Stamps in My Passport

Is there anything better than a party? Especially if there’s a fun theme that encourages your guests to step out of the ordinary and to get into costume? Everyone loves a great party & adding a festive theme will ensure it’s one they’ll remember long after it’s over! Hosting a Great Gatsby theme party is the perfect blend of old world glam, glitz, festive decor, great costumes and lots of pizzazz. It’s a recipe for a party you’ll never forget!

Typically, the recipe for an excellent party is to start at the begining with the guest of honor, guest list, theme, party date & time. Once you have the essentials sorted all that’s left is to fill in the other details as you continue to make your plan. For our special Great Gatsby party the guest of honor was my Bestie, my cousin Andrea (who has always dreamed of having a glitzy 1920’s theme party) & we were planning to celebrate her 40th birthday (naturally two of the most important details for this party ;)). We knew that she has a minor obsession with the 1920’s and that she’d fell even more in love with the glitz, glam & ritzy details when the movie “The Great Gatsby” (with Leo DeCaprio) came out over a decade ago, in 2013. *If you haven’t seen it yet, highly recommend it!!

April happens to be her birthday month and this year she celebrated turning the big 40! Since she has always been a HUGE fan of The Great Gatsby and has talked about how amazing it would be to have a themed party with everyone dressed up, her special birthday was the perfect opportunity to plan & surpise her with an epic Great Gatsby party. It took a lot of planning, organizing and months and months of preparations to pull it off but we did it and the party went off without a hitch! Everything worked perfectly, she was sooo surprised and amazed by all the people who pitched in to make the day a success. It definitely was a group effort and I highly suggest reaching out to some friends to help you plan, set up & clean up for your party. Besides, it’s more fun to party prep & clean up with friends than going about it all on your own.

It all started with a dream, Ia woke one morning with the traces of my dream dancing in my mind and immediately texted one of my best girlfriends, Paulina about the idea of hosting a surprise Great Gatsby party for Andrea’s 40th birthday. We met the next day and I filled her in on some of my thoughts & bounced around ideas about where, when, theme, location, who would we invite, food, decor etc. and planned to meet again in a few weeks to start planning the party in more detail. This was all about 6 months before the party was to take place.

Over the course of the next 5 1/2 months Po and I met at least 10 times to finalize details, plan the decor, view the venue, go over the layout of the space, decide on food/menu, invites, devise our plan of how we would get the birthday girl to the event and most importantly, how to ensure that all the details would remain a surpise! We determined that we should get a few other friends involved to help with the process so we reached out to our close group of girlfriends and diviied up some tasks ;). Some were incharge of organizing and arranging the drinks, others were incharge of food and another helped with decor for a special gift/card table.

For dessert we lucked out that my close friend Hallie bakes and she blessed us by baking dozens of delicate, delicious cookies and our showstopper cake that all perfectly fit with the theme. Hallie is extremely talented at cookie & cake decoration. When I inquired if she could decorate the cookies and tie in a Gatsby/Parisian theme she was immediately on board & totally over delivered! The cookies were exquisite and the floral details on the cake lent to the glamour and soft feminine touches that I had envisioned. It was a labor of love & really surprised the birthday girl who loves and always pays attention to every little detail. She felt so spoiled by all of the effort and time spent creating and decorating the beautiful desserts.

In lieu of a menu, we opted for a Charcouterie board/grazing counter due to a limited amount of time in our venue for setup & as a bonus: it is very budget friendly (especially when multiple friends pitched in and we were able to delegate the food prep, set up & clean up to them). It turned out absolutely lovely and everything fit with our theme perfectly. Keeping with a charcouterie board menu allowed everyone to graze as often as they wanted and easily provided everyone with accessible food options they liked & enjoyed. Another benefit was that after initial set up it was minimal effort to manage during the party which meant everyone could relax and be fully present during the party.

Pulling off a surprise for Andrea was quite the challenge as her schedule is usually pretty packed and she is a type A planner so we had to be creative with what we told her, how we got her to reserve the day for us and who we told information to. Unfortunately her sweet hubby does not have the best track record for being able to keep a secret… so he was left in the dark about the party & it was as big of a surprise for him as it was for her haha. It was pretty fun to see his reactions along with hers and his genuine surprise and joy at seeing how much his wife is adored and loved. Watching him observe her in her element, enjoying being surrounded by friends and family who came all decked out in 1920’s/Gatsby attire and ready to celebrate her was so sweet and the icing on the cake to an already perfect party.

Part of our elaborate story (…ahem, lie ;)) that we shared with Andrea was that our cousin Erica (who happens to be a photographer), was booked at the party venue for a photoshoot. To our joy the location just happens to be decorated in a similar Gatsby style and vibe that matched the decor we had envisioned for the party, which is a huge win to find a gorgeous venue like this in our small hometown. We couldn’t believe our luck when we found it and locked in the location immediately to ensure we had the date we wanted.

After the location was secured we got to work planning out the spacial layout for the decor, table set up, photobooth etc for the party. Po used her ipad to create a digital map of the room that was really helpful to refer to on party day. We used it for reminders while we set up, which really helped us speed up the prep/decor set up. **Planning tip: I always make a little map whether it’s digital or just something I jot down in a notebook. This helps me to mentally take note of where things will go, easily remind me of things needed to fill in the space and is a great source for those who are helping with setting up to see & understand the vision. Thankfully for our party the space was already decorated in a way that matched the theme & perfectly added to the ambiance and overall feel of the party. If you’re able to find a space that goes with your theme count that as a huge success and time & budget savor! We were able to minimize the decor needed for the party because of this and it really helped with time for set up and clean up.

Decor was relatively simple since the space is already evokes a 1920’s vibe. For our tables I purchased 6ft black jersey stretch table cloths that helped create a sleek look for the main table spaces. I also purchased bistro table covers in the same jersey stretch fabric that lent to a nice cohesive space. We placed several bistro tables around the room to create casual spaces for people to gather, place food/beverages and to fill in empty spaces to help create a cozier, more intimate feel to the space. Placed on top of was a long gold table runner with two eiffel tower vases filled with plumes as the centerpieces. Spread across the table were additional plumes, candles, a few crystal goblets filled with ferrero rocher candies and faux pearls as well as photos of the birthday girl inside of black & gold photo frames (more info below).

Other decorations were a happy birthday banner and Roaring 20’s banner, photo booth props, a black & gold glitter photo booth backdrop, linens, gold table runner, white flumes/ostrich feathers & clear glass Eiffel Tower vases for table decor, small black & gold photo frames, a special newspaper print for the year 1984 with interesting facts about the year and a few other small touches all purchased from Amazon at this link (https://www.amazon.com/shop/thishomeschoolerslife/list/M3SSME5SE8FP?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfthishomeschoolerslife_83AEE2AXVV24E29R75MM).

For the tables I wanted them to look classy with a touch of whimsy and flair. I chose to go with a gold table runner, simple gold frames with photos of the birthday girl, tealight flameless candles, strands of faux pearls, ostrich feathers & 2 large 1920’s style centerpieces. I made the centerpieces by purchasing 2 of the Eiffel Tower vases (find at link above), 4 packs of ostrich feathers, a pack of 2 floral foams (they look like a foam microphone) and pieced them together by placing the floral foam into the opening of the vase, and then carefully arranged ostrich feathers into the foam until I reached the depth and fullness that I was looking for. Once those were complete I set them on top of a beautiful gold overlay table runner across the tables, crystal goblets filled with faux pearls were spread across the table as well as ostrich feathers, flameless tealights, gold frames & gold wine bottles and a few small golden eiffel towers helped to fill in empty spaces and added little vignettes to the table. *Also available on the link above.

One of the many things that Paulina and I thought about and organized was the time frame of the party, the pacing, how to keep the atmosphere lively and what activites we should include to ensure everyone had a great time. In order to do that we decided we would break down the party into half hour increments * this worked best for us because the venue we rented had an alloted amount of time available so it was more limited (5 hours total for set up, party & clean up) than if the party were to have been held at someones home. Due to the time constraints we chose to allot specific things for each time slot and determined we would limit set up & clean up to 1 hour each and the party would last for 3 hours. Initially we alloted 30-45 minutes for mingling after Andrea’s grand arrival, next we alloted about an hour for eating and photos at the photo booth area. We also had a time slot planned to give our toasts, the cake and one for group photos. Of course all of this was a loose plan and rough estimate but it allowed us to see how the night would play out and to realize we had time to do a few games and when to reveal our last surprise.

At the end of the party, about 20 minutes before we needed to start clean up we arranged for my uncle to stop by with his 1920’s Model T for a quick photoshoot with the car (check out our photos at the end of post!). It was the icing on the cake, we all had a blast taking unique photos with the car & it was exactly what Andrea had envisioned when she shared her dream about having a 1920’s themed party (years prior). I’m so grateful everything worked seamlessly and that it all went off without a hitch! It couldn’t have happened without the effort, time and help of many many hands.

10 Tips for planning your own 1920’s /Great Gatsby themed party:

1. Before you start making plans do a little research on Pinterest, Google, Amazon etc for party inspiration and to prep/decide what your budget will look like for the party. I recommend creating a list either in Amazon (borrowing from mine, found at this link: (https://www.amazon.com/shop/thishomeschoolerslife/list/M3SSME5SE8FP?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfthishomeschoolerslife_83AEE2AXVV24E29R75MM) ) or making a new board on Pinterest for the party and tagging/adding/saving all your party inspiration to those places for reference.
2. Next I suggest you make your official plans, beginning with the 5 W’s- Who, What, When, Where, Why and then go from there. Once those are established it makes for a smoother and easier planning process and aides with decisions in the party prep/planning process later on. After you have settled on the 5 W’s I recommend reaching out to your family, friends, co-workers, etc. and asking who might be able to help with party prep/set up/clean up etc., jotting down a list for each category and what you will need help with, what you need to delegate to someone else and the actions/activities/things to do/be done before the party.
3. After the initial planning you will need to set a date and time, and want to narrow down decor ideas, decide on the exact theme and if you will ask guests to participate in wearing costumes. You’ll also need to determine if there will be activities, decide on the food you will serve & if there will be dessert, will there be music or dancing and if there will be a toast will you have something special to toast with (Wine/Sparkling Cider?).
4. Organize a list of helpers to delegate/task some of the categories like: food prep, decoration, Tech (Music, photo collage etc.), Photos (photobooth), activities, set up & clean up crews etc. to help with all the preparations.
5. Scour local restaurants, party destinations & locations to vet for the party. Once you settle on one, do a thorough walk through and document things like tables/chairs, decorations that might be available and free to use (which will greatly reduce your overall party costs & help you stay in budget). Another option is to host the party at your home or at a friends, which is the most budget friendly option.
6. Once you’ve decided on the location, food, and overall party theme/decor I recommend walking through the party space and determining if you will need tables, chairs, decorations to spruce up the space, linens, dishes/flatware, cups/goblets/glasses, napkins, table decor and other party supplies. Then make a list of everything needed, one for everything you already own/can borrow & one with everything to purchase. I also recommend creating lists of things to do, decorations to prepare, food-to purchase/prep (or pick up/have delivered if you’re having food catered), a list of set up crew/helpers & list of clean up crew and everything that needs to be done for both. Having all of those lists will not only help you stay organized it will aide in saving time and help you stick with your party budget as well.
7. As for party decor it really can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like. We chose a venu that was suited to the 1920’s era with an over all aesthetic matching the vibe. So that greatly reduced the amount of decorations we needed to bring in and made creating the atmosphere we wanted a breeze. For our party I purchased a few banners, some wall decorative signage, made a few chalkboard signs with famous phrases & quotes from The Great Gatsby book/film, bought some photobooth props that fit the 1920’s theme & a photobooth backdrop (all purchased on Amazon, all items can be found at this link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thishomeschoolerslife/list/M3SSME5SE8FP?tag=onamzkris0d35-20&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d ). I also purchased 2 Eiffel Tower vases and lots of white ostrich feathers to create our centerpieces. It took 4 packages of 24 ostrich feathers to completly cover the centerpieces and left me with a few extras that I set around as extra decor. I borrowed some crystal goblets & champagne coupe glasses and used those to set along the table with faux pearls, some ferrero roche’ chocolates, ostrich feathers and tea lights along the table and as decorations to fill in empty spaces near our charcouterie countertop. Lastly, I purchased a 1920’s inspired newspaper print with the year (1984) of our birthday girl and set that in a frame on our gift/card table along with printed photos of Andrea & some small decorative travel related items (Andrea loves to travel so we wove that in with our decor, as well as several books that fit our theme since she is also an avid reader).
8. When all your guests arrive have an activity planned or something for them to do to help keep everyone occupied and excited before the guest of honor arrives.* If you are hosting a surprise party you will need to decide what time your guests should arrive and coordinate that with enough time to have them all at the party before your guest of honor arrives! For our party the guests arrived (we asked them to come about 15-20 minutes before the guest of honor in order to keep the surprise), grabbed a drink & mingled while we handed out festive gold party horns for them to blow when she walked in. This was a fun way to add to the surprise and made her entrance even more fun with everyone shouting surprise and all the little party horns added the perfect festive touch.
9. Depending on the timeline for your party, you should decide if you want guests to take more time to mingle, usher them to a photobooth, or just give them time to sign a guestbook/fill out a card for the birthday girl/guy before beginning other activites or eating. Our timeline was roughly 1 hour for guests to mingle and grab a bite while enjoying a fun photo montage/video collage running in the background through two tv’s provided by the venue, then we played a few games for about 45 minutes, did the cake and gave a few toasts (45 mins or so) and ended the party with a big surprise!
10. The highlight at the end of our party was my uncle driving up with his classic Model T for us to use for a mini photoshoot! It was the perfect way to end the party with a big bang & we captured a ton of fabulous photos too! *Having a unique opportunity, dance, or something a little extra to end the party on always leaves guests feeling special & helps create lasting memories of a very special party.

The party was a major success thanks to lots of planning, and the help of multiple friends. I couldn’t have done it without all the co-planning, time and effort of my partner in crime, Paulina! Everyone had a great time and it was so fun to see everyone all decked out and glamorous for an evening. One of the best memories was the sounds of joy and laughter that filled the room when Adnrea arrived and during our games “Would Andrea Rather” & “best dressed” costume awards. It really was a night to remember, filled with so many laughs and wonderful memories!

To anyone just begining to plan, the best tips I can offer are to pay attention to the details, plan ahead as much as possible, ask friends & family to pitch in with decor, food, lend their skills or time for set up/clean up. Ceating a hashtag for everyone to load their photos and videos will ensure the everyone can enjoy them long after the party is over! IF you’re planning a surprise make sure to give your guests ample time to arrive and get situated before the guest of honor will arrive! Lastly, don’t forget to mention that everyone should come dressed in time-period/theme appropriate attire, to hire a photographer or ask a friend to snap photos/videos of the party and to create a photo album as a belated birthday gift after the party is over. 🙂

Have you successfully thrown a Great Gatsby themed party?? Have any tips that I forgot to add? Share them in the comments below!

A few more photos of our festivites & photoshoot with a Model T!!

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