Tips for Hosting a 1980s Themed New Year's Eve Party

New Year's Eve is a time to get together with your friends and loved ones and have fun ringing in the New Year. But, so many people make this a formal and stuffy event - black tie and ball gowns. Yes, it can be fun to dress up, but when you have to wear dress clothing to work 5 days a week (sometimes more, for those people who have to work weekends), why not make your New Year's Eve party a laid-back and fun affair that your friends will truly enjoy? Forget the formal gear this year; tell your friends to leave that suit and snazzy dress at home. This year, make your festivity a themed event; and, nothing says easy-to-plan theme party than to throw back to the 1980s!

Invitations - Want to send out invitations to your New Year's Eve party? Well, since this is going to be a laid-back and fun-going event, make your invitations simple. You do not want to send out something formal or your guests are going to get the wrong idea about your party. If you want to physically mail out invitations, be creative and make something in Word, Power Point, or Photoshop. Invitation size is up to you and depends on how much information you want to include; but, I'd recommend a half page (so, half of an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper.)

If you design something in Word, search for "1980" in the clipart section; there are quite a few good clipart options that you can use. Or, no matter what program you decide to use to make your invitation, you can always Google words like 1980, Rubik's Cube, 1980 clothing, etc. and choose the "image" option; there are some great and comedic pictures that you can use. Just make your invitation fun to match the atmosphere of your party; be sure to include the address for the party, the time, an R.S.V.P. number (or even email address) if you need to know an approximate number of guests, and be sure to tell everyone to dress up in their best 1980s gear.

If you would rather send a virtual invitation since so many people rely more on their email than they do the postal mail anymore, check www.Evite.com; this is a free service. All you have to do is register, and everything you could need to send out a virtual invitation will be readily available at your fingertips. They have a wide variety of invitations and themes; and, you can easily include any pertinent information. You also have the option to track R.S.V.Ps on your invitation website. Also, this option will let you edit any details; if you want to send out an update about what to wear (give ideas - headbands, tights, off-the-shoulder sweatshirts, etc.), you can post it on your invitation and an automatic email will be sent to everyone on your guest list to inform them that you updated your invitation. Just make sure you have an email address for all of your friends and family that you are going to invite to your New Year's Eve party.

Party Decorations - Why stick with the same-old party hats and whistles for New Year's Eve? You can easily go to a local toy store for this. Nothing says have fun and enjoy yourself more than having old-school toys laid around your party location. Some popular toys from the 1980s are My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Transformers, Rainbow Brite, Mr. Potato Head, and the Rubik's Cube. Not only will these toys make for great décor, but they'll give your guests some things to play around with. (You are never too old to enjoy a toy from your childhood.)

The best part is that most toys from the 1980s are making big comebacks; so, you can easily find them at most major toy stores. If you would like, you can even have a costume contest and give away the little toys you buy for décor as prizes. Simple to do, and makes for some extra things to pass the time while you're waiting on midnight. You can clear out some room and set-up a cat-walk for your friends to strut their '80s geared selves down (just don't forget to play good, old "Thriller" when your friends strut their stuff down your run-way.)

For some extra fun décor, you can always find plates, cups, noise makers, etc. that match the toys you purchased. (Check the party sections at any major store - Walmart, Party City, etc.) Want to use confetti to throw at midnight? Get the shiny, metallic type. Anything you can buy in multi-colors is great to fit with your theme.

And, if you know you have some friends that may not be creative in the dressing up area, have some extra shirts, goofy hats, glasses, etc. laying around for them to pick up when they get there. (Check your local thrift store; you will be sure to find some old-school '80s clothing there!)

Food - Since you are having a laid-back party, hiring a caterer will probably be a bit of an over-kill. Stick to simple foods - chips, pizza, candy, soda, etc. If you really want to get all in to theme, buy candy that was popular in the 80s, too. Think Jolly Ranchers, Candy Necklaces & Bracelets, Fun Dip, Bottlecaps, and Pop Rocks. Since you may not be spending as much on food as you would be if you hired a caterer, why not go to a local bakery (or, even to a baker inside your local grocery store) and pick out a cake that fits your theme?

If you have 21 and over crowd members and want to do mixed drinks, keep the options fun - beers, margaritas, martinis, etc. You know what your party guests would enjoy, so that option is entirely up to you.

Music - This is an easy area to plan for your party; have an IPOD that you can plug in to some speakers, or even easier, have a lap top or a computer you can have in your party space? If so, you're set.

If you want to do the IPOD version, simply Google 1980s hit songs. Hundreds of websites will pop up that will list top songs and artists - Michael Jackson, Blondie, New Kid's on the Block (late 1980s), etc.

Or, if you do have the option of playing music straight from your computer, check out www.pandora.com; this website is free, you just have to register. Once you do register, you can type in 1980's artists (like those above, and any you remember or look up) and the website will stream music from the specific artist you typed in and will also play songs and artists that resemble/sound like the original artist you entered. This website does not play any commercials and just continuously streams the music.

This is a great option for a party, especially to save you some money; why pay for a DJ when you can do the same thing with a free website?

Just keep this whole New Year's Eve party light-hearted; this is a fun theme to keep your friends laughing and enjoying each other's company all night. If your party goes anything like the '80s theme parties I've attended, you're bound to have at least one guy friend show up in hot pants (short shorts.) Your guests will have fun remembering the awesomely tacky styles of the 80s while ringing in the new year!