How To Host an Oscar Party
Great Ideas to Have Fun While Watching the Academy Awards
If you are a film buff, getting together with friends to watch the Academy Awards is the highlight of February. Here are some great ideas for throwing a great Oscar part
Now that the writer’s strike is officially over, Oscar parties are being planned all over the world. Want to host your own? Here are some ideas to get you started.
Playing Dress Up
It is absolutely essential to put on your red carpet best for the occasion. You don’t have to spend as much as the stars do though. You can still get glammed up without a designer gown and borrowed jewels. Check your local thrift store for a great vintage gown at a very reasonable price. Raid the closets of all your female friends and relatives. You could even make something yourself if you have any sewing skills. When it comes to jewellery, the flashier the better, but again, you don’t have to spend a fortune. Look for some shiny costume jewellery and have fun with it! For the guys, rent a tux if you want to go all out, otherwise your best suit will do fine.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
Visit a website like Webtender.com and pick a drink that is appropriate for the evening’s festivities. Make your choice the signature drink for the night and have all the ingredients at hand. The Oscars are a rather long broadcast, despite the efforts of the band to cut off everyone’s impassioned speeches, so your guests will need snacks. The easiest option that is also wallet-friendly is to get pre-made vegetable and fruit platters from a grocery store. If you are a little more ambition you might want to try chocolate and/or cheese fondue; this 70s staple is coming back in style and Oscar night is a perfect time to break out the fondue pot. If possible, use glass wear as opposed to plastic cups and real plates instead of paper, as it will add to the class of the event.
One Guest, One Vote
Oscar.com has ballots that are easy to print out for all your guests. Hand everyone a ballot as they come in and ask them to pick their favourite nominee in each category before the broadcast begins. Then keep a running tally during the show. Have a prize for whoever gets the most correct; a theatre or video store gift certificate is an appropriate idea.
Bright Ideas
If you are lucky enough to live in a climate where your driveway isn’t completely covered in snow at the end of February, make Hollywood Walk of Fame stars leading up to the house. You can put the names of the night’s nominees on them or, to be a very gracious host, the names of your guests. Of course, you could always literally roll out the red carpet if you want to pull out all the stops!
To get conversation going during the night, especially if not all of your guests know each other beforehand, try playing the “Which Oscar Winner Am I?” game. Write the names of past Oscar winners on sticky notes and attach one to the back of each guest as they arrive. The challenge is for each guest to guess who they are by conversing with the other “famous” people in the room.
The Academy Awards are also a great opportunity for drinking games (polite and classy ones, obviously). Try taking a drink every time you hear the words “And the Oscar goes to…”, every time a star has trouble reading the teleprompter or all the way through the Original Song performances (these haven’t been worth watching since the 90s). Or tie your drinking game to the host. Perhaps this year you could take a sip every time Jon Stewart rolls his eyes or cleverly mocks someone.
And the Winner is…
The object of any party is to have fun, so don’t get so caught up in the details that you can’t have a good time. If you create a memorable night for yourself and your guests it could become an annual event and your friends will start looking forward to it right after they recover from their New Year’s Eve hangover.
