As one of my blog tags suggest, I am totally a theme party whore. I loooove them. I love going to them; I love throwing them.
Throughout my 20s, I’ve thrown some pretty good theme parties, including but not limited to: a silver birthday party for my silver 25th birthday party, a Dirty 30 party for my ex-boyfriend’s 30th with a boob cake and dirty mustaches, a Mustache and Sombrero birthday party (what party is complete without mustaches?!), a Sexual Chocolate party (Passion Party + chocolate fondue)… and now a Roaring 20s theme for my 29th Birthday!
Since 29 is the last year of my magnificent 20s, I decided to celebrate it with a Roaring 20s theme. I researched decorations, food, costumes and all the details. Here’s what I did, and how you can throw your own Roaring 20s Party.
Location:
I chose a private party space in Seattle called The Upstairs, which had a “speakeasy” vibe. The entrance was a nondescript door in the city, and guests had to walk upstairs to what looked like an underground bar during Prohibition… lights were strung across the ceiling, handmade art adorned all the walls and guests could dance or sit on velvet couches and chairs to chat. (If you live in Seattle, seriously have your party here! It’s owned by Cory, the brain behind Pinxto – and he is AWESOME at accommodating needs and wants to make your party special!)
Invite:
To get the guests into the Prohibition mindset, I sent an invite with an address that said the party was at “a door next to” a popular bar in Seattle, and gave them each a password to give at the door to get in (something that was often done during Prohibition for entrance into underground bars). Then I hired a door guy to ask guests what their password was at the door. (Gin Fizz!)
Decorations:
Tall vases of feathers and Cali lilies were on tables, feathers adorned bar and tabletops, and I purchased boxes of candy cigarettes to set around the party too. I also had glass candy dishes with gummy bears and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – candies that were both invented in the 1920s, and bowls of nuts on the bar top – another popular snack food in the 20s.
Food:
My mom catered the party, and we researched popular party foods in the 20s, and dishes invented in the 20s. The menu included:
Shrimp cocktail (popular party food in the 20s)
Zucchini chips (zucchinis came to the U.S. in the 20s)
Deviled eggs (egg creams were popular in the 20s)
Waldorf Salad (served to President Coolidge in 1924 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in NYC)
Brie cheese platter (popular party food in the 20s)
Olives (popular party snack in the 20s)
Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes (dessert invented in 1925 after Dole’s pineapple recipe contest)
Then I created and printed little tags with rhinestones that said the food, the year it was invented and were displayed using photo holders I bought at Michael’s Crafts for $1!
Drinks:
The bar created a custom cocktail list for me, which included:
Mint Julep (whiskey, mint, soda water)
Gin Fizz (gin, lemon, powered sugar & soda water)
French 75 (gin, lemon & Cava champagne)
Roaring Jeanna (whipped cream vodka & soda water – my fav drink!!)
Costumes:
All my guests dressed in 1920s costumes! What do these look like, you ask?! Mostly flappers in fishnets, black wigs, feather headbands and garter belts for the ladies – but also slip dresses with a low hemline, pin curls and pearls. For the boys – gangster gear or just plain suits, suspenders and fedoras.
Party Details:
I hired a photographer and set up a “photo booth” area for my guests with 1920s props such as feather boas, a fake cigar, pearl necklaces, a martini glass and a chalkboard to write fun messages on for the pics. I also created a box and a sign that said, “What Should I Do the Last Year of My 20s?” and asked guests to write their advice for me on little white cards and place them in the box. I’m going to spend this year actually trying to accomplish all the advice from my friends (another post coming on that soon!)
And now… all the photos! My favorite part of the whole shebang because it shows how AWESOME my friends are, who are the “detail” that really made my whole party:
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Tags: College Friends, Friends & Laughter, How to throw a 1920s party, How to throw a roaring 20s party, Theme Party Whore
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