A Red Carpet Oscars Party
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The glitz, glamour, and excitement of the Oscars are contagious, even if you're not a movie fanatic. Celebrate the biggest night in Hollywood by rolling out the red carpet in your own home. Tell your guests to dress "red carpet chic," and be inspired by old Hollywood glamour. As guests arrive, have them walk the red carpet, where "paparazzi" will snap their pictures. A butler situated at the end will then greet them with flutes of bubbly, and welcome them to the party.
Décor
To set the scene, re-create the look and feel of the red carpet. Roll out some red felt or fabric by the front door for guests to walk on. On an adjacent wall, hang a white flat sheet on the wall or over a door to create a place where the "paparazzi" (your friends) can snap pictures of your guests as they arrive.
When setting the table, combine the red carpet look with black, white and metallic elements. Forget the tablecloth, and opt for a red runner down the center of the table instead. Use black and white platters for serving the food and scatter homemade glittered pillar candles around the room. Add a glamorous touch by using gold-rimmed or star-covered cocktail plates and crystal glassware that have a vintage, formal feel. For easy-to-grab sets of silverware, pair together your everyday forks and knives in advance, wrapping each set in a red, white, or black napkin tied with a sparkling gold ribbon.
Make-Your-Own Glitter Candles:
What you need: White or ivory-colored pillar candles; spray adhesive; fine silver or gold glitter; large bin for covering candles in glitter.
How-to:
1. Place candles outdoors on newsprint (or in another well-ventilated area where you can safely spray the adhesive, like a box), and fill bin with glitter.
2. Spray candles with adhesive, making sure to cover tops and sides completely.
3. Immediately roll in glitter to cover. Shake off excess and let dry.
Activities
In addition to tuning into the awards show on television, plan a couple of interactive activities to keep your guests engaged throughout the night. Put your guests in the judges' shoes by asking them to predict the winning films before the show begins using a printable ballot form. During commercial breaks, keep the conversation going by passing around cards with movie trivia questions (and answers), or challenge guests by naming a movie and asking them to guess which actor/actress had the starring role.
Trivia Suggestions:
- What movie(s) have received the most nominations? (All About Eve and Titanic, with 14 each)
- Which actor/actress has been nominated most for acting? (Meryl Streep)
- The youngest person to win Best Actor? (Adrian Brody at 29 for The Pianist)
- Has an X-Rated movie ever won an Oscar? (Yes, Midnight Cowboy in 1969)
- At what age was the youngest Best Actress nominee nominated? (13; Keisha Castle-Hughes for Whale Rider)
- Has an Oscar ever won an Oscar? (Yes, Oscar Hammerstein in 1941 for the song "The Last Time I Saw Paris")
- Who was the only female director to ever win Best Director? (Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker was the second female nominee, but the first female winner)
- Has an Oscar ever been given to someone who wasn't nominated? (Yes, Hal Mohr for Best Cinematography for A Midsummer Night's Dream; he won through a write-in vote)
- What movie won the most Oscars? (1959's Ben-Hur)
- What Best Picture winner(s) swept every category in which they were nominated? (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; The Last Emperor; Gigi, It Happened One Night)
Menu
Let the glitz of the silver screen carryover to the food and drink you serve. Have a friend dress up as a butler and greet guests with flutes of bubbly. For snacking, set out cut-glass bowls of Champagne-friendly foods like truffled popcorn and potato chips. To quench your guests' thirst, serve up cocktails like the Seductive Swan and the Bleeding Mary to honor nominated films Black Swan and 127 Hours.
Set up a spread of dips, star-shaped tea sandwiches, and silver dragée-decorated cupcakes on your decorated buffet table. To add more Hollywood glamour, pass delicious one-bite appetizers on silver trays throughout the night.
Some recipes to try:
Creamy Crab Dip with Jicama Spears
Smoked Salmon Appetizer with Mustard and Crème Fraîche Dressing
Apricots with St. André and Mint