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Varying themes can make a party interesting

Parties, like the weather, need not be seasonal. It does not matter whether it is held indoors or outdoors, parties are a great way to get people together and have a good time. Weather permitting, it is enjoyable to have a barbeque in your own backyard or on a beach. During the summer months, pool parties are on the rise. Parties like these are quite easy to prepare and can be done spontaneously.

However, what makes a good party even better is turning it into a theme, so are you ready to party?

No doubt barbeques are time and again the best way to have people or children come over. They are fun to arrange and children especially enjoy eating hamburgers and French fries. Entertaining the children play a big part for the parents. Tug-of-war, magic tricks, pin the donkey, face painting, bouncing castle, dancing with the clown and pony rides are some of the things common to parents in the UAE. These are exciting and enjoyable and can turn any evening into one filled with laughter.

With adults, however, it can get a little challenging. The guests look forward to dressing up for a theme. It makes the effort of having a party worthwhile as everyone has made an effort to be part of it all.

Costumes and accessories are readily available for themes ranging from Hawaiian night, Pyjama Party, Salsa night, Carnivals, Halloween, Superman, Disney characters, Jungle themes, Arabian nights and Seventies night.

"Hosts go to great extents to make a party different," says David Bayatti of Flying Elephant. "Children like to see colour and magic, with adults it's all about the decoration and often the effort that goes into making a theme," adds Bayatti.

He recently had a Halloween party where the hosts had a haunted house and a fake graveyard made for people to walk around. At another recent party, there was fake snow and wooden houses and a fake fireplace, as the theme was winter wonderland. Often during the summer months rain dance parties are quite successful.

The music is there and it is basically a 'come as you are' party, since the idea behind it is to dance in the rain.

Martina Conrad, a specialist in arranging theme parties and formal dinners, says, "Most of the themes can be arranged at home. If it is a children's party the children can involve themselves in making the invitations or helping with the decorations."

Conrad has had theme parties varying from a pirate theme to red Indians and a fish party. "Children are very sporting, tell them it's a theme and they will do something wonderful," adds Conrad. She makes the event exciting by baking the cake in the chosen theme. If it is a formal dinner, then things change dramatically.

Things like seating arrangements, appropriate cutlery and protocol have to be taken into consideration. Generally with formal dinners it is almost always a black tie affair, where everyone dresses formally for the dinner party.

The invitations for a formal party speak a lot about the hosts and the kind of party it will be. For a 25th anniversary party, people go to the extent of making silver invites to justify the occasion.

Generally speaking, the first place to start with any party would be the invitations. If it is a pirate theme, then the invitation can be in an old bottle. In a pyjama party the invitation can be a cut out of pyjamas or a night shirt. For a Halloween party, it could be a pumpkin or a mask. A Diwali party, which is celebrated by lights, could have a mini-lantern as an invite.

The next would be listing all the things needed for the theme. If it is a Seventies party, then things like smoke machines, moving spotlights, candy floss machines, flared pants and big sunglasses are some of the things that can make a party interesting.

If it is a superhero party, then costumes from Batman, Robin, Superman, Darth Vader, Planet of the Apes and Spiderman are some of the many options available. Most of the things needed for a guest would be available in the closet. If one is having friends over for a simple barbeque, the evening can become exciting by playing a game of pictionary, trivia or charades. It's all about putting it together.