It's easy, have a themed party that they would be willing to dress up for! The best parties that I have attended were black and white themed parties. Everybody dressed in either a combination of black and white or they wore all black or all white. There is something about everyone coordinating at a party, it seems to add to the actual decor! This theme is versatile when it comes to style so you can have a casual party or elegant cocktail party. I will provide you with some hints and tips for different styles of black and white parties.
BLACK AND WHITE PARTIES ARE JUST UNOFFICIAL COSTUME PARTIES!
Planning a themed party for adults can be a little bit of a challenge at times, everyone is so busy! It can be especially difficult if you are requesting a certain type of wardrobe. As mentioned before the black and white parties I attended EVERYONE DRESSED UP! Why did they dress up for it? Because everyone has black or white in their wardrobe and they are comfortable wearing it. Of course if you are like me, you will want to get a special outfit just for the event.
WHAT TO WEAR TO A BLACK AND WHITE PARTY
The black and white parties that I attended were pretty casual, not to age myself but it was also more than 10 years ago when I was in my 20’s so what I would wear now is much different than what I wore then.
Here are some helpful hints to help you choose and/or help your guests choose what to wear to your black and white themed party.
1. If you are hosting, make sure you specify if you are expecting casual or upper scale. If you are attending check with your hostess if you are not sure.
2. If the party is a casual event you can dress in black or white jeans, skirts, shorts, dresses that a cotton blend is all good. Avoid any shirts with logos or prints unless the print is black and white. Remember to have some fun with it, you are still dressing up, if you find something that turn into a conversation piece wear it!
3. Perhaps the party you are hosting or attending is a semi-formal, more glamorous event. Men, get those collared shirts and ties out! Women look for a nice cocktail dress or dress slacks and a blouse.
4. Make sure all of your accessories are black and white as well, this includes jewelry. If you don't have any black or white jewelry it's good to stick wear silver, white crystals, pearls or diamonds.
BLACK AND WHITE THEMED PARTY INVITATIONS
This is where you start, before you get your black and white party invitations you need to consider a few things.
Where are you going to have your event?
Is it a small get together at your home or a formal event where you need to reserve a venue?
If you need a venue to make sure the one you want is available for the day of your party.
Are you going to serve food, appetizers or drinks?
Specify to your guests if you plan to have any of these things, you may be having a potluck or BYOB, it’s good to let everyone you want to attend know what to expect.
Is this a casual or black tie event?
I have a few invitation design options available the style of them varies for both casual and black tie events. Also, Make sure you specify what type of party it is so your guests know how to dress.
Is this an adult only event?
Black and white themed parties are commonly adult only events. However if you have a lot of friends with kids you may want to consider allowing them. Should kids be included in your party, make sure you create some sort of play area for them. Always note if kids are invited or not, don't ever assume that someone will know.
Once you know the answers to these simple questions you can start looking for your invitation. As mentioned this is one of my personal favorite party themes so I have created a few different options for black and white party invitations with coordinating party decor which I will go into more later.
First I have my original Black and white invitation design which deserves an honorable mention, it is still the top selling black and white invitations I have. For some reason this design reminds me of the 80’s, however that wasn’t the intent when I designed it. (Black and white 80’s party that could be fun too!) This invitation is created with a jagged edge split between the black and white. Part of the typography is has a color split as well. I should note, the font that is used in my Zazzle version of this design is different from the Etsy version.
A great invitation for a casual black and white party is this one which is on both my Zazzle and Etsy shop. This invitation is designed with a 50/50 black and white color split in the middle of the background as well as the top text. I have had this design for a couple of years now and it has become pretty popular on my Metro-events Zazzle shop.
These are new additions to my black and white collection. They are similar in their look and feel but slightly different from one another. Both of these invitations are designed with elegant, handwritten style typography. These two party invitations are perfect for more elegant or dressy affairs.
BLACK AND WHITE THEMED PARTY DECOR
Another beauty to this theme is you have so many options when it comes to your decor. If you are wanting an elegant style event simple decor is ideal. For casual styles you can choose to add some funny items to your decor to keep your guests talking. I dug through the internet looking for some awesome choices for any type of black and white party you are having. I will provide you with some of my designs that coordinate with my invitation designs as well as other things that will help you choose the decorations you prefer.
Decorating for a black and white themed party decorations this is a pretty simple task. First thing you need are some tablecloths for your tables. Personally I don’t like paper or plastic tablecloths, you can reuse fabric tablecloths and they look so much nicer at a party. The cost difference between a plastic tablecloth vs fabric is about $5. I found this black tablecloth on Amazon for around $12 it’s perfect for a casual black and white themed party.
Some of your decorations are going to depend on the location of your party as well as the time of year. Streamers are always a fun addition for decor, they are inexpensive and can cover a lot of empty space. You can also make some pretty cool designs with streamers, they are pretty easy to clean up at the end of your party as well. Garland circles are also fun, they are similar to streamers but give a different look.
If your party is outside, it's best to stay away from paper decorations, weather has a tendency to do things we don’t always want. In which case you can get white fairy lights for your decor if your party is at night.
Candles can be a nice addition as well, the dim and peaceful lighting that they produce tends to create a nice ambiance.However it would be best to get flame less candles to avoid accidents and having to worry about relighting them if they burn out.
Balloons are always a necessity at any party! They fill space in a really awesome way, they can go inside or outside and they are inexpensive. Another great thing about a black and white theme is that it’s easy to find the colors of items you need and matching the colors isn’t really an issue. Black and white balloons can be purchased just about anywhere. I always recommend getting your own helium tank and balloons. I got balloons from a store one time and I didn’t get as many as I do from a helium tank plus it costs more.
Additional party decor items that you can get for your black and white themed party are things like customized napkins, wine and beverage labels, table confetti, party banners and signs. Of course I have created all of these items and they coordinate with the invitations that I have created for this party theme.
HAVE A GUEST PHOTO OP
A fun and popular thing to have at a party is a photo booth, which may sound complicated but it’s actually really simple because all you need to do is create an area for people to take pictures. This can be done very easily and there are options available for you to do it.
The first option you have is very simple and reasonably priced, find an area where you can put up a photo backdrop. Look for a blank wall or if it’s an outdoor party you can get a pretty inexpensive backdrop stand from Amazon.
Next get an awesome backdrop that goes with the theme of your party. I have actually created personalized backdrops that are specifically for black and white themed parties. Below are the personalized photo booth backdrops that I have created specifically for black and white parties. That’s it for the first option! Easy right, what will happen is people will come to your party, see the backdrop and automatically start taking pictures in front of it.
The second option is renting a photo booth, this is not as complicated as it may seem. I have spent some time working with a company that rents photo booths and it’s pretty simple. Do a google search for photo booth rentals in your area. Prices for them range from $125-$200 per hour so they are not cheap but they can be a lot of fun. Photo booths will allow your guests to take photos using a stand alone kiosk. Most of the time they have a nice front screen design, some companies offer custom screen designs as well.
Don’t forget your props! Props can be the best part of having a photo booth and there are so many options. Where should you get your props? You can go through your own hats, scarves, sunglasses and other costume gear you have at home. Another option is to go to a thrift store to find some fun items for cheap. You can also include signs and posters to add to your mix of photo props. All you need to do is use your sense of humor and creativity, your guest will be posting their photos from your party all over social media!
The next time you are having a party for adults, consider a black and white themed party. It’s easy to decorate for and your guests will have memories of the event that will last a lifetime!
Here is a little bit of fun for you! Some personal photos from the black and white parties that I attended.
DO YOU HAVE AN AWESOME PARTY TO SHARE?
Submit your party to M-E and you could see it here in my blog! For more invitations, party ideas and party supplies join in and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram
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