A Total Eclipse Of The Heart

If you're a fan of the Twilight Saga like I am, or even if you're not, you'll definitely want to keep reading for tips on throwing an awesome themed party. My fellow geeks and I love to get together for movie premiers like the Harry Potter and Twilight films where we watch the previous installment, eat, drink,  and just generally get in the zone before the show.

This weekend I got the chance to debut my new kitchen table to my friends with an all out Twilight Saga: Eclipse party. I've done a few of these types of parties now, and here is what I've learned. I'll discuss what, in my opinion, are the most important aspects of theme parties 1) Decor 2) Food/Drink and 3) Activities

1) Every good movie theme party starts with good decoration-and I'm not talking about paper cutouts. Sure there are tons of commercial products out there (how would you like to eat off Edward or Jacob's face?), but I prefer a more subtle approach. You want your guests to feel like they're in on an inside joke, not getting hit in the face! You'll save money by passing on these products while coming across as a super creative genius.

What better way to get inspiration than from the books themselves?

I started with red apples and my chess set. Tulips are a bit out of season now (although silk flowers could work). I didn't bother with them because I felt I already had enough key elements. Again, you don't want to go over the top. People already know what the party is for, you just want to add some subtle enhancements. Along with the apples and chess pieces, I added in some candles and a lace tablecloth (from Goodwill for my Halloween party last year) over the buffet to complete the look.

It was important to me to feature the books, since I fell in love with these before I ever saw the movies. Some black and white damask plates and napkins from Target add a bit more interest than standard white.

2) Ah, my favorite part: food! Some books/movies are a bit harder than others when it comes to themed food, but I had plenty of options. First, I always provide light snacks like a veggie tray, fruit plate, or chips and salsa. For heavier dinner choices, I picked mushroom ravioli (from Twilight) and homemade pizzas (from New Moon, the movie). When it came to dessert, I went with the classic vampy red velvet cupcake and fresh strawberries with chocolate sauce. If you need food inspiration for your theme party, try doing a few searches online-there are other die hards out there!

A signature cocktail will complete your menu, no need to play bartender all night for individual drinks. Just mix up a cocktail in advance and offer other non alcoholic beverages. I served blood orange cocktails (with red food coloring added!), which were a big hit because the pitcher was empty in no time!

3) What to do? Generally I'm not a fan of theme party games, although in certain settings I'm sure they work. Our favorite thing to do is to just watch the most recently released movie and provide comical commentary. But you could play a book vs. movie trivia game and provide a small prize ($10 Barnes and Noble gift cert?) or other unrelated games like one of our favorites, Apples to Apples.

Whatever you choose to decorate with, eat, drink, or do...just have fun! No one will care if things aren't perfect. Believe me, this is something I have to remind myself of all the time. In the end, you want to enjoy the party too! Cheers!