How to throw a fancy dress party

A fancy dress party needs three decisions: a theme people can manage, four games that fill the gaps, and food that can sit out. Everything else is optional.

We don't sell costumes - we make cards, badges and party bits in house, printed in the UK - so nothing below is a sales pitch for an outfit.

Follow the running order at the end as written and the evening plans itself.

Pick a theme people will actually do

• Choose something assembled from a wardrobe - decades, a colour, or bad taste.
• Avoid themes needing a specific bought item; half the room won't bother.
• Say the theme in the invitation and repeat it once, a week before.
• Set the bar low out loud: 'a hat counts'.
• Keep a box of masks by the door for the ones who ignore all of that.

Invitation wording

• Fancy dress at ours, Saturday from 7pm. Theme: 80s. A headband counts.
• Come as a film character. Prize for the best, shame for the plain.
• Bad taste party, Saturday 8pm. Charity shop budget, no exceptions.
• Costumes compulsory, excuses aren't. 7pm, bring a bottle.
• Theme is one colour: gold. Yes, all of it.

Decorations that take ten minutes

• One banner where people arrive, so the photos have a backdrop.
• Match one colour to the theme and stop - two colours looks busy.
• A cake with a topper does more than a whole themed food table.
• Confetti on the table, candles on the shelves, lights turned down.
• Clear a corner as a photo spot and put a lamp on it.

Games for a fancy dress party

• Guess the costume: describe someone's outfit in three words.
• Costume charades - act out another guest's outfit.
• Best entrance: each arrival gets scored out of ten.
• Wink murder, which works better in costume.
• Catchphrase in character, everyone stays in role for ten minutes.
• Photo scavenger hunt: a list of shots to collect through the night.

A running order for the evening

• 7pm: doors, drink in hand, costume photos while everyone looks tidy.
• 7.45pm: food out, one hot dish, everything else cold.
• 8.30pm: games block, three back to back.
• 9.30pm: cake and prizes for best and worst costume.
• 10pm: lights down and music until people drift off.

Shop party supplies

Decorations for the night

Banners, cake toppers and confetti that go up in ten minutes.

How to write it so it lands

• Announce prize categories in the invitation so people aim for one.
• Do the group photo before 8pm, not at midnight.
• One hot dish and everything else cold keeps you out of the kitchen.
• Keep spare safety pins and tape by the door - costumes fail early.

Where to shop next

• Fancy dress ideas
• Fancy dress party themes
• Last-minute fancy dress ideas
• Hen party fancy dress themes
• DIY fancy dress on a budget
• 80s and 90s party ideas
• Fancy dress prize ideas
• Birthday party ideas
• Party supplies
• Halloween costume ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

How do you plan a fancy dress party?

Pick a wardrobe-friendly theme, send the invitation three weeks ahead with the theme in it, put up one banner and a cake topper, plan four games, and give prizes for the best and worst costume at around 9.30pm.

What games work at a fancy dress party?

Ones that use the costumes: costume charades, guess the outfit in three words, best entrance scored out of ten, and a photo scavenger hunt.

How far in advance should I invite people?

Three weeks. People need time to sort a costume, and a shorter notice is the main reason guests turn up in normal clothes.