Hosting a part in September...Looking for a theme

jewelamber8

I'm hosting a 31 party at the beginning of September.  I'd like to find a cute theme.  I thought about a wine and cheese party, a tea party, or a bring your ugliest purse party.  Do you all have any good creative ideas?  I'd like to keep the food to real light/healthy snacks.  My husband suggested an 80s party, which I think would be cute, but not sure how many would actually participate if I asked them to bring something from the 80s they loved.  What do you all think....help me out...my creativity is running dry.  I think a "girls night in" theme would be cute, but not sure what to do with it....and i worry if i have wine it might offend some people. 

 TIA!!!

Wine Enthusiast

Why would having wine offend some people? 

kcpokergal

I would suggest keeping it simple. Snacks and wine is good. Wine is rarely offensive to non-drinkers--do you have recovering alcoholics or extremely religious folks attending? If either are the case, I'm sure few drinkers would mind a dry party.

In general, those sales parties are not really that great of a time. I generally avoid them entirely and definitely would if I were expected to dress up per theme, etc (and I love theme parties.).

jewelamber8

There will be some very religious people there.  I am a Chirstian as well, but I don't think a drink or too hurts.  Hopefully I'll come up with something soon.

Maybride2

I'm not sure of any way to theme a sales pitch to make it more fun. Not even alcohol would convince me to go to a sales pitch, er, party.

Jim&Jaime

Stop over thinking. Good food, some cocktails, and friends are all you need for a fun evening. I would tell your rep to ease on the sales pitch, and, if your friends are interested, they'll buy. 

6fsn

Jim&Jaime:

Stop over thinking. Good food, some cocktails, and friends are all you need for a fun evening. I would tell your rep to ease on the sales pitch, and, if your friends are interested, they'll buy. 

Ditto this. 

As for light and healthy.  That's all well and good, but when I go out I like to be a little decadent.  Certainly have light options, but consider that some people may want to kick up their heels a little.

 

rotella

A great idea is an - around the world - theme. Ask each guest to bring a favorite food or drink from a country or their even their nationality. You'll have a big variety of beers and food and it'll also help that you won't have to buy a lot.

Jim&Jaime

rotella:

A great idea is an - around the world - theme. Ask each guest to bring a favorite food or drink from a country or their even their nationality. You'll have a big variety of beers and food and it'll also help that you won't have to buy a lot.

So, the invite is come to my house to buy some stuff and bring food/drink too? I would HIGHLY recommend against going potluck for something like this. 

sjb&apa

I'm glad I read the responses first, I wouldn't have known that a 31 party is a sales party.

Personally, I avoid these parties at all costs, I hate sales parties. No theme would sound fun enough for me to be willing to endure the sales pitch.

I would not ask guests to bring anything to a sales party, whether it's food/drink or favorite 80's items or whatever. It's bad enough that a sales pitch gets disguised as a party, don't ask them to bring something too.

Maybride2

rotella:

A great idea is an - around the world - theme. Ask each guest to bring a favorite food or drink from a country or their even their nationality. You'll have a big variety of beers and food and it'll also help that you won't have to buy a lot.

Worst idea ever.  Yeah, come to my house and be pressured to buy overpriced crap - and hey, supply the food and drink for everyone too! 

That would not only guarantee that no one would come to the "party", but would get some good gossip going too.

kcpokergal

I went to my first sales party in years the other night and the host served ice cream sundaes. No alcohol. I think all of us are drinkers, but none was fine.