Sin City Party Plans

You don’t have to travel to Vegas to experience the decadence and revelry that is Sin City. Planning a party for your friends right at home can be every bit as entertaining if you know how to do it right!

This party will only be a no-holds-barred party if you invite the right people. This is definitely not a party for the feint of heart or those that do not typically know how to cut loose and leave their inhibitions at the door. This is definitely not a party for your mom and dad!

Once you’ve decided upon which of your lucky friends will receive an invitation, it’s time to get started on creating them. The invitations are your party’s calling card. Make sure they reflect the nature of the party and the ambience that you’re trying to create. Invitations featuring glittery gold print embossed on black matte creates a classic look. Now dress this up with some sequins, feathers and glitter and you’ve got yourself a trendy yet playful design. Be sure that in addition to the basic details of your evening (i.e. theme, location, date, and time) you include information about the activities. This way, if you’ve misjudged anyone’s racy inclinations, they can always politely decline, and you’ll be left with a houseful of fun-loving friends. You might even consider having a dress code for your party. People who party in Vegas know that most guests get dressed to the nines to visit the casinos. Party dresses in gold or black, cut low with sequins are not uncommon. Men in casual chic attire abound. If you want to create that upscale ambience, make your dress code known in advance.

You’ll have to decide on what activities to include, and map out how your house will best accommodate your plans. Las Vegas is known for a few things: gambling; strippers; dazzling shows and drinking. How many of these will your party feature and where? My ideal Sin City Party includes every element to create diversity and add to the overall decadence. If your party is being held during nice weather, you can use both indoor and outdoor space. If using outdoor space, I would recommend renting a party tent for additional privacy. It may be that you don’t want your elderly neighbors getting an eyeful!

Not to put a damper on things, but every Sin City Party should include plans for assuring that guests who have been drinking remain safe. Here are a few ways that you can help ensure the safety of all:

Maybe you have invited guests that don’t drink. If they are willing, they’d make great designated drivers.

If you have guests that should not be driving and there are no designated drivers available, call for cabs. Your guests will thank you.

You can always let guests crash at your place. Be sure you have clean sheets on all the beds and that there are sleeping bags, cots or inflatable mattresses, pillows and blankets available for those that stay. You can always prepare a fun themed breakfast in the morning featuring Silver Dollar Pancakes; Brandied Fruit Melange and “Bring Home the Bacon!”

Now let’s talk about the really fun stuff!

Here are some ideas for creating the ideal party layout that will accommodate each activity.

The kitchen’s primary purpose is for preparation and serving of food. During your party, it should be no different. Prepare your food in advance or, if using a caterer, have them set up in the kitchen or dining room. I would recommend hiring a bartender, unless each guest will be making their own cocktails. Either way, if your space can accommodate it, I would set up the bar in the kitchen or dining room as well. If your guests will be mixing their own cocktails, be sure to leave out a few cocktail recipe books for them and have plenty of liquor on hand. One advantage to hiring the bartender is that they can bring the liquors along so you don't have to have an over-abundance on hand. Another advantage is that you can advertise that you're featuring a cash bar, which significantly reduces the price for you, as guests will be buying their own liquor.

Serving finger foods allows guests to easily carry them around as they visit the various “fun” zones at your party. Ideas include fondue; crab and lobster stuffed mushroom caps; bacon-wrapped scallops; shrimp cocktails; mini-cheesecakes; fruit, vegetable and cheese platters; cocktail wieners in BBQ sauce; etc.

Cover your dining table with a black or red tablecloth and use napkins and utensils in contrasting colors such as gold or red. Have a floral arrangement or candles on the table to create a warm accent and be sure to keep the lighting low.

Even though guests will likely spend more time in other areas, be sure that you have music playing in the dining area to add to the overall festivity of the evening. An ideal play list includes retro tunes such as Rat Pack music from Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. Also include music by Harry Connick Jr.; Ella Fitzgerald; Louis Armstong; Michael Buble; Tony Bennett; Madeleine Peyroux; George Benson and Nina Simone.

You can transform your living room into a party area for the girls. There are plenty of sex-toy party companies that do home shows much like Tupperware and Mary Kay. But this isn’t your mother’s home products show! Companies such as Passion Party and Pure Romance Parties provide fun, hilarious and yet informative product demonstrations and offer a chance for partiers to buy products. Women love these. I’ve been to several and had a great time every time! Women can add to the playful atmosphere by wearing boas, sipping champagne and kicking off their shoes.

Be sure that the lighting is adequate to see the products and the group leader, but low enough to maintain that illicit ambience.

If a Chippendale’s show is more your speed, look into hiring a few male strippers to entertain the ladies. As hostess, be sure that you and your guests know in advance what is allowed in terms of tipping, touching and otherwise engaging with your dancers. If it is dancers that you’re going with, assure that your sound system is ready to go. The dancers will likely have their own music, but in case not, be sure to have plenty of dance music on hand.

While the girls are having their fun, be sure that the guys have theirs! Strippers are a Vegas tradition. What guy wouldn’t love to relive his bachelor party with a roomful of friends and a few beautiful women putting on a show? Don’t worry ladies, it’s just for fun! He’s still coming home with you. Decorate the den with red lighting and comfortable seating arranged so that the ladies can easily take “center stage.” Be sure the guys have a place to set their cocktails and that, like the ladies, they know the rules in advance. Be sure that you have your sound system set up and ready to go. Your strippers will likely bring their own music, but in case they don’t be sure that you have some provocative dance music on hand.

No Vegas party is complete without gambling. If you can afford it, hiring casino hands and renting gaming tables adds an authentic flare to the party. Many of us don’t know the rules of gambling, but the dealers you hire will. They can explain each game to your guests and often add a fun, humorous element to the party. They also free you up to engage in the fun instead of having to “work” the party.

To add to the ambience, string white lights around the perimeter of your tent and assure that there is adequate lighting for each gaming table without making it too bright. I would suggest red lighting to add to the naughtiness of the atmosphere. Some of the tables, such as blackjack, will also need seating for about 4 guests.

Set up a “prize” bar in the rear of the tent so that winners can cash in their chips for something wild. Great prize ideas include various types of liquor, beer or wine; edible panties; sex toys; lingerie; decks of cards with racy logos; sucker or cake molds or ice cube trays featuring parts of the female and male anatomy, etc. Be sure to attach a value to each item so that winners who are cashing in, get something that is equal to the number of chips they have to trade. For example, high-end liquors are worth more chips than pocket vibrators or decks of cards. Having a variety of prize levels helps to assure that even guests who haven’t won much might still be able to win a prize.

Be sure that you have plenty of good music playing in the tent as well. This would include retro music reminiscent of old Las Vegas like that which I suggested for your dining area. The difference is that in the tent, the music will be a little louder, attracting guests and inviting them to party.

If you decide against gambling, you might use the tent area for dancing. Set up your sound system and have plenty of dance music ready to go. Assure that the lighting is low and may include strobes and colored lanterns. If your playlist is ready to go and includes enough music to last for the duration of your party, you can simply turn it on and not have to worry about running out of tunes.

Be sure that no room in your house is left out. This includes the bathroom. Hang greenery adorned with white lights around your bathroom mirror. Light candles. Leave scented lotions and oils on the counter for your guests and assure that there are plenty of clean hand towels and extra rolls of toilet paper readily available. You can add a fun touch by leaving a basket of condoms in various sizes on the counter.

I’m not a smoker, but in Vegas, the smoke can just about choke you! If you have smokers that are coming to your party (remember that a lot of people only smoke when they are drinking) be sure that there is a separate smoking area for them. I would recommend that this be outside. You can set up card tables or small round tables with red tablecloths and ashtrays. Be sure that the area is attractive by adding candles to each table. You might also leave books of matches available. A nice touch can be added by ordering custom made matchbooks with your own logo, i.e. Sin Party 2010!

You can add a nice flare to the party by having small television screens playing videos of Cirque du Soleil shows, burlesque shows or racy music videos in the smoking area. Because you'll have separate music playing, the videos would be shown without sound, much like in a sports bar or lounge.

Whatever activities you decide to feature, this is sure to be a party that your guests won’t soon forget.