Throwing a Formal Party During Winter

There’s an understandable focus on prom during springtime, but polls show that only 53 percent of Americans attended prom. Of those who did, only 51 percent went with a romantic date, while 43 percent attended with a pal. So it’s not the be-all and end-all of the high school experience.

And if prom is overrated, then other formal parties are underrated. One of the biggest overlooked parties is the winter formal party. They’re often held sometime between the end of Christmas break and the beginning of spring break, although there are no hard and fast rules. Since you’re an adult now, you don’t have to ask anyone’s permission before hosting a winter formal on your own.

Here’s how to throw a winter party that beats any prom night:

Find a theme

In high school, the themes were always a little cheesy. No one really seemed to want themes like “Romance Under the Sea” or “Stairway to Heaven,” but that’s what you got anyway. As an adult, you can be as cheesy or as serious as you want. But you need some sort of theme other than just “come to my house and dance”. In fact, one of the best tips for planning a formal involves settling on a theme early and then going all in on it.

If you grew up during the late 90s, then there’s a chance you’ve always dreamed of having a Titanic-themed party. That’s a great idea, so long as you don’t have it on a boat. Stick to your house or find another venue in the city if you need more room.

If you want to combine New Year’s festivities with a winter formal, then you’ll probably find plenty of people all too ready to celebrate the end of 2018. Or if you need a little more time to put together a party, why not wait until the Chinese New Year? The Year of the Pig begins on February 5, 2019. Interestingly, the Year of the Pig is supposed to bring good luck between the hours of 9pm to 11pm, which is prime winter formal time.

Set a dress code

The words “winter formal” may sound self-explanatory, but there are actually a few different levels of formal. At the low end of the formal scale is something like “garden attire” or “beach formal”. But that’s generally associated with summery clothes and summery conditions, and you don’t want people to think they should wear a sundress in 30-degree weather.

Telling people to dress like they’re going to a cocktail party at toronto events is less confusing. It means the men and women don’t have to wear suits and dresses, but they should look nice and put-together.

Depending on the people you’re inviting, you can also go as far as semi-formal or even black tie optional. You want people to have fun and be comfortable, and they may not feel as comfortable dancing if they’re wearing super-expensive designer clothes. They should look great but still be able to eat finger foods without worrying about stains. They should also be able to play with party favors like streamers and noisemakers without feeling like they look ridiculous. So don’t tell them that black tie is required, since that’s a status best reserved for fancy weddings and award shows anyways. A couple levels below that on the formal scale is usually enough for a winter formal.