The 2017 awards season is fast approaching, which means it’s time to gather our celeb-obsessed friends, assemble a chic selection of snacks, and settle in for a long night of glitz and glamour, gorgeous gowns and gracious losers.
If you’re keen to throw the ultimate movie awards-themed party, just know that it’ll take more than finding the right TV channel (we recommend setting aside at least two hours to do this) and assembling the seating arrangement. Luckily, we’ve pulled together a guide to help you in your quest for award night perfection…
The Dress Code
Your chosen dress code will dictate the kind of evening you’re going to have. For ultimate glamour and sophistication, ask your guests to channel their inner A-lister with elbow-length gloves, black bowties and lots of sparkle (just prepare yourself for a lot of selfie-taking).
To keep things more casual and fun, ask your guests to come dressed as a film from 2016 or their all-time favourite movie character. Of course, no matter what the dress code is, you’ll always get one cheeky character dressing up as the award itself…
The Drinks
The stars at the awards after-party shouldn’t be the only ones sipping something special. Pull out all the stops and make a batch of refreshing homemade lemonade to hand out to your guests as they arrive. Or, save yourself a bit more time to get red carpet-ready and whip up a sophisticated spritzer made with elderflower cordial, sparkling water, fresh mint and lime. Serve in elegant fluted glasses for an extra touch of glamour, dahlings!
As the evening goes on, big jugs of iced water are essential – and if you want to last until the very end, you may want to stock up on coffee too.
The Spread
If there’s one thing Hollywood stars adore it’s a virtuous snack. But it wouldn’t be much of a party if your guests spent their time downing shots of wheatgrass and nibbling on raw vegan chocolate.
Strike a happy medium by serving up snacks that are plentiful, satisfying and genuinely nutritious. Ideas include platters of raw veg (we’re thinking carrots, celery, cucumber and cherry tomatoes) with low-fat houmous; cheese and wholegrain crackers; homemade popcorn with your own seasoning; dried fruit and mixed nuts; fresh fruit salad; and guilt-free sweet treats like Fibre One™ Lemon Drizzle Squares.
Who needs a personal chef when you can put on a spread like this?
The Decorations
Movie awards-themed party decorations are easy-peasy even if you’re on a budget as tight as a couture gown. The one essential you absolutely can’t skip is the red carpet. Buy a length of bright red fabric – or, at a push, wrapping paper – and roll it out in your hallway; that way your guests can enjoy an entrance worthy of Hollywood royalty.
Other fun decorations include gold balloons, gold confetti and – budget allowing – some arty black & white movie posters around the room.
The Games
We all love watching movie awards, but there’s no denying that they take themselves seriously. Inject some hilarity into the evening by playing games. Your guests can do a silly forfeit every time there’s an awkward silence or the camera cuts to an actor who’s just lost and hasn’t mastered their “I’m so happy for the winner” face.
You can also take predictions for which actors and films are going to win big; for even more fun, buy a couple of novelty gifts and award them to the guest who predicted best.
Lastly, don’t forget to take lots of photos. A fantastic party has the habit of passing you by in the blink of an eye, and after all, you’ll have that red carpet to work your poses on.