends on your theme: cobwebs and pumpkins are a must on Halloween, and who could have a St Patrick’s Day party without shamrocks? Another fun idea is also novelty hats, as there’s a style to choose for most themed parties, so stock up on Santa hats and sombreros!
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Source: Red Dog Designs via Facebook
3. Food
As with decorations, food is easy once you’ve decided on a theme, however a good general idea is to go for buffet style quick bites, as the more people you invite, the harder it gets to have one large meal. Try having one table for savoury things and another for sweet, then setting out a stack of plates and letting people manage their own meal. Alternatively, you could choose to host your party at a venue where you can organise for food to be provided. A pub from the Galway Pub Guide would be a great idea, for instance.
That covers the three most important things at any themed party, though you could also consider suggestions for costume ideas, creative venues, and a whole host of other ideas. And the cheesier your ideas, the more fun the party will be!
