There's a nip in the air and there are pumpkins on every home's front porch. Fall has arrived and that can only mean one thing: winter is coming.
No matter how frightful the weather outside might get, the goal for every event planner is to create a warm and welcoming party everyone will love. To do that while embracing the spirit of the season, try these fun winter party themes.
1. Christmas Cheer
If you're planning an event for the early part of winter and your clients celebrate Christmas, you have a rich theme to work with.
Depending on who's hosting the event and what direction they want to go, you can embrace the religious side of the holiday or the secular side.
Decorate your venue in Christmas colors. Label the food dishes and drinks with candy cane signs. Line the walls with decorated fir trees.
If you want to use the popular trend of relaxing lounge areas inside busy parties, set up a "Santa's lounge" relaxation zone.
2. Holiday Mash-Up
Perhaps your event takes place later in winter. Maybe your client wants to make sure everyone feels welcome at their party, including those who don't celebrate Christmas.
The perfect solution is a holiday mash-up. Create your party to celebrate all the winter holidays in one epic bash. We're talking Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Valentine's Day, and more.
There are a few ways you could do this. One option is to set up a separate "zone" for each holiday. Guests could spend a few minutes enjoying each winter holiday in a separate zone.
If you prefer, you can blend all the holidays together. Intermix pink Valentine's Day hearts with blue Hanukkah stars, but don't forget the glittery streamers to capture the spirit of New Year's.
3. Orient Express Experience
Murder on the Orient Express is a classic story, and chances are that your client and their guests are familiar. If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, the gist is that it's a murder mystery on a train.
You can take this theme to any extent you want. Host the party in an old renovated railway car to capture the environment. You may even be able to have the party on a moving train for an even more authentic feel.
Set up the decor to remind guests of the 1930s era when the story takes place.
You can even take the theme further by doing a murder mystery party. Make sure the answer to your murder mystery isn't the same as the ending in Murder on the Orient Express to make sure guests don't crack the case before it starts.
4. Ski Lodge Soiree
Nothing gives off a cozier, warmer feel in winter than the idea of a ski lodge nestled in the snow. Of course, not everyone has the cash on hand to jet off to Aspen. You can give your clients and their guests that atmosphere anywhere with a ski lodge-themed party.
Have a fake or real fireplace for that warm feel. Get creative and use old skis for unique decor. Make sure the furniture is plush and warm.
Don't forget to carry the theme through with your cocktails. Design signature Moscow mules that your client's guests will love.
5. Antarctic Adventure
If your client loves the idea of a winter wonderland but wants a more specific and original theme, they'll be thrilled with an Antarctic adventure.
Decorate your party venue with fake snow mounds. An ice sculpture is an on-theme way to take it up a notch.
If your client loves animals, why not bring them into the mix as well? Incorporate polar bears, penguins, and other animals you might find at the south pole.
6. Peppermint Party
Peppermint is one of the most recognizable flavors throughout the winter holidays, and there's something about it that makes us feel cozy and homey. Why not capture that spirit in your party's theme?
You can decorate the party in white and red. If this is an event that has a guest of honor like a quinceanera or a birthday party, have all the guests wear white while the guest of honor wears red.
Bring the theme into the party snacks as well. Some of the items can be peppermint-based, but you can make other items look like peppermint too. For instance, have cheesecake with raspberry or cherry swirls that make it look like a peppermint.
7. New Beer's Eve
Who says you can only enjoy New Year's festivities on the actual holiday? Capture the spirit at any point in the winter with a New Beer's Eve party.
Decorate your venue with all the glitz and glamour we normally think of for a New Year's Eve party. Scatter sequins everywhere and even simulate your own ball drop.
This theme is especially fitting for a party celebrating a birthday or another type of change because it's all about new beginnings.
To stick with the "beer" in the name, serve beer in champagne flutes. You can even come up with clever nicknames for other cocktails and beers you serve, like "Party-Popping Porter" or "A Brand New Day IPA."
8. Snow Day Party
We all have treasured memories of snow days from our childhoods. Why not allow your clients and their guests to relive those memories in a more grown-up way at their party?
Invite everyone to wear pajamas, because we all know no one gets dressed on snow days. Set up the party with all the things kids love to do on snow days.
You can have TVs set up playing daytime TV shows like The Price is Right. You could even set up an area of fake snow where guests can make snow angels.
Of course, you can't forget the snacks we all used to enjoy on snow days. Set up dispensers with dry cereal to munch on, along with Pop-Tarts and other snow day junk foods.
9. Figure Skating Spectacular
Figure skating has an unmatched elegance and glamour your client will love to have at their party.
For the most authentic figure skating-themed party, hold the party at an ice skating rink. You can even have performances from figure skaters during the event.
To fill out the event, offer other games and activities on the ice as well. Set up an area where guests can play an icy form of bowling or corn hole.
Carry the theme through into your drinks and catered party food as well. Give the dishes clever names based on famous skaters, like "Nancy Kerrigan Nachos" and "Rippon Rose."
10. Winter Around the World
The world is full of rich cultures, so why not let your client's guests experience many of them in one night? This is what you get at a Winter Around the World party.
This is especially handy if the party is for a group that aims to educate people about various cultures, like a university multi-cultural association. It also fits well if your clients come from a variety of different cultures they want to share with their guests.
You can set up each culture in a different "zone" throughout the venue. In each zone, decorate the area based on the culture's style and include a few hors d'ouevres from that culture.
11. Cozy Countryside
Who doesn't love the idea of a cozy home in the countryside where you can retreat from a harsh winter? Your clients will love it and their guests will as well.
Set up your venue with warmth in mind. Have a fireplace, either fake or real, to set the mood. Set up relaxing couches and lounge furniture with fluffy blankets.
To sell the theme further, find old wooden windows and decorate them in a way that makes it look like it's snowing outside. Place them on the walls in the venue to create the feeling of a countryside winter home.
Don't forget to have all the essentials you would need if you were snowed in at a country home. Have popcorn, movies, board games, and puzzles to name a few.
12. Frozen Fete
Who can forget the Disney movie Frozen that captured everyone's hearts a few years ago and continues to do so? As much fun as the movie itself is, it's also a rich theme for a winter party.
You can decorate the venue to make guests feel like they've stepped into the movie when they walk in the door. Depending on the party's budget, consider hiring people to dress up in costumes like the characters from Frozen and enchant the guests.
If your clients choose, they can make the party into a viewing party for the movie. Even if they don't, having the movie playing on a few TVs inside a lounge area can offer a place for guests to take a break and relax.
Frozen makes it easy to come up with on-theme cocktails and snacks too. Serve up "Elsa's Eggnog" and "Anna's Appletinis."
13. Winter Sports Extravaganza
Winter isn't all about holidays and cozy spaces. It's also a great time for sports.
Throw a party that incorporates all your client's favorite winter sports. Basketball is a classic choice, as well as snowboarding, skiing, and even football as the season is still coming to a close during winter.
You can have guests dress up as their favorite winter athlete. Bring these sports into the entertainment for the party, too.
It's easy to find an electronic basketball game. Strap together a few skis to turn them into a beer pong table.
To take the theme to the next level, turn your venue into a makeshift sports bar. Serve guests the classics like wings, beer, and pizza, and have plenty of TVs with games and sporting events for guests to watch.
14. Souper Bowl Party
A Super Bowl party is nothing new, but you can give yours a twist by turning it into a "Souper Bowl" party. That's a combination of a Super Bowl watching party and a chili soup cook-off.
This is perfect for a client with a smaller budget because they don't have to supply all the food. Guests can bring in their favorite chili recipes and everyone can vote on their favorites.
For party hosts who prefer to supply the food, they can do something similar by getting chili from several different caterers or restaurants. It's the same spirit of a chili cook-off without guests doing the work.
15. Winter Winery
Perhaps you want a winter-themed party but you want to have an extra layer of class and sophistication. A winter winery party is a perfect combination.
To keep the planning work to a minimum, try hosting this party at a local winery. This is a great time to get lower rates on these venues because they're less busy during the winter.
If there isn't a local winery or it isn't in the client's budget, you can bring the theme into the decor in any venue. Rent barrels to stack against the walls and hold your own wine tasting sessions.
Choosing the Perfect Winter Party Themes for Your Client
In the world of event planning, one of the biggest challenges is learning your client's tastes and what they want. This is why it's helpful to go into your meetings with an arsenal of ideas ready to launch.
These winter party themes aren't just popular and fun, but they're versatile as well. You can mold any of them to fit the party's guests and purpose, whether it's a child's birthday party or a classy soiree for adults only.
These themes merely scratch the surface of everything you can offer your clients, though. To take your business to the next level, get tickets now for our next event planning expo.
