This birthday theme was so much fun! I decided to throw my grandmother a birthday party and asked her to pick the theme she wanted. She was reliving her young adult days and wanted to go for a 1950’s theme. I played her some 50’s music and she was absolutely glowing and giggling like a schoolgirl. It was so cute and fun to see her so excited to get dressed up and have her friends over to listen to the music she remembers. She wanted to host 73rd birthday party in her home since she wasn’t inviting many and wanted to have the comfortability of staying home. We ordered her a fun dress on Amazon and were ready to get the party started. Here are some tips to plan a 1950’s party of your own.
Invitation
I cannot stress this enough, invitations are the best way to set the tone for your party! Obviously, be sure to list the date, time, and location but think about what else you may want the guests to know. Is there a dress code? Would you like your guests to bring something? Is there a per person price? Think of any questions they may have and if there is any relevance for the guest be sure to include it in your invitation. If there is a dress code theme you’d like the guest to stick to, maybe add a little reference picture they can follow.
For the 1950’s theme I think it is really fun to ask your guests to dress on theme. It gives everyone a chance to be creative and have fun preparing for your party. I created the invitation for my grandmother on Canva. If you don’t have time to create something, there are many editable options on Etsy, that you can purchase and text out to all your guests. Be sure to leave time to send your invitations about 2-3 weeks before your event.
Menu
For the longest time, my favorite movie was Grease. When my grandma chose the 1950s theme for her birthday party, I knew a lot of my inspiration would be from Grease. I instantly think about the Grease scene when Sandy and Danny went to the diner and ordered a burger and milkshakes. It was always a cute teenage scene to me. All their high school friends were there and it was like the diner was the place to be. I wanted to keep your menu simple and on theme while keeping the budget fairly low. I added an easy menu to follow listed below. Of course, add any dietary restricted options that your guests need.
You can be creative with the way your food is served also. Consider setting up a DIY Ice Cream Float station. Leave out some cups, ice cream on ice, and some soda options for your guest to set up on their own. Make life easier with some frozen fries in the oven and all you really need to cook are your burgers! You worked hard so enjoy the party too!
Decoration
First, think of your venue and how much you can decorate. My Grandmother wanted to host her party at home where she knew all her friends could easily find the location and would feel most comfortable. I didn’t want to disturb her home by moving around too much and making things complicated. So, we used her dining table, chairs, and coffee table to decorate and set up an area outside for additional seating in the yard. We moved the coffee table to the side to make space for a small dance floor. We decorated each table, one with eyeglasses for the guests to take and the other with soda, chips, paper cars and more. Offering glasses was a perfect way to help everyone look the part, even if they didnt come dressed up.
I found this super fun jukebox backdrop and played up the colors and patterns on it. Since it was my grandmother’s 70th birthday I wanted to focus on the pink and black checkerboard pattern.
Since we asked everyone to dress up, it was important my grandma looked amazing so we found a perfect dress on Amazon and I styled her hair that morning.
We printed some 1950s advertisements and placed them on the wall in the entrance staircase along with some printed vinyl’s. As you made your way up the stairs there was a jukebox banner at the top of the stairs and near the living room.
Entertainment
You can either make a playlist ahead of time or find a playlist that is already made. I found it helpful to create my own playlist. We are hispanic so, it was important to my grandma to add spanish music and some newer songs too. I started off with more 50’s music and started mixing in the spanish and newer songs. It was fun watching everyone dance to the older songs, and my grandma was having a blast watching us and living in her youth again. She doesn’t have a TV in her living room but if she did I would definitely have Grease playing in the background. I would play some other classics like High Society and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Overall this theme is fun for any age and can be so much fun. Let me know how your party goes and if there is anything you would add to your party!
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