I have planned a lot of events ranging from birthday parties to talent shows, but now I’m hosting costume theme parties. It is a lot of work, but it’s lot of fun too. I just enjoy working behind the scenes to plan these parties. I also love to attend cosplay parties to take photos of the amazing costumes (like this batgirl costume above). I planned a 70’s party for my birthday and it was a success.
Here are the steps to hosting a costume theme party (others may plan differently).
Create a budget
It is so important to have an idea on how much money you plan to spend on your costume party and the number of people you plan to invite. When I hosted my party I invited 85 people, but not everyone showed up. There were about 70 attendees there and keep in mind that you may have last minute attendees too.
Choose a date
The first step in planning an event is to decide on a time. Depending on the time of the year, you can choose a date based on the season or around a particular holiday. My event was in the fall, so I planned six months in advance.
Decide on a venue
Once you have decided on a date and budget, the next step is to decide on a venue. I personally like hosting events at hotels because they have a ballroom, menu, bar, dinnerware and linens. If the hotel does not have the availability or everything that you want, you can easily rent those items. For example, if you room does not have a dance floor, you can rent one. Many times, these companies will rent you other items such as seat covers, chaffing dishes and more. You can also rent space from a nonprofit organization. Check your local community center, churches, fire department, Knights of the Columbus and the American League. (Some leagues may require that you become a member, if eligible).
Decide on theme
There are so many themes to choose from. You have 1920’s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. A lot of people like the idea of a theme party because they can get to dress up as their favorite childhood hero or to wear a creative costume. I visit sites like Pinterest and YouTube to get on ideas of DIY costumes and cosplay costumes.
Pick out your decorations
Decide on your colors. Once you have your colors, you can start gathering the items that will compliment your theme. One site that I like to use is Oriental Trading because they have so many great ideas for planning a party. You also check your local party store for the items you need as well.
Send out a save the date
It depends on how soon you start planning your event. You may need to send out the save the date as soon as you secure your venue. Some of the online invitations to consider are mint.com, eventbrite.com, punchbowl.com and e-vite.com.
Thanks for reading my blog! 🙂
