Parties can be all about vibrant colors and having fun – but not always!
If you are planning a party in the coming weeks or months and you’re looking for something with a genuine “wow factor”, you’ve come to the right place. This article is for party hosts looking to arrange unusual and engaging attractions to surprise and excite the guests. When it comes to planning your private party for a friend or loved one, you’ll want to make sure they leave the party realizing they’ve experienced something different; something they’ll remember for years to come. Socializing with loved ones is great for the mind and soul. Successful parties can put you and others on the road to inner peace of mind, creating cherished memories together.
If you don’t want to put your guests through the drudgery of having to make small-talk with people they don’t know, keep them occupied and entertained with one of the following five party attractions that will leave them waiting by the phone for your next party invite!
Go full James Bond with a Casino Royale-style party
When it comes to dressing up for a party, there’s no better “look” than the James Bond-esque casino attire. Your own DIY “casino night” can create great fun without breaking the bank. You can encourage people to dress to impress in their finery and enjoy some classy cocktails and drinks while playing some of the most popular casino games.
Poker is still one of the most popular card games, mainly because poker rules are pretty easy to follow once you’ve played a few hands. Meanwhile, blackjack and roulette are also very popular due to their simple rules, ensuring people don’t need to learn any unique strategies to win and have a good time.
There are companies out there that will provide a full Casino Royale-style party package. This will include providing the gaming tables, playing favorite classic card games like Hearts, chips and additional accessories, as well as the hire of a professionally trained dealer or croupier to manage your games. The dealers and croupiers will make you feel like you’re actually on a casino floor. You can also marry the home-based casino action with some suave, sophisticated background music to set the tone.
Invite a silhouette artist to do the rounds
One of the best ways to break the ice – particularly if you have several groups of guests that don’t know each other – is to hire one or two strolling acts to make their way around the floor of the party and entertain. Silhouette artists and caricaturists are arguably the funniest types of strolling acts, helping to increase the integration between new groups of people. Furthermore, having your own caricature or silhouette taken is something you’re unlikely to have experienced before.
Silhouette artists will usually work quickly by creating your profile and cutting it into paper, before sticking it onto the card. It’s a great moment for your guests, giving them something to remember and looking back fondly on the hard work you put into the occasion. Caricaturists can also create hilarious individual or group drawings that also provide great keepsakes.
Book a live band to play and set the right mood
Whether it’s jazz, blues, rock ‘n’ roll or hip-hop, live music is liquid gold for parties
Music is one of the biggest outside influences of our emotions as human beings. It can help pick us up when we are down, and it can chill us out when we’re feeling pensive. Obviously, melancholy won’t be the mood you’re likely to go for at your next party, but it’s important to choose the right party band if you want live music for your guests to enjoy. First and foremost, be sure to set a budget for your live entertainment. This will determine whether you’re able to afford a serious full-time outfit or a band that’s just starting out, looking to make a name for itself.
Obviously, the more you are prepared to pay, the less likely the band are to let you down and fail to show. If you arrange for a band to play for beer money only, they may be less inclined to be reliable. Also, consider where you want your band to play.
Bear in mind that even acoustic bands can be boisterous in small confined spaces, so it might be best to invite the band to your venue first to ensure they are happy with the setup. If you’re planning on hosting a summer party in August, you could also theme the music around classic vinyl, as part of a celebration for Vinyl Record Day, inviting guests to bring along their favorite LPs to play!
Bouncy castles and sumo outfits can help adults become big kids
It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, bouncy castles are a great party attraction 24/7, 365 days of the year. It’s something that will appeal to the younger contingent at your party – as well as those adults just itching to be big kids for the evening.
Be sure to hire a bouncy castle that’s suited to the size of your venue. Most bouncy castle hire firms will detail the depth, width and height of their bouncy castles in their product descriptions, allowing you to plan ahead and choose one that doesn’t encroach on too much of your social space.
Even sumo outfits can be a laugh-a-minute party attraction, allowing guests to step into inflatable sumo costumes and wrestle with one another. Of course, if you’re going for a more sophisticated party – like the Casino Royale style soiree we suggested earlier – wrestling sumos might not be the ideal backdrop for your gathering!
Host a retro arcade night that will delight old-school gamers
If you’re the 80s or 90s child, you and your friends will adore the chance to take a step back in time to when arcade gaming was the “in” thing. There are services out there that will provide amazing retro arcade machines for party hire. So, whether it’s Space Invaders or Sonic, Pacman or Pong, be sure to find retro arcade games that will evoke happy childhood memories.
Creating new memories is what surprise party attractions are all about. If you want to host a party that friends and family will be talking about forever, consider these unique ideas to get the party well and truly started!
