Indy! Indy! Adventurous Birthday Party Themes
Dear Penelope,
I'm holding a dual 50th birthday party for a couple. The theme is Indiana Jones and will be held at their home in a casual atmosphere. Could you make suggestions on how to carry out this theme idea? Thanks!
Kathleen B
Via e-mail
Dear Kathleen,
What a great party idea! An Indiana Jones theme for a 50th birthday party suggests that the couple is still adventurous and daring—admirable characteristics at 50. For your adventuresome party planning checklist, we’ll need to cover the basics: food, decorations and costumes.
Food wise, I think it’s safe to say that you should avoid a Temple of Doom-style spread and aim for simple (even rustic) food. Since Indy’s always running off to tackle his next great adventure, you could serve one-bite hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches and desserts and serve your guests drinks from travel thermoses.
Your party decorations will be one of the best ways to really emphasize the Indiana Jones 1930s adventure/archaeological party theme. Some decorating possibilities are: nets, coils of rope, crinkled and used looking maps with different routes and X’s plotted on them, old chests and suitcases, archaeological-looking tools (brushes and trowels), lanterns and faux snakes. If you’d like to incorporate the birthday couple into your party decorations, ask for a few digital photographs of them and use the sepia feature in your preferred photo-editing program. You can then print the photos out and age them a little bit by crumpling them up and spreading them flat again. Place them in inexpensive photo frames (at most drugstores and home goods stores) and your friends’ images can become part of the rustic Indiana Jones party atmosphere.
If implementing costumes into the party mix feels right for you, encourage your guests to come dressed in khaki and the archetypal Indy fedora or to take the Sean Connery route and sport wool bucket hats, spectacles and bowties. If your female party guests aren’t feeling the khaki garb, they have the delightful option of dressing in 30s attire like the beautiful Alison Doody. Long, elegant 30s hairstyles will be a classic, simple choice to match her 30s chic wardrobe, gloves and all.
Have a wonderful Indiana Jones party, and to the couple: Happy Birthday!
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope
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