My husband and I love throwing parties. We will find any excuse to throw one- holidays, random last minute get-togethers, because I have been spending too much time on Pinterest…you name it. Our last big bash was an outdoor movie night, featuring and inspired by two of my favorite movies growing up: Splash with Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks and Overboard with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. I searched for two movies with a common theme so, of course, I could design a menu and signature cocktail around them!
I purchased the Pocket Projector Pro from Brookstone as my summer gift to myself. It retails for $449, and don’t bother getting the screen- just use a white bed sheet tacked to a wall! The projector is about a 5″ square, only 1″ thick. It can project a clear image up to 100″ diagonal and the LED lamp lasts 20,000 hours (compare to my previous projector whose bulb lasted a few hundred hours and cost $400 to replace). You can connect it to your computer, phone, anything with an HDMI cable (grab the convertor for Apple products).
I designed the invites to resemble vintage movie tickets:
As for the food, you know I couldn’t just pick up a veggie tray from the store and call it a day. Here are photos of the hors d’ouevres; everything is either homemade or home-assembled (my favorite way to do it):
And desserts, because my sweet tooth is unrivaled:
How about a signature cocktail? My friend Wendy came into town recently and introduced me to Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka, or heaven in a bottle. I concocted this drink especially for our party, it is dangerously delicious. I also made life saver ice cubes in white, green and blue using a silicone mold.
Decor was pretty simple- white tablecloths, fishing nets, and lanterns in blue, green and white. For the lanterns, I crushed graham crackers to resemble sand and placed battery-operated votives in. Our deck resembled a ship and the movie played on in the yard. I assembled a semi-circle of chairs and side tables in the lawn around the screen so people could migrate during the party. I added crates of movie theater candy spread around the party so people could nibble on their favorites, and our full size popcorn machine provided the mandatory salty snacks with customizable toppings.
And my outfit? It was totally inspired by Goldie Hawn in Splash- sequins galore! I paired a rose gold sequin skirt from The Limited with a simple black v-neck t-shirt from Old Navy and thew on black Reef flip flops in addition to a double rose gold chain with beachy-chic hair. I love the fact that I can dress this skirt up or down- a silk top makes it cocktail party worthy while a t-shirt could bring it into daytime wear.
Everyone had a great time, partially due to the industrial strength signature cocktail, partly due to the fact that my friends always have a good time wherever we are 😉 If you want recipes, how-to instructions, or DIY info for a similar outdoor movie party, just e-mail me or leave a message below! I am always happy to share!
OMG you are seriously amazing! Can I hire you as a party planner in case I ever decide to throw a party? Also, you will not be surprised to learn that Overboard is also one of my favorite movies!
I must say when it comes to plan a party, you are just wonderful and I loved your suggestions. The way you represented everything it is looking professional and food is really delicious. I will surely try your party planning tips for my party that I am planning at Los Angeles event venues.