Themed parties in and around Exeter
Planning for a big themed party can get stressful and take months of careful preparation. Between finding a suitable venue that’s available on the right date, hiring a reliable events’ organiser to set up the place, and booking a reputable caterer, many will just give up. However, Exeter does offer several events that take the stress out of the planning, with themes ranging from the roaring 20s to casino parties.
Vintage fun
Popular TV shows like Downton Abbey can spark enthusiasm for specific historical periods. The series, which aired from September 2010 through December 2015, is the most viewed drama in PBS's 45 years. During its six seasons, it had a weekly average audience of 13.3 million. This success wasn’t lost on party organisers, with the likes of JD Parties organising a Roaring 20s Party with guests dancing the night away in flappers and tuxedos.
Source: JD Parties via Facebook
In Exeter, an ideal venue for a Downton Abbey themed party would be the Rougemont Hotel. The original 28,859 square foot, 100-bedroom Victorian hotel was built in 1876 and underwent renovation in 2009. The grand ballroom makes for a suitable party venue – the first official ball was held on 10 January 1888 for 420 county families. For smaller parties, the Cavendish room is lit with crystal chandeliers, and will impress with its elaborately carved columns and heavily draped large windows. The venue can accommodate 80 to 220 guests.
Source: Mercure Exeter Rougemont Hotel via Facebook
One doesn’t need to venture far out to find Downton Abbey-inspired party invitations and table centrepieces. As for food, menu ideas have been put online by Pamela Foster, a culinary historian and big Downton Abbey. The Rougemont chef will just need to take a pick from an extensive list of signature dishes served in the series, such as Apple Charlotte, Asparagus Feuilletés, Oysters à la Russe, and Turkish Delight. And finally, costumes: The Real McCoy on Fore Street specialises in vintage clothing while a2z goes down the fancy dress route in Woodbury Business Park. Vintage props such as the ring toss game can be hired from The Prop Factory for £48.
James Bond
Source: Pixabay
With a Metacritic score of 80% and $600 million in box office sales, Casino Royale, is arguably amongst the most popular Bond movies. More than a decade after it was shown in 2006, a recent review on Thrillist written by Matt Patches provides a blow-by-blow account of the scenes. Some Exeter-based event organisers will make a grand Casino Royale party happen. For instance, Theme-Works and its 14-strong team offer full venue decor and entertainment package, from a red-carpet entrance to casino table games for parties of 150 to 350 people.
James Bond’s famous casino scenes can be recreated with games of blackjack, poker or roulette. Theme-Works supply casino tables and chips but games themselves aren’t part of the package. Casino Select on the other hand have a team of professional croupiers and bring their mobile casino to the venue. Guests can play roulette, blackjack, the Wheel of Fortune, poker and mini craps. The dealers will teach on the day the basics to the guests, who can also learn online about the different variations of the roulette – Betway Casino guide details the different winning odds of French, American and European Roulette. For those who are more advanced and want to play like a pro, they can read Marten Jensen’s book Secrets of Winning Roulette. Poker guides are also easy to find online, for instance Bicycle Cards have a “How to play” guide of Hold ‘Em Poker. As for the subtleties of blackjack, the uninitiated will be inspired by The Guardian’s guide on the game.
Upcoming Parties in Exeter
On June 3, the Barefoot Ball organised by Blue Fizz Events will be held in Croyde. The Bohemian-inspired event wants to bring an Ibiza feel to the south coast of England with pop-up bars and a 3-course Seadog Boho Banquet. Seadog is known for its creative dishes inspired by street foods from all over the world. There will also be a night of dancing at the Balearic Beats Dance Party, featuring Aldo Vanucci, one of Ibiza's finest DJs.
Bringing back the 80s this year, Let's Rock Exeter will be held in Powderham Castle on July 1. The Retro Festival will be an event for the whole family if they can spare £108.90 for two adults and two children. There will be a wide variety of catering on site, but families are welcome to bring their own picnic into the main arena – which might be just as well for those who our out of pocket after paying the entry fee. Various artists will be playing their 80s hits, headed by the legendary jazz-funk fusion band Level 42. Other guests include Tony Hadley, Howard Jones, Belinda Carlisle, Jason Donovan, Chesney Hawkes, Imagination, Big Country, From the Jam, Hazel O'Connor, Karina, Jaki Graham, and Toyah. Some fans of the festival will be disappointed not to see some of the bigger names who have already lined up the festival, such as Bananarama, Billy Ocean and Go West who graced the castle’s grounds in 2015.
From 1920s to 1980s, Monte Carlo to Ibiza, one thing is for sure: there never seems to be a dull moment in Exeter.
