Color Your Party Purple (or Pink or Green or Blue...)There are so many unique party themes out there, it's hard to choose one to highlight. But every time I see a great color themed party, I am always drawn in by how the hosts create such a cohesive vibe without necessarily having to spend a lot of money. So it's time to celebrate the single color themed party! P. Diddy made the White Party a Hamptons signature event. Or maybe you want to honor the late director John Hughes with a Pretty in Pink party.
Start with a specialty cocktail that ties in with your palate and give it a clever name (a purple cocktail could reference a classic Minneapolis rocker, Prince, with the moniker Purple Rain, or make a Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze). Be sure to have a non-alcoholic alternative for your guests that is just as creative. Even water bottles can be customized easily with a band of colored paper and fun stickers, ribbon or twine.
Next comes the menu, which can be color coordinated utilizing foods that naturally fit your color palette, (or use a little food coloring to make your vision come to life). Purple potatoes would make a far-out potato salad or homemade potato chips. Even hot dogs can be dressed up with a band of purple by substituting purple peppers for green peppers in a batch of quick relish. Surprise guests with purple varieties of carrots in your crudités assortment with a chive dip garnished with fresh purple chive blossoms. Humble cupcakes easily adapt to any color palette with vanilla frosting and food coloring. I love seeing them laid out on a platter or on a cake stand in a range of shades, from light lavender to deep violet. The simple graphic pop of the cupcakes is decoration for your party in of itself. Glass jars filled with candies in a range of colors also can be used to accent the tablescape and provide a fun interactive experience for guests - give them baggies to fill with their own custom blend of favorite candies to take home at the end of the evening.
Table linens in shades of your palette up the ante, and there are many great resources in town for renting unique linens that mix color and pattern to create a mood for your space. The team at Studio 6 Specialty Linen and Decor enjoy working with clients to select just the right linens for your occasion. Dress up the tabletop with flowers that play off the theme - throw some chartreuse in with the purple to create dynamic tension, since they are opposites on the color wheel and therefore make each other pop. Floral Logic is a great resource for funky or traditional arrangements to suit any occasion, and Eric certainly knows his way around a color wheel. Floral arrangements could be as simple as a row of bud vases with small clusters of blossoms snaking along a table, weaving between the platters of food, or as elaborate as your florist's imagination.
Depending upon the formality of the event and the location, perhaps you want to dress up the space beyond the tablescape. I'm a fan of custom flag garlands strung across a room - these can be made from triangles of fabric or paper and add a great splash of color and pattern at eye level. I think it's fun to find uniquely shaped candlestick holders in a variety of colors and use white taper candles that can be used again and again. If you can't find candlestick holders in your color palette, grab a can of spray paint and customize a few. Vintage, antique and thrift stores are all great resources for items like these that can be transformed with a little effort. Tissue paper can also be transformed into fabulous over-scaled pom-poms to hang from the ceiling.
Just like P. Diddy, ask your guests to dress to fit the color palette, which can lead to some inspired outfits from guests of all ages. My mom just attended a red birthday party and wore a red belt, red earrings and red shoes to dress up her outfit in an easy but fun way. Picking out an outfit for a party is always a challenge, but I think fitting a color palette makes it fun and gives you an excuse to find a great new look from a local boutique to enhance your wardrobe all year.
Now doesn't that sound like a party you would want to attend? Did you notice the food doesn't need to be fancy fare? By serving a signature drink you can save on stocking a wide variety of spirits, wine and beer. Renting linens saves you the investment in multiple linens you might not use again and allows others to appreciate them over and over again, making it also a greener choice. Now I want someone to throw a color party so I can attend! (Hint, hint - I love orange...)
- Colleen Fox Slack, Home & Culinary, the Affair
