Make Your Party Red Carpet Worthy

The nominations for the prestigious Oscar awards have finally been announced, and thus the countdown to the famed festivities has officially begun.

You might not be lucky enough to spend the big night walking arm in arm with James Franco in a glorified Valentino gown, but that doesn't mean the glitz, glamor, and pretentiousness is reserved for celebrities alone. Why not host the kind of event that even the stars themselves would cry over to make the guest list?

Throwing a great party for your friends is one thing, throwing an Academy Awards soiree to rival all others? That's a whole different ball park. 

Want to know how you can turn your house into the perfect Hollywood hot spot? Here are some ideas for your preparation:

Invitations
Whether you put the time and effort into hard copy invitations to send out via snail mail or an event invitation on Facebook, the emphasis should be big, bold, and extravagant. Address your guests the way the annual Oscars host addresses the Kodak Theatre audience. Be eloquent and regal! Or crass and bawdy like Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes if that's more your style. Hey, it's your party. Cordially invite them to the gathering by requesting their attendance as though the night won't be complete without it, and in full detail outline the details of the evening so they get a sense of what to expect.  

Oscar Pool
You can't sit through an awards show without turning it into a drinking game and/or placing bets on who's going to win.  Organize a voting pool for guests to select their choice of winners by category in advance. To make it interesting, suggest a $5-$10 entry fee (voluntary) for voters and offer up the cumulative total as prize money. Don't forget to "take a drink" whenever someone thanks God, thanks their wife, goes over time, breathes, etc.

A-List Attire 
This is your chance to break out your Sunday best if you've been itching to for a while. Or if you sometimes find yourself sleeping in a tux because you  haven't had an event to wear it to lately. For a dazzling party, a dazzling dress code must be in effect, right? Encourage your guests to dress up in formal wear or, better yet, as their favourite actor/actress in their favourite Oscar era. Shimmer and shine in your finest jewelry and go all out, completely over the top - the more glamour the better! If you're feeling particularly adventurous, select a friend to dress up as this year's Oscars host and emcee the night.     

A-List Menu
Whatever you serve, make it fancy. Champagne, h'ors d'oeuvres, finger foods, bite sized desserts. Be sure to have small portions for convenience and, if you're lacking in the cash department, offer to provide snacks and encourage others to bring drinks or whatever they would like.   

Flash
The events of the night should of course be well documented moment by moment on camera. Have everyone bring a camera to shoot, and if you're feeling particularly creative set up a photo booth area for guests to pose in. A fake media wall as a backdrop would be a great finishing touch. 

Remember that if you don't have the, er, "financial resources" to fund this kind of party.....a low budget is what makes it all the more fun. Drink cheap beer out of wine glasses, eat jalapeno poppers, drape the room in toilet paper, talk to each other in awful British accents. The list of ways you can play with putting on airs in an otherwise squalor-like environment is endless. And hilarious. So get creative.

Image from MorgueFile

Courtney Gilmour
		About the author:
		Courtney is a published writer, stand-up comic, and shameless Internet enthusiast. She holds a double bachelors degree in English Literature and Communication Media Studies, specializing in semiotic theory, however she doesn't get Shakespeare and has never won a game of Scrabble. Currently she lives in Toronto and works as a writer for WOMAN.CA.
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