For the budding socialite, parties are great. Everyone loves a party; however, if you go to a lot you can find them growing boring as they’re all the same. Well, I’ve come to give you ten alternatives to the normal party. Here are my top ten party themes:

1. Alice In Wonderland

For any literature lover! With Alice in Wonderland’s cast of zany characters, this is a perfect costume themed party idea. Just imagine the Cheshire Cat having a conversation about the stock market with the hookah smoking caterpillar whilst the Red Queen swaps jokes with the Mad Hatter. You’ll feel like you’ve fallen down the rabbit whole and entered into a new world.

2. Army

This is a way to have fun and pay your respects to your country’s service men and women. Everyone comes dressed in combat gear, with toy guns and have a laugh. This is a good choice for a party as well, as army costumes are a staple in most costume/party shops. If you’re planning a dance-filled celebration.

3. Karaoke

I don’t care what some people claim – everyone loves Karaoke. People say, ‘oh no, not me’ but as soon as they get up there, they are in heaven. Once you organise a PA hire and buy a karaoke machine, you’ll be ready to host the best karaoke parties in the area. Shotgun ‘Islands in the Stream’!

4. Rock Stars

Chances are you’ll get seventeen Ozzy Osbournes, but don’t worry, it’s part of the fun seeing how far people will go to dress as their favourite stars. You might want to incorporate all musicians if your target part audience is too young to tell the difference between Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. Plus, this is great to mix with the karaoke party as you could then all sing the songs of the rock stars you’ve arrived as.

5. Prom Night

Why not relive the excitement of your first prom night by getting all your friends together and dressing up in ill-fitting tuxedos and fitted dresses for prom. You could even stage a mock Prom Queen/King situation (if you’re not too scarred from Carrie).

6. Sci-Fi Fest!

This is great for the adolescents at heart. Imagine walking into the venue to see Storm Troopers going Gangnam Style and then at the end of the night seeing Lt. Uhura dance with Darth Vader in a completely fan rage inducing franchise mash-up.

7. Pirates

With the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, pirate parties have become a regular in the party themed world. The wealth of pirate literature lends itself to costume parties. Dress up with wooden legs, eye patches, parrots, or even a more modern ghost pirate. Like the army costumes, pirates adorn the shelves of most costume shops.

8. Disney

Much like the Prom party, this gives people the chance to dress in smart tuxedos and beautiful dresses and have a ball – literally. However, with Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, these parties have become a lot more interesting as you will now see Buzz Lightyears and Dorys flooding the dance floor.

9. James Bond

Bring out your best manly watches, smart suits and elegant cocktail dresses. This is a dream party for anyone wanting to be a little fancy. What’s great about a James Bond party is the excess of Martinis as well as being able to have a casino theme. Just imagine playing the roulette wheel with Blofeld.

10. Superhero

With Marvel owning the summer blockbusters every year, they have grown in popularity and are no longer the realm of ‘nerds’ and ‘geeks’. Now there is no shame in knowing who Black Widow, Iron Man, and Doctor Octopus are. They also make excellent costumes as heroes are usually adorned in bright and attractive suits. If you’re looking to go as Hawkeye, you can buy an arrow quiver here to complete your fit.
Hopefully I’ve managed to provide you some inspiration for your next party. There are hundreds of choices; these are just my top ten. The world of parties has never been more exciting.

Photograph by Lestat