calling all party planners.. help needed- adult party with CASINO AND COCKTAILS THEME

[noonar]

OK,i havent planned a grown up party in years, but thanks to fellow MNer- namechangedcosfeelingsosad- i now have a theme.

i now need ideas for:
-decor/ dressing the room
-numbers... is 30- 40 people about right for a party at home( we have large knocked thru lounge/ diner (4m by 10m), plus kitchen with dining/ sitting area, with veranda leading off it.)

• games. we are getting a little roulette wheel, just for fun(not playing for money, of course)but i would quite like to think of some fun games with a gambling theme but not actual casino games, iyswim.

tia xx

bump

oh come on guys. help me out!

Casino themed decor items from Partybox

I'm sure you can get "fake" money quite easily so you can "gamble" without the stakes. Or get some cheap casino chips and have some prizes for the winners, rather than playing for money. We used to do that at work when we put on a casino night for clients. Craps might be an easy casino game at home.

If you're using the garden, you could get some garden games. (Sedate ones so as not to ruin the party outfits!)

Do cocktails and put "cocktail dress" on the invite. Being dressed appropriately gets people in the mood. Things like Mojitos can be premixed and poured over ice and mint.

30 to 40 at home is loads! The house will be stuffed if they all come, but then that makes a good party.

ah, thanks. loads of good advice, there. is 'cocktail dress' the term to use the? i knew 'black tie' wasnt quite right. what kind of garden games? i kind of wanted to stick with the casino theme for any games.

we will have roulette and a poker table with fake money (do you use chips for poker??)

and how do you play craps? is it just a dice game?

will probably just do litlle separate tables set up for different games, dotted around the place.

ok, have googled this and it would seem that 'cocktail attire' or 'black tie' are the terms to use, but they sound so formal.

trying to think of less stuffy ways to put it...'dress to impress' ...'put on your poshest frock and come to x and y's coctail party'..hmm...other ideas?

i have just noticed that its basically just me on this thread- lol- i do love MN. i can talk to myself for hours on here and brainstorm with myself (and you, 12year [wgrin]

I'm going to my MIL's 60th party in 2 weeks and a Casino night is planned. SIL has done most of the planning so can't help much, but know she is hiring the casino games. Will have Poker, Roulette and 21. Green baizes {sp}, equipment and fake money is provided. Not sure what she has planned to decorate the hall (only know about the lightening as DH is sorting it) but these are what I found for her.

As to invites, SIL worded it as (and yes we did get an invite to the party despite it being DH's mother!!)
"Dress smart - not essential but Cocktail/Black Tie would be great!"

Couldn't think of any other games for you, only suggestion I had, is buying one or two of those mini fruit machines, like this but could be expensive.

If you're putting "Casino Theme" or some such on the invite, then you can say, "Dress for Monte Carlo" or something.

What we did at the work events I mentioned, was hand a wad of fake cash to people as they arrived, which they exchanged for chips so it was just like a "real" casino. Also chips are easier for counting at the gaming tables. When they were done, they could turn chips back into cash and come and "buy" a prize. If you did something like that, the prizes needn't be anything spectacular. We used to have about 5 "big" prizes and the rest was all promo stuff. And that was an investment bank worth billions!

You can buy casino night packs quite reasonably from those "boys' stuff" type websites.

If your budget stretches, you could think about hiring casual staff for the first couple of hours of the party. Say, two people for two hours at £10ph. That way they can make sure everyone has a drink when they arrive, leaving you free to mingle. They then tidy up a bit before they leave and make sure the drinks table is stocked for people to help themselves. My friend did this recently and said she'll never have another party without them!

Ooh that sounds fun!

If you google cocktails you'll come up with loads of websites. There's one where you can put in the contents of your bar & it gives you suggestions.

Ooh that sounds fun!

If you google cocktails you'll come up with loads of websites. There's one where you can put in the contents of your bar & it gives you suggestions.

Def make it black tie! Men look fab, and women get to wear their posh frocks. If you give people a choice they often feel uncomfortable dressing up, but if it just is black tie they all feel and look great and it jazzes up the party no end. Fits well with the casino theme too, so you have an excuse. But I make all my parties black tie anyway!!

Buy lots of cheap cava so everyone can have 'champagne' throughout the night.

Get a chocolate fountain! Just buy a cheap one and arrange marshmallows, grapes, strawberries, fudge etc around it - but somewhere where there is plenty of room as people will sit round it all night given half the chance.

You can get big room wall posters that go all round the room to make it look glamorous - red carpet etc.

30-40 is perfect. Fewer and it will seem a bit thin on the ground. 50 would be fine too.

thanks so much. dyou think i need to organise the roulette etc on the night? was going to leave it to the players to organise as they play. dont plan to have an actual croupier (sp). dyou think this might be a problem?? am not hiring a fun proper casino -just getting some gadgety games in. its really just a housewarming/ birthday bash, with a theme to add a bit of a focus.

nice idea to have casual staff. thanks.

i really like the idea of saying 'dress for monte carlo' on the inviation, but am a bit nervous about trying to sound witty.

I put 'Dress code: Fabulous, dahhling' on my casino & coctail party invites, so that people got the idea but didn't feel too under pressure...they did us proud though, floor-length gowns and all sorts! It was lurvely.

choc fountain..mmm

I would get fun gadgety games and let people just play,(almost just having them as decoration) rather than trying to make it too formal with a croupier and prizes etc. People will want to see round the house, talk to you and each other etc. Could get a bit pretentious to hire in a corporate entertainment outfit!!

nice one, namechange, although i have to say that 'dress for monte carlo' is growing on me. dh likes it too

totally agree, hermione. thats what i had in mind, but i thought my OP might not've been that clear!

i also thought i might set up a table ready to ply 'snap' with a tequila forfeit for the person who shouts 'snap' the slowest! v childish but i'd i'd like to have some little games set up around the place- as you say, like table decorations.

not seriously suggesting a croupier, but might get dh to learn to play poker!

'play' snap, i meant

oh, and poker table with chocolate money.

Little things make a big difference IMO. Black cocktail napkins (IKEA) and straws look nice. Sainsbury's (and prob other supermarkets) will loan glasses for free, even if you don't buy the booze from them. So much better than disposable (provided you have a dishwasher to clean them before returning). If you're serving nibbles, you can buy those large black plastic serving platter thingys very cheaply.

If you're doing cocktails, premixed or otherwise; print some menus That way people either know what's in the jugs, or won't ask for anything you have no idea how to make.

Don't run out of ice. You'll never have enough room in the fridge for drinks for 40 people!

If you're providing a lot of booze, keep an eye out in the supermarkets leading up to the party. I've found that the 2 cases for £x beer offers are often cheaper than buying from Costco or wholesaler. Some wine shops (Oddbins?) do sale or return and often have a tried and tested budget option which is excellent. We've had some fab clarets from Oddbins for £3.99 a bottle.

Re: the staff. Long before DH and I ever moved in together, he had a big party in his "batchelor pad" loft. I dressed up in a nice cocktail dress and played hostess and made drinks for everyone as they arrived. He had invited clients as well as friends so was very busy talking to people. It was only when people started handing empty glasses to me and asking for the same again, that I realised they thought I was the bar staff! I was then, then . At least I was doing a good job, but DH was mortified. Swore never again. Hehehe.

12yrgap, youre a star. invitations now sent. thanks for all your ideas xx