’80s Party Ideas

An '80s party table

Today is Mirror80’s first birthday! Thanks for making our first year in the blogosphere a totally awesome one! We celebrated last week with an ’80s-themed party, and we’re sharing our ’80s-tastic ideas with you for today’s post. Here are three party themes that will suit the ’80s mood you’d like to evoke:

'80s party favors

Neon Blitz

We call our first theme “neon blitz,” and the image at the top of the page captures its essence. The neon blitz theme works well for large parties in need of festive munchies and a few vibrant pops of color.

Let’s start with setting the tone for the event! If you choose to offer party favors, they can serve as a centerpiece for the snack table. Retailers like Target offer packs of ’80s coil bracelets in neon colors, and party supply stores often feature colorful toys, like small Rubik’s cubes (shown at the top of the post and to the right). Arranging the favors on a cake stand or platter with some sparkly metallic shred finishes the look.

Remember how early ’80s videos were often shot in front of a stark white background? That’s why a white tablecloth is the perfect backdrop for these neon goodies!

A re-issue of '80s taco flavor Doritos

Don’t forget the edibles! The colorful drinks shown at the top of the post are actually a non-alcoholic mixture of fruit juice and blood orange soda. A martini glass, lime wedge, and a hot pink stirrer add festivity to any concoction. So does a touch of vodka if you need the drinks to pack a punch.

For the munchies, you can go inexpensive with ’80s-popular snacks, such as chips, cookies, and candy. We were lucky to find these re-issued taco-flavored Doritos in ’80s-fabulous packaging. Remember when Doritos bags looked like this?! Be on the lookout for similar re-issues. You never know when a snack or breakfast cereal may take a nostalgic turn.

Yuppie Dinner Party

If you long to plan a smaller ’80s-style gathering where fine dining takes center stage, the yuppie dinner party theme is for you. The ’80s boasted a slew of foodie trends for the upwardly-mobile professional (aka yuppie) who indulged in eating out as an expensive yet rewarding hobby. Pesto, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomato were a few of the many ’80s culinary obsessions.

Our inspiration for the dinner below is Diane Keaton’s meal of choice in the 1987 film Baby Boom. She and her high-powered boss (played by Sam Wanamaker) indulge in the ” Montana lamb with the rocket leaf and goat cheese salad and the lime-grilled free-range chicken with the pumpkin pasta and dandelion greens.” We indulged in tequila-lime salmon with roasted corn, pasta with tomato and haricot vert, and mixed greens with goat cheese, sun-dried tomato, and pumpkin seeds. Add some raspberry vinaigrette for a true touch of ’80s.

Fine dining in the '80s courtesy of Baby Boom (top); '80s-themed dinner party cuisine (bottom)

But the secret of our success wasn’t the food–it was the dishware! Believe it or not, your local Goodwill is an amazing source for ’80s tabletop treasures.

High Spirits dinnerware by Mikasa

The Memphis Group-inspired dishware (shown to the right) was purchased for a few dollars. The pattern is called High Spirits, and the bold colors and shapes are courtesy of Mikasa. No need to buy a whole set if the use of this dinnerware is party-specific. The serving platter and bowl were the focal point of our celebration–guests received salmon on individual plates, then helped themselves to pasta and salad.

For this party theme, a modern angular vase filled with bright flowers will nicely unify the spread.

’80s Deco Dessert

For our last theme, we celebrate the sweeping curves and decadent design of ’80s Deco. If a dessert party is your cup of tea, revel in the decorated plates that topped many an ’80s table when sweets were on the menu. Chefs from the era of “more is more” remember the ’80s as a time of embellishment. Dessert dishes were garnished with rich sauces and laced with powdered sugar. White chocolate was in abundance, as was raspberry sauce.

'80s Deco dessert

Don’t forget to decorate your table–a dessert shindig is still a party! We chose to serve our lemon icebox pie (courtesy of Central Market) on ’80s Deco dishware, Corelle to be exact. Once again, Goodwill was the source of our finds. The stack of plates was $2.50.

Since you’ll be combing the aisles for porcelain and ceramics, pick up a vase with sweeping curves while you’re at it. Fill with iris or lilies (both are ’80s-fabulous flowers), and you’re set for a sweet treat of an evening. If you’re a fan of Art Deco design, your collectibles will mix well with this motif. Where do you think ’80s Deco got its inspiration?

Thanks for helping us celebrate Mirror80’s first birthday by basking in the glory that is the ’80s-themed party.