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Check out these cool ideas for hot summer parties!
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By Margot Carmichael Lester
 ummertime is party time. Rather than hosting just another barbecue, why not turn up the heat and have a theme party or a romantic summer singles shindig? A sizzling seasonal party might increase your chances of heating up your love life.
Start your planning by thinking carefully about your guest list. Because you want the emphasis to be on |  | | “There’s nothing more fun than a toga party.” |
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romance and mixing, invite only your single friends. To increase the diversity of your group, tell invitees to bring another single — but be sure it’s someone they’re not interested in dating. Strike a balance of genders/preferences to make the mixing more effective. Then you’re ready to plan the event.
“There’s nothing more fun than a toga party,” says Lu, who throws big parties every quarter. “And the key element to a truly debaucherous toga party is a small wading pool that serves as the Roman Springs and can only end in wild hijinks later in the evening.”
This is a good starter party because the cost is low — a kiddie pool and some refreshments - and you don't need props. “It only takes a sheet to make people feel like they have permission to step out of themselves and have a fun time,” Lu notes. “At my last toga party, I designed a fabulous two-piece toga; a bit racy for ancient Rome but perfect for the modern goddess.”
Want to get a little fancier? Patty Sachs, experienced party planner and author of Pick A Party: The Big Book of Themes and Occasions offers these suggestions:
Kite Flying Party
A high-flying outdoor event on a mild and breezy afternoon. Anyone can participate in the casual and relaxing sport. In case of unsuitable weather, prepare for taking the event indoors for a crafty session of kite making — for the next pleasant day. Have the event at a local park and you can probably lure other singles into the fun.
- Send an invitation written on kites made with tissue paper and popsicle sticks.
- Spread blankets on tables and the ground and serve a variety of casual dishes and beverages in brightly colored plastic dinnerware.
- Decorate vehicle antennas, bushes and trees with streamers and balloons.
- Present guests with souvenir photos of themselves at their high-flying best.
| | | Add a twist of fun to your luau or tiki party with a treasure hunt. | |
Great Gatsby Gala
An afternoon of croquet and casual conversation, with guests decked out in their summer whites while enjoying a leisurely lawn party.
- Send an invitation printed on beautiful white informal notepaper. Ask for RSVPs to get a head count.
- Provide nicely boxed lunches for two and have an old-fashioned auction or drawing like they did in Oklahoma! It’s a great way to get people mingling.
- Set up tables with umbrellas for shade. Use white linens, plates and serving dishes, and arrange white flowers for table decorations.
- Play lawn games such as croquet, horseshoes, bocce ball and lawn tennis. Draw names to form mixed twosomes.
- Present guests with condensed versions or booklets of F. Scott Fitzgerald stories.
Starry Summer’s Night
A summer night filled with stars and soft breezes is the perfect backdrop for a gathering that includes a dress-up code and semi-elegant dinner buffet. Singles may find a romantic connection as they take a twirl under the twinkling skies.
- Serve a light supper on a crystal and china-set table covered with crisp white linens, sprinkled with confetti stars and lit with the glimmer of votive candles.
- Create your starry setting with bushes, tree branches, patio posts and stairways strung with twinkle lights.
- Hire a fortune teller to give your guests the chance to see what is in the stars for them.
- Dance the night away to live music (a solo piano or small combo) or recorded favorites. Add a society touch and provide ladies with dance cards ready to be filled in by the gents.
Tropical Treasure Hunt
Add a twist of fun to your luau or tiki party with a treasure hunt through your yard, a park or indoors, if the weather insists. Find fun tropical-themed prizes to hide and write up your clues.
- Draw names to form teams. Run the game in stages with a new drawing at each stage to encourage mixing.
- Create a tropical atmosphere with faux palm trees, strings of pineapple and fruit-shaped lights, grass skirts for tables and a nonstop serenade of Hawaiian music on CD.
- Serve a wide variety of appetizers like a typical luau banquet. Exotic and fruit-festooned drinks complete your island fantasy party.
These tips will help you plan a fabulous party that will lead to lots of fun, if not romance!
Margot Carmichael Lester is a writer based in North Carolina and the author of How to Be a Better Writer.
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How would you feel about your date using a Groupon (or some other discount deal) to pay for your date? |
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13% |
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Mortified that the other person seems so cheap |
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34% |
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I really don’t care one way or the other |
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53% |
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Totally support it… after all, dating is expensive! |
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