Party Planning: Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights themes parties are rare compared to more common themes like a generic beauty and the geek party. That means there's a great opportunity to create a truly memorable night with a smart decoration scheme. The best part about Arabian themes is that they're flexible thanks to a plethora of options: you can pull it off with almost any budget.



Invitations
Invitations are always a good place to start when planning your party. Within your invitations you can set the mood and colour scheme for the night, they give you a guide line to stick to for the rest of your planning. For a simple option cut your invitations in the shape of a lamp. For a more elaborate option check out the scrolls we used below - back your written invitations onto some rich luxe fabric to gear up your guests for the night.






Decor
The most important decor component to pulling off this theme is to stock up on fabric that you can hang from the ceiling or drape in doorways. Sheer fabric looks best for this theme but you can use silks as well. If your budget doesn't give you much wiggle room opt for a cheap poplin in rich hues of deep reds and oranges.

Beyond fabric, tents and marquees are worth looking into, or if you're having the party at home and you have a gazebo outside, use this as the focal point for the night. Scatter as many throw rugs and cushions around the party space as you can find, if your budget doesn't permit buying them ask your friends to round some up - just remember your colour palette.



Atmospherics

To enhance the Arabian mood, there are two big guns you could pull out, depending on your budget and the mess you're willing to clean up. The first is sand, sprinkled liberally throughout your party space and the second is a smoke machine. Combines with your rugs, cushions and drapery it creates the perfect atmosphere your night. A much easier trick is to play a middle eastern soundtrack which you can find on iTunes.

Props
Rich coloured fabric and decor and golden props or fake rubies are great accents. Dig some old tacky jewellery or buy some from a costume shop. A really cheap but effective option is is to buy the chocolate coins that come on gold foil and scatter them throughout your food and drinks tables.

Oil lamps, incense, and hookahs can get expensive but look authentic. Empty wine bottles or teapots sprayed gold are a cheaper option.


Entertainment
If your budget permits it hire a belly dancer to come in and do a performance and then finish up by teaching your guests a thing or two. For a cheaper option buy some henna paint and let your guests give each other tattoos.



Food & Drinks
Stick to Moroccan food to serve for your guests if that isn't enough range branch into some Mediterranean foods for more variety that will still keep your theme alive.
Serve Moroccan teas in vintage teapots for a fun addition to the party.






Here are some pictures from our Arabian themed party... and all with a budget of $500!

What do you think of this theme? If you decide to throw an Arabian nights themed party post your pictures on our Facebook page, we'd love to see how it turns out.

XO Elody Events