Now that your date is set and the invitations are sent out for your Wicked Good 1980s Party, it’s time to start planning the rest of the event.
Decorations
There are many possible directions that you can take to express your 1980s theme. Perhaps you will want to recreate the glass and chrome world of Dynasty or the mahogany and cordovan leather ambience of Wall Street.
If these ideas are too involved for you, take the simple solution to decorating for the '80s. Remove all traces of current styles from your party space, tie it all together with one unifying color (good suggestions are black or white), and then add items that are references to the era. Good suggestions for decorative memorabilia are:
- Posters: Think of all the great bands that lived and died in the '80s – Culture Club, Wham!, Men at Work, Flock of Seagulls, Milli Vanilli, Twisted Sister. Posters of these groups would be great ways to pinpoint the timeframe of your Wicked Good party, as opposed to a poster of some longer-living bands like The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, or Aerosmith!)
- Games and Toys: Rubik’s Cube, Trivial Pursuit, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Pony, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Smurfs, Pac-Man, Yoda, E.T., Dr. Brown’s Delorean Time Machine from Back to the Future, and the Ghostbuster’s Ecto 1 vehicle are all relatively easy to find in garage sales or on eBay. Pick up enough of these toys to scatter around the party space, and not only will you decorate effectively, but you will also provide your guests with instant conversation starters and something to do with their hands!
Music:
This is the simplest effect to add to your event. You might tune in to your satellite radio’s '80s station, broadcast an '80s station from the internet like that offered by Sirius, download 3 to 4 hours' worth of classic '80s songs from the internet and burn your own mix CDs, or simply gather your vinyl albums, cassette tapes and CDs from the era and play them during your Wicked Good Party.
Food & Beverage:
Food and Beverage decisions are totally up to your tastes for this event. Unfortunately, the 1980s did not create a plethora of unique foods. However, you may want to include a couple of things that were memorable for the '80s – Jelly Bellies (came to the White House with Ronald Reagan), Reese’s Pieces (featured in E.T.), and Perrier Sparkling Water (the only option of the era for designated drivers).
Activities:
This party should be an easy going one that just unfolds with the evening. Once you’ve set the stage with the clever invitation, the dress-up request for the guests, the multitude of Rubik’s cubes, the thematic decorations and the right music, your guests will want to reminisce and share their memories of the 1980s. If you wish to provide additional activities, offer the following game options:
- Trivial Pursuit – regular or '80s edition
- Foosball
- Scene It '80s edition
Enjoy your party for a Wicked Good Time!!
