Party themes are a spectrum to order
Whether you're simply decorating a function room or going full hog dog on a fully emersive, fantastical eperience, choosing a theme can help you throw a party everyone loves.
We talk a lot at JIGGLE.IN about who the party is really for. A lot of hosts—for all good and generous reasons—focus their attention on what their guests are going to enjoy. But the truth is, as long as you only invite people you love and who love you, all your guests will be genuinely delighted to immerse themselves in your crazy magical world!
So here're a few pointers to consider if you're looking at going down the theming route...
1. Less is more
Look back in time to when your ancestors might've lived in a shtetl near Yehupetz, or simple mudbrick settlements in Aden (like my lot!)
They'd have simply turfed out the animals from the community barn and spread some fresh sawdust on the ground. Auntie Fruma would've brought some chickens, Uncle Mordcha the booze, that young fiddler the music, and Yente would've drawn up a table plan.
And that's really all you need for a good ol' knees up!
So there's no need to feel under any pressure to get carried away.
However...
2. Don't be afraid to express yourselves
Everyone's different. It's your uniqueness that defines who you bond with and a most influential factor in the makeup of your friendship group.
Children tend to bond with other kids who share similar hobbies, and adults with people who share similar values. How you enjoy spending your leisure time dictates who you enjoy spending that time with.
Now's your chance to immerse yourselves in a showcase of your special interest, hobby, or fantasy... and let everyone else in!
You can't choose your family, though. And even though your characteristics may've come from family, chances are many of them don't know the real you as well as they think they do, even close relatives.
It's pretty common for a relative to tell me during the reception preceding the main event that the main celebrant—the b'mitzvah kid, for example—is the weirdo of the family. They don't typically say "weido", of course. But it often comes out as something like "The other grandchildren are a bit more normal!"
Now's your chance to showcase who you are, so even family can appreciate your specialness. It's equally common for that family member to exclaim to me afterwards "What did you think of my marvelloud grandchild, then?!"
Rather than fixating on what you think will make your guests have a good time, trust that your guests will be genuinely delighted to immerse themselves in your crazy magical world! Just make sure you only invite people you love and who love you,
3. Choose a theme that's uniquely you
At JIGGLE.IN we like to think outside the box and to not always repeat the same old thing just because it's popular.
During the Harry Potter craze, for example, we were inundated with requests to re-create a Hogwarts set, complete with a magician dressed as Dumbledore and facepainting lightning strikes on everyone's heads.
And football nutty kids often love a function hall decorated in their team's colours and emblems, and for a football performer like the great Colin Nell to rock up and play tricks with them.
There's nothing at all wrong with these themes. In fact, they tend to go down a treat!
But consider personalising them a little more so your party is very much associated with you and, if it's a b'mitzvah, with your kid.
For example, that Harry Potter theme could well combine with your genuine fascination with magic, in which case—and we've done exactly this—turn your venue in to a magical forest with ghouls and a spellbinding bar with billowing dry ice spilling out of a cauldren a potion of cocktails... And magicians, of course!
And for Star Wars fanatics, does it have to be all on the light side of the force? Because your kid might be more of the dark side. And, as pictured above, what if Vader himself showed up!?
Either way, these days it's not just blue for boys and pink for girls. Humans aren't one-dimensional. And you can have a lot of fun exploring whacky ideas with people as creative as JIGGLE.IN.
4. A strong theme can help you stick to budget
Big fat milestone family celebrations can spiral out of control, budget-wise. They tend to be planned well in advance which opens up opportunities for project creep.
Think about it. You've got all the main elements booked. Then you go to someone else's party and see something you like. "Ooh... We should have that." You start seeing party content appearing in your social media feeds. "Ooh... That looks good!"
With a theme, however, the value of all these little extras can be measured against their contribution to the theme. Would the addition of table hockey work with Aquaman? Do you really need balloons at a folk fesival?
5. Themes are not just for decor
Sure, a strong theme will help you decorate your room, pick a colour scheme, decide on adornments, and forge ellaborate theatrical sets (which we love building, by the way)!
But the most memorable results come from immersive experiences that begin when you send out a save-the-date that hints at the concept and invitations that are themselves props in your theme. They open up new possibilities in dress codes. They provide jaw-dropping arrival experiences when even the hosts stand agog when they first walk in.
Themes influence entertainment, music, menus, and drinks. There's no detail we can't customise. We've dressed up caterers' servers as witches and greeters as stormtroopers. We've projected sea scapes on ceilings with giant fish gliding above our heads, and installed forests of tree branches daubed in UV paint. We've designed racks of bespoke branded merch and apparel, and played crazy croquet on carpeted mazes.
Anything is possible if you engage the right professionals!