BYE BYE 2012
IF you want to throw a memorable year-end
bash,take a detour from the tried-and-tested New Years Eve themes.We get
three experts to play party planners with quirky themes that best sum
up 2012,the Doomsday year or as some say,the beginning of 4th
dimension.Believe what you may,but before the clock strikes the midnight
hour,make sure your guests revel in a way they wont forget in a
hurry.Here are three thematic send-offs to 2012 you can take a cue
from...
Speakeasy ala 1920s style
Moral police
snooped on everything from our posts to how we raised our
toasts.Restaurateur AD Singh has a novel concept.Why not celebrate even
that He feels nothing beats the charm of partying like people did in the
prohibition era of 1920s America.That allowed a lot of speakeasy' bars
to mushroom across America and Europe.These bars were essentially
members only places where entry was through a code or password,people
were forever on the lookout for watchdogs,and would down their shutters
at any instance of a raid.Singh suggests this to be a hot party theme
for this season.His ideas of a perfect speakeasy bash ala 1920s style
are:
Have your basement or a garage as the venue.This is the ideal venue that would exude the charm of a prohibited place.
The
whole place needs to have a dark and dingy feel to it with replicas of
the era,like black and white check flooring,red walls,just a few dim
lights and architectural references of the time adorning the area.
Keep
the entry separate from the main entrance.Only guests will know where
to enter from.Give out a password or code to each guest to be disclosed
at the time of entry.
The drinks menu is minimal at such parties.One
gin,scotch or vodka option is sufficient.Have lots of cocktails made out
of one or two drinks.Let guests drink in tea cups rather than glasses.
Men should be dressed in suits,suspenders and hats while flapper dresses for the ladies is the ideal dress code.
Jazz music is the way to go.
Great Depression gig
Job
cuts,economic slowdown and a gloomy financial picture make a lot of us
feel like the present-day avatar of the generation that survived The
Great Depression in 1930s.Food and wine consultant Aishwarya Nair feels
nothing will be better than hosting a Great Depression-themed party to
sign off this year.Here are her suggestions to host one such social
gathering perfectly:
Keep the bar and dcor simple with lit candles
or dim bulbs.Nothing should attract too much attention.Do have some
props that uplift everyones spirit.
Let the food be limited but a
quality affair.Starters can double up as main course.Crab cakes,caviar
and foie gras are good options.
Drinks would be bootlegged and mixed
in the bathtub.Vodka soda sparklers can be served in champagne glasses
to give one the illusion of drinking fine wine without actually drinking
it.
Have an austere feel to the party.Keep it an invite only
event.Just have napkins with initials as the invite.Only those having
invites should be allowed to enter.
Let the dress code be dreamjob.So
if you want to be a lawyer,come in a black suit.Women,hoping to land a
doctors job,can opt for a white coat.This will be a perfect way to
actually let loose in the official attire!
Treat your guests to some Blues music.
End-of-the-world Mayan bash
Mayan
calendar has already stated Dec 21,2012 to be doomsday.After all the
hoopla surrounding it,why not pay a tribute to the formulators of that
calendar and end this year on a high by ushering in 2013 with a
Mayan-themed bash Hotelier Keshav Suri suggests tips to groove and move
like Mayans:
An Incan temple or Mayan scroll shaped invite will be
ideal.Designs of the map of Mayan civilisation and other symbols of that
society,like the eagle or the sun can also be looked at.
Create a
Mayan jungle ambience with replicas of jungle trees and foliage.Hunter
gear,sticks and bar shaped like a Mayan pyramid will perfectly set the
tone.Let guests use torchlights to move around.
Stock tequila,beer
and fresh juices.Serve them in typical Mayan inspired cups.Treat guests
to popular Latin American drinks like licuados or fresh fruit smoothies.
Let it be a Mexican feast high on nachos,chips with salsa sauce,tacos,enchiladas,burritos and empanadas.
Women
should dress up in long skirts,white shirts and corsets while men
should go for same coloured shirts and trousers with collared
waistcoats.Accessorise with straw hats,tropical headgear,Mayan tattoos
and feathers.Get tees printed with I Survived The Mayan calendar that
everyone can wear the moment the clock strikes 12.You can either have
temple bells as the background score through the bash or songs like REMs
Its the end of the world,Europes The final countdown,Skeeter Davis The
end of the world or Britney Spears Till the world ends.Whatever theme
you pick,heres wishing you all a Happy 2013.
