USA Houseparty Ideas

houseparty

Hi. Lynn Louise Says Before your party starts, choose a Mardi Gras inspired word like beads or masks. When people come in hand them a string of beads and tell them the word of the day. When they catch someone saying the word, they get to take their beads. The one with the most beads at the end of the night is the winner.

Murder mystery . . .

Who did it?

After the mystery is solved - it's time for the MASQUERADE BALL !!! Tell the guests in advance that they will be judged on their costumes. The guest with the best mask and costume combination will win a small prize. Have the guests vote on who has the best mask. Collect the responses, then tally the votes. Announce the winner at the end of the party. If the party is large, you could have several categories of awards, such as best male costume, best female costume, funniest costume, best mask and best overall costume.

When planning your party be sure to invite only those who will feel comfortable wearing a masquerade costume and creating a facade. Since costumes and mask wearing are such an important part of a masquerade party's success, you may want to consider it a requirement.

You can even include plain white masks with your invitations and ask your guests to decorate them for party night. This takes the pressure off them to find a mask, and ensures that everyone comes in a disguise. You may also wish to have a few extra masks available for those who arrive without one.

It is important to keep the lighting dim. After all, the point is to remain disguised as long as possible so your goal is to create an ambience of mystery and curiosity. Candles, lanterns, torches, and small Christmas lights are great, inexpensive choices.

The most popular activity chosen for a masquerade party is dancing. You can hire a DJ, quartet, band, or play your own selections. You may want to bring in somebody who can teach the steps to your guests and then have prizes for the best dancers. Top 6 mardi songs are HERE

This is also a great kind of party to do fun karaoke - see sidebar for karaoke choices! go ahead and click on the images below to make your reservations and save a ton of money!