Party in the style of the Great Gatsby: tips for organizing, ideas

Interesting

Preparation of invitations and menu creation
Hall decoration
Dress code
Entertainment

Themed parties are a great way to brighten up your dull everyday life. An event in the style of the Great Gatsby will immerse everyone gathered in the era of jazz. And photos and videos will remind you of a pleasant evening for a long time.

Gatsby themed party scenario

A Gatsby-style party should take you back in time, capture your entire being and swirl you in a whirlwind of unbridled, wild, unbridled fun.
Organizing such an event is quite a troublesome task, but there is nothing that cannot be overcome, and besides, this event will remain in the heart of every invitee for a long time.

First you need to make a party plan: 1. Room and decorations; 2. Invitations; 3. Costumes; 4. Menu; 5. Music and entertainment.

It is clear that the event is large-scale and truly grandiose. In those days, people spent their entire fortune on such parties; it was an excess of luxury and aristocracy.

Nowadays, not everyone can afford such fun, but even such an event has its secrets, you just need to turn on your imagination and your imagination will tell you how and what to do.

Decor

The organizer is faced with a difficult task: brilliant, outrageously expensive-looking design without a hint of tackiness. Gatsby's high style, even within the framework of a party, presupposes the presence of taste and a sense of proportion on the part of the owner of the house. Re-watch the film adaptations: at first glance, the luxurious mansion of the mysterious “spy” seems to be buried in festive decorations. But the viewer will not see a hint of overload.

Pause: notice small design details, get ideas - the great Gatsby did everything for us! All that remains is to spice up the surroundings with a bit of your own imagination, so that the guests of the party are mentally transported to the crazy 20s.

It is important to choose the right room. The best option would be a loft, a classic restaurant hall or a spacious cafe: high ceilings, bright interior, antique furniture . Of course, you can also party in the Great Gatsby style at home, especially if it’s a birthday and not a wedding or other important occasion.

Colors: white, black, lots of gold and/or silver. Any natural shades are appropriate for compositions. Just remember all the time about a sense of proportion, you are not preparing for the New Year. Or to him? Then you can add a little more color.

We offer ideas:

drapery with fabric is an excellent solution when it is not possible to replace unsuitable furniture or remove unnecessary equipment. Critically evaluate the interior - perhaps there are some completely non-vintage details left in sight?

The sparkling crystal chandeliers and sconces are definitely Gatsby-esque . This item will instantly raise the party bar a few notches! You can easily make an impressive imitation with your own hands from the bottoms of plastic bottles. You can hide the chandelier behind a wire frame decorated with wax paper (white circles in the photo), disposable cups and other improvised materials.

Designer chandeliers look incredibly elegant, much more attractive than boring modern lampshades. And it’s simple: the child can cope if he has time.

translucent white balloons (the very beginning of the film, Gatsby's first party) will make the atmosphere as light and festive as the mood of the guests! They also harmonize with milky chandeliers, i.e. Such lampshades will completely fit into the overall idea.

Glowing balloons: coin cell batteries + white LED + elastic band. Cut the long ball (SHDM) into strips. Place the resulting “elastic band” on the battery to press the diode contacts (they should not stick out from under the rubber band, otherwise the ball will burst). Place inside the balloon and inflate.

decorate the ceiling/walls with vertical garlands . This is your main “reserve” of color, gold glitter and puffy richness: Christmas tree rain, serpentine, bead curtains, foil rain curtains.

bright butterflies are also in the style of the Great Gatsby - at his parties they are everywhere! Make several garlands and use butterflies to decorate your compositions. Let them flutter around like frivolous young holiday guests.

“expensive” vases, lush bouquets, large feathers as an element of decoration for anything . A hint of fountains: tall thin vases + silver decorative branches decorated with drops of transparent beads. It would be great if you could find a couple of real fountains, even if they were miniature ones.

make several frames from ceiling plinths . Paint them dark brown, go over the protruding parts with “gold” (lightly, with a sponge). The result will be a worthy frame for “vintage” paintings, views of New York at night, posters from “The Great Gatsby”, photos of elegant ladies in evening dresses of the 20s;

model retro cars, gramophone, telephone, radio, carved boxes, grandma’s suitcase - ask your friends for antique-style items.

How to decorate a room?

It's no secret that choosing a venue is very important for a theme party. The Great Gatsby is proof of this. In the film, these magnificent shows take place in a huge mansion, with a fountain, a swimming pool and an amazingly beautiful staircase.

Nowadays, few people have such property, so the ideal choice for such a party is either a classic-style restaurant or a loft-style room with a large area.

The classic restaurant is very restrained and solemn. For such an event this is what you need. Doormen help guests get out of their cars, open the doors for them, and there they are greeted by a champagne slide, retro music, magicians, jugglers, acrobats, ice sculptures and a fountain.

Guests enter the hall and see vintage furniture, chic white tablecloths, and on them there are porcelain dishes, silver cutlery and candlesticks, vases with pearls, and around the perimeter there are fresh flowers: roses, hydrangeas, orchids, carnations and chrysanthemums.

It’s all crowned with a delightful chandelier, the movie “The Great Gatsby” is playing on plasma panels, everything shines, glitters, garlands, golden streamers, tinsel, confetti, sparklers are lit, waiters in luxurious attire are handing out strong drinks and snacks, and the dance floor is shining with all the colors of the rainbow .

And in the tea room there is a unique place for photography: a large stand with full-length photographs of the characters from the film. Or you can rent a vintage car and park it at the entrance to the restaurant so that everyone can take pictures there.

You might be interested in a Moulin Rouge themed party.

Dress code for men

There will be much less work here than in the case of women. The Great Gatsby style seemed to have been copied from the pages of a modern fashion magazine. That’s why we use classics and expensive natural fabrics. For such a holiday, a man should dress in a three-piece suit or wear straight trousers and a one-button tuxedo. Indispensable accessories will be a watch, a tie or bow tie and expensive cologne. A hat in the style of “American gangsters,” which can be found in any store today, can complement the look.

Party Invitations

In The Great Gatsby, guests did not need a special invitation to take part in this enchanting show. Graceful and sparkling, they came themselves and had fun all night long.

But it’s not the 20s, and it’s unlikely that the party host will want to see complete strangers. Stylized invitations will help avoid this.

Ideally, they should be made on antique paper, with geometric elements, vintage paintings and be sure to include Gatsby logos. Suitable colors include white, gold, brown and beige.

Invitations can be wrapped in a distressed paper envelope and decorated with faux pearls. This will add a certain charm and gloss and, having received such a notification, those invited will enthusiastically accept this idea.

Invitation envelopes can also include photographs of stills from the film. Let them depict the main characters in their stunning outfits and then, without a doubt, the guests will try to dress to match them. Or, at the end of the invitation, write down a mandatory dress code so that party participants do not spoil it by arriving in ordinary clothes.

We create a festive atmosphere.

As such, the script should not be developed, because first of all, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, in his novel The Great Gatsby, showed and in every possible way praised the freedom of the representatives of the “Jazz Age”, their creative essence, the desire for fun and joy of life. But you should still provide for several competitions and entertainment. This could be a “snake” with the “head” trying to catch the “tail”, pantomimes with guessing a movie, searching for a hiding place, guessing elements from the frame of classic films subject to censorship (for example, you can print a still frame from “Some Like It Hot” on a poster , but cover some attribute with a piece of paper - for example, the instrument of one of the ensemble members, and those present must guess what is there) and other fun competitions that will not let everyone present get bored. Do not forget that for those present it is necessary to provide table games - billiards, a poker table, and, possibly, a table for playing Monopoly or even mafia. It is better to place tables with board games not in the center of the room, but somewhere near the walls, perhaps in other rooms. Zoning space at themed holiday events is always appropriate.

Suits

Brilliant ladies and aristocratic gentlemen. How not to make a mistake in choosing your image and look like characters straight out of a movie?

A dress from that era will help create a sophisticated feminine look. Below or above the knee, a floor-length dress with a low waist, a deep neckline on the chest or a cutout on the back, with fringe, sparkles, sequins, silver or gold threads. Anything: shiny, flashy, but at the same time rich and luxurious, elegant and charming. It is worth taking a closer look at the fabric of the dress. Chiffon, silk, panvelvet and lace are perfect.

Accessories for such an outfit should be appropriate. Brooches, artificial or natural pearls that go below the neckline, earrings, bracelets, rings, long gloves, small handbags decorated with rhinestones and sparkles, medium-heeled shoes with a rounded toe. And on the shoulders is a boa, a transparent scarf or a fur boa.

Complete the look with rich makeup: emphasized eyebrows, rounded eyelashes, dark shadows and bright lips. Hairstyle also plays an important role.

In those days, bobs and flowing waves were fashionable, but with long hair you can come up with hairstyles that suit this look: put it in a ponytail or make a bun. The hairstyle can be decorated with a ribbon, a thin scarf, a veil, a hat, a headband with feathers and beads, or a large sparkling hairpin. It won't be that difficult to create a male Gatsby image. He is simple, strict and rich. Smoothed hair, black three-piece suit, starched white shirt, vest, bow tie and two-tone shoes polished to a shine. You can experiment with the color of the suit: blue, gray, beige, brown, white, checkered, striped or plain.

Accessories include a hat, a cane, a watch, a cigar, a rose pinned to the lapel and a scarf peeking out of the jacket pocket.

You can organize a military-themed party.

Music and entertainment

Live music at a party would be ideal. A jazz orchestra, saxophonist and piano will be able to convey the atmosphere of the 20s. Musicians will perform incendiary compositions, and dance groups will force guests to relax and follow the dictates of their hearts.

A professional orchestra will cost quite a tidy sum, but anyone who is not ready to pay it can get out of the situation in the following way: turning on music from the film “The Great Gatsby” or choosing compositions yourself will not affect the general fun.

Entertainment, without it a party is just a boring gathering. The easiest way is to invite the host and not think about anything. As a rule, he already has his own program with competitions, music and artists. But ordering a professional will require considerable expenses from the party host.

You can come up with entertainment yourself. In the 20s, the Charleston dance was very popular. Why not offer to teach his simple movements to guests? Both an instructor and a video clip can help with this. It’s better to first learn the figures yourself, and then demonstrate your excellent dance technique to everyone invited. After half an hour of fun training, you can arrange a competition to see who can dance the Charleston better.

Another type of entertainment in those distant times was cockroach racing. As soon as guests place bets, their excitement will begin to grow. Playing poker and roulette, of course with 1920s dollars, will help you consolidate your results.

For the next competition you will need three bottles of champagne and the same number of hats. The bottles should be placed at different distances from each other in a row, and guests will try to throw their hats on them.

Competition "Best Glass Player". To do this, you need to attach clean wine glasses to the table with double-sided tape, pour clean water into them, lubricate your fingertips with a degreaser and go to victory.

The party should end with dazzling fireworks, the clinking of glasses and the presentation of a huge cake, which is more than enough for everyone.

Treats for guests

At such parties there can be no question of a long feast with potatoes and salads. You must organize a buffet that will please all guests. It turns out that the main task is to prepare many dishes, each of which is universal. Conventionally, the buffet can be divided into three parts: salty snacks, sweet ones and fruits. The former may include rolls, salmon and cheese rolls, various variations of canapés (with oysters, bacon, grapes, anchovies, oranges and many others). As salty snacks that you can eat on a festive night, you can prepare mini cutlets, pizza, and even simple sandwiches. Sweet snacks should be more varied and colorful. This is a riot of whipped cream, melted chocolate for fondue, various cookies, cakes, and the most important thing that needs to be served at Gatsby's party is ice cream of all varieties. With fruits everything is more or less clear. We buy all the types that are in the supermarket and cut them beautifully.

Party photo

Check out our full list of themed parties!

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