There are many different ways to go about throwing an Oscar party. You can go classy, chic, kitschy, and movie-themed amongst many others. Any theme can produce amazing results, as long as you go for it.

There are 3 basic parts of any Oscar party, the food, the décor, and the contests/prizes, and we will break down each theme and get to the bottom of how to make your Oscar party a success.

BEST OF THE YEAR…

If you choose to go with this theme, go all the way. Don’t commit to one specific film, but do your best to highlight all of the best films of the year throughout the entire party theme.

FOOD:

The food for a Best of the Year type party should be a dish per film representing either a theme or food from the films. We suggest going with the nominees for Best Picture, which this year suggests 8 dishes. Now, whether you decide to just do appetizers, or desserts, or go all out on an 8 course meal is entirely up to you, but make sure that your guests can see the connection to the film through the food. Also, don’t feel obligated to do an entire meal, it can be just as much fun to do a desserts only theme and satisfy a guest’s sweet tooth.

For example, this year no Best of the Year party would be complete without peanut butter toast triangles from Zero Dark Thirty, or Django Unchained white cake. Life of Pi definitely calls for some sort of ethnic dish, and Les Miserables always makes me think of a dish called Croque Monsieur… You can always label the dishes, but its more fun if the guests have to make the connection.

DECOR:

Now, when thinking about décor for the Best of the Year theme, think minimalist and classy. This is not the theme to go crazy overboard, but you can definitely have fun with it.
The easiest would be to highlight the different movie posters for all the movies. Whether you print out all of them on cardstock and decorate the serving table or place settings, or hanging a few of them on the wall, this theme is all about the movies, so have fun with it. If you want to do a little more work, use a few props from the movies in your decorating, and then host a mini scavenger hunt and see if your guests can find them all. Using silver candlesticks on the serving table (do you remember that scene in Les Miserables?) or having the soundtrack from Silver Linings playing may be a little more subtle, but it keeps with the theme without having to go over the top.

PRIZES:

Whether you are doing prizes for most categories correct, or separate prizes for whoever gets Best Actor or Actress right, prizes are always a fun way to continue your theme. In keeping with the Best of 2013 theme, we suggest getting your hands on a few of the films nominated this year. Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Moonrise Kingdom are all available on DVD and Blu-ray, so why not pick up a copy, pair it with some movie candy, and wrap it with a bow.

LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES…

If you are a little short of cash, this simple movie theme is a timeless crowd pleaser, easy to pull off and can be done fairly cheaply. The basics of this theme are to embrace the trappings of movie themed parties and not worry about making it classy and upscale.

FOOD:

Rather than go to the trouble to plan a menu and cook a bunch of appetizers, why not try going a little bit kitschy and provide as many different kinds of popcorn as you can think of for a popcorn bar. There are the classic flavors: butter, cheese, caramel, and kettle, but if you do a little research, chances are that some local candy store does a few crazy flavors, so get creative. Throwing in a few crazy toppings and allowing your guests to dream up their own concoction will be fun as well as yummy. Also, feel free to pick up a few boxes of movie candy from the grocery store, and bottles of soda and go all out with the movies theme. Make your guests feel like they are just settling in for a great new movie, after all, the ceremony is chock full of funny and dramatic bits.

DECOR:

This theme asks for very little in the way of actual décor, but feel free to buy a few popcorn boxes, maybe a few cheap paper film reels wall decorations or print out clapboards on cardstock and write your favorite titles in the blank fields. Have fun with it, but focus more on fun and ease than on upscale décor. Go with the paper cups and buy popcorn bags or paper bowls to hand out to your guests. Less is definitely more when it comes to this theme’s décor.

PRIZES:

The tried and true prize for any Oscar party would be movie theatre gift cards or tickets, but you could basically go with any movie themed goodies you may find while wandering around your local video store.

HONORING THE CEREMONY…

This theme gives you every excuse to embrace the Oscar statue and have fun with all the tropes of the ceremony. Go all out. Feel fee to go over the top with and be unapologetic about it.

FOOD:

Embrace the fun. Make Oscar statuette shaped cookies, red velvet cupcakes, little individual boxes of homemade popcorn. This theme is all about the ceremony itself, so utilize the winner’s envelopes, the statuette itself, even the red carpet. Try naming the courses after legendary actors or directors, and see if your guests can name the films that won them their statuette. Still need ideas? A simple image search for ‘Oscar party’ will supply you all the inspiration you need.

DECOR:

Think Oscar statuettes and your own red carpet. Ask a friend to be your paparazzi and take photos of everyone as they arrive. We like to think of this as the ‘more is more’ theme, so whatever you can come up with that relates to the ceremony itself, do it. If you have the resources, build your own mini stage and host your own pre-show, talking about the fashion and the films you think are gonna win. This theme has the added benefit of being able to be done a little more upscale or fairly cheaply depending on the budget and it will still look fabulous.

PRIZES:

It shouldn’t be too hard to get your hands on a few imitation Oscar statues, and then all you have to do is mark each one for the winner’s category. To save some dough in the future, maybe try making it a recurring trophy, so the winner must return it the following year so more names can be added, that way you have a record of who has been on the ball and also have a prize for the following year.

CLASSIC ELEGANCE…

Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn, and Ingrid Bergman: names that invoke a reverent, quieter tone just listing them out loud. The classics will never go out of style, so this is a theme that works time after time. Name the cocktails (or mocktails for the underage crowd) after classic movies or celebrities. Your friends will have a blast ordering their Cosmo, “I’ll take a ‘Some Like it Hot,’ please.”

FOOD:

Feel free to skip the themey stuff and just go for classic, tasty food. Dig out that classic french cookbook and put a few hardly-thought-of recipes to good use. You can’t really go wrong with food for this theme as long as you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to get everything done.

DECOR:

Find a few classic movie posters, break out the good flatware, and spring for something other than plastic plates. The classic theme can be kept simple by just sticking to quality and keeping the extraneous to a minimum. Good food, minimal decorations, and just focusing on the fun of the evening can keep even the pickiest of guests happy. If you have a little more ambition, try putting classic quotes on things your guests will find throughout the evening, like a paper napkin ring, or a band around the pen they use for keeping track of their progress, or even around the hand towels in the bathroom.

PRIZES:

Pick up a few classic gems like Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, or The Godfather on DVD or Blu-ray and wrap them with a simple red ribbon. Those that already love these movies will enjoy having them in the newest format, and those that haven’t seen them will no doubt love having a chance to finally pop them in.

Have you already planned your party? Any other ideas? Share them below and enjoy the show!!