Whether you're planning a party for your ten year old daughter or your forty-six year old best friend, it never hurts to have a theme.
Themes allow party goers to really get into the festivities and are also great ways to start up conversations and keep them buzzing all night.
If you're looking to plan a party in the near future or are always looking for new creative ideas to add to your arsenal, consider a "camera party" for your next big event.
A camera party is obviously an event that revolves around making and capturing memories on film.
Whether your guests are young or old, chances are they're very into taking pictures with friends and family.
This is also a great theme to have if you have a co-ed party, since both boys and girls can get in on the picture taking fun.
Having a black and white theme will keep your decorations simple, making table cloth, streamer, dinner ware, and center piece color choices very easy.
Pairing the simple backdrop with some "film-y" type decorations will help you easily create a fun and festive environment.
Head to your local party store and keep an eye out for decorations like oversized photograph negatives (take a look in the "Hollywood" themed section if they have one), smiley faces (think "SAY CHEESE!" and yellow makes a great contrast color for the black and white), and maybe even a red carpet (party stores usually have throw-away ones at a very reasonable price).
Whether your guests are young or old, male or female - they'll get a kick out of entering the party on a red carpet (who wouldn't?).
As your main attraction, give each and every guest a disposable camera.
In order to avoid confusion, make sure you give strict orders that all guests must RSVP.
This way, you can write names on the disposable cameras so that when one is inevitably set down - it can be returned to its rightful owner.
Challenge guests to use their entire roll of film and take interesting and fun pictures of both themselves and party goers.
Without even trying, you've captured lasting memories from the party while allowing guests to let loose and have a good time; an event that can truly be enjoyed by any one, regardless of their age.
Whether it's a birthday party, an anniversary celebration, or even a going away party - hosting a camera party will be extremely entertaining since you'll be the one reviewing all of the pictures when it's all said and done! Place a basket by the door so guests can "drop off" their cameras once the night has come to an end.
If you'd like to share the photos with guests, ask them to leave an e-mail address with you (if you don't already have them) and ask the developer to put the pictures on a disk for you.
For just a little bit extra, you'll also receive the pictures in digital form so you can load them onto the computer and send them out to your photographers.
Instead of sending a plain old 'Thank You" card, you can enclose some priceless memories to show just how much their presence at the party meant to you.
So next time you're ready to throw some chips and dip on the table and call it a party, take a second to think outside the box.
By providing your guests with a unique and fun experience - you'll be creating memories that last an absolute lifetime.
With a little bit of extra planning and consideration, you can truly take your party to the next level.