The latest fashion trend in private parties, whether with friends or family, is the neon party! Here, guests are encouraged to wear fluorescent clothing and accessories that glow in the dark to create an eerie, multicolored vibe. Some preparations are needed if you want to kick off a neon party.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: stock up on accessories
Step 1. Obtain black light
It's the first thing you think of when it comes to organizing a neon party! Black lights bring more intense luminosity to very colorful and fluorescent objects and clothing, which turns your dance floor into a wisp of bright colors. Black lights aren't a must have for a perfect neon party, you can be happy with accessories that glow in the dark, but they add a new dimension to your festivities. You might therefore consider buying or borrowing it from someone else.
Note that there are specialized online sites that offer both black lights and light accessories meant to glow in the dark. The cheapest black lights will cost you less than ten euros
Step 2. Obtain some light cords
It is another essential accessory for a good fluorescent evening. They can come in the form of flexible plastic tubes or slip-on bracelets that produce a mild chemical reaction when stirred and provide hours of light. Try wearing the classic luminous cords around the neck as a necklace or wear them around the wrists as bracelets.
These light cords are quite inexpensive. A pack of 25 that glow for twelve hours will cost you less than ten dollars
Step 3. Obtain fluorescent pens and paper
Try to create your own decoration from very colorful papers and pens, to give your party an extra magical touch. Wrapping paper intended to fluoresce will only glow in black light, while most regular fluorescent markers and highlighters will do as well.
Neon paper and pens are inexpensive and will only cost you a few dollars per package. You could take a small object to the store that emits a black light to make sure your decoration is bright in the dark
Step 4. Obtain black bulbs
The more classic lights with black bulbs are another great ingredient for your neon party. These are standard or energy saving bulbs. These have become quite economical nowadays and you can program them to light in different colors by adjusting the desired color at the base of the bulb, making them a great choice for your party, as you can also use them for your usual lighting. However, this evening is also an opportunity to bring out of your boxes those old Christmas light decorations that are sleeping in the garage. So you don't have to buy fancy lighting if you have other light decorations on hand.
Fairy lights are not very expensive, it will all depend on their length. A Christmas light garland with a hundred small lights can cost around ten euros, while it will take double for a larger garland with three hundred bulbs
Step 5. Get colorful, inexpensive accessories
Colorful plastic accessories like sunglasses, bracelets, rings and more will be great contributions to your party if you can find them for nothing. Here it is a must that the accessories are cheaply priced, you are not going to blow up your bank account for supplies that can break, get lost or be trampled in the dark. Expect to buy the cheapest accessories possible, if you choose this solution.
For example, you will find sunglasses with fluorescent frames in lots of twelve for less than five euros, which is more than enough
Step 6. Obtain body paint
You might consider painting your body with neon paint, and invite your guests to do the same, if you want a night out. You will find fluorescent body paint in most specialty party stores, but also in DIY stores in the creative hobbies department or online. It can be trickier to find than more classic accessories for a neon party, but the result is often amazing when the paint is applied correctly.
Although quite difficult to find, neon body paint is not too expensive. A box of various colors often costs less than twenty euros
Step 7. Find a good musical atmosphere
Evenings and music go hand in hand and are inseparable. You could choose electronic music or techno if you want to recreate a techno party vibe. But it's possible to kick off a great neon party with just about any musical trend, as long as it moves well and is played at a reasonably high volume.
Try to choose your music selection in advance. It can be fun to choose your music tracks with your friends, you program them in shuffle mode, you turn on your player and don't need to worry about them anymore
Step 8. Don't forget about food and drinks
Any night that respects itself must offer something to eat and drink. Guests who are busy dancing, talking and having a good time will be hungry and thirsty. It is therefore advisable to have food and drink on hand. Foods that are eaten with your fingers are preferable to neon parties, as you'll have a hard time juggling plates and cutlery in the dark.
- You will usually find ready-made appetizers for parties in containers. You will find diced cheese, meat, mini quiches and aperitif biscuits, all of which are quite expensive and not necessarily very good. But your guests will also enjoy home-cooked food, it's up to you.
- Offer plastic cups for your drinks, rather than glasses or pretty cups. You can throw these tumblers away after use and don't need to worry about broken glass if guests run wild on the dance floor.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare for the evening
Step 1. Send invitations in advance
You should let your guests know well in advance if you want to kick off a neon party. The sooner you do this, the fewer problems you will have with scheduling. It is therefore a good idea to send out your invitations well in advance. If your party only has a few intimate friends, you can send your invitation by mail, but if you are having a big party, you can announce it by email or through a social network, which is the easiest and most quick to invite everyone.
You could ask your guests to RSVP to your party. This gives you an idea of how many people and how much food and drink to buy
Step 2. Recruit volunteer friends to lend a hand
You should start your preparations a week in advance or the night before your party, depending on the importance of your decorating projects. Regardless of how important your evening is, it would be helpful to have a friend or two to help you with your preparations. Having someone help you saves you time and can give you many different perspectives on decorating places. A friend might have, for example, an original idea for the installation of your light bulbs, such as hanging them from the ceiling to give the impression of a lighted tent above your head.
Step 3. Immerse the room for your party in the dark
It is important that the place intended for your party is in the greatest possible darkness in order to highlight your light decoration. In other words, your room should be as dark as a moonless night. You will not have much to do if it is a cellar or an attic. But you should still cover the windows to prevent any form of light from entering the room.
Black plastic garbage bags can be a great way to hide your windows
Step 4. Mount your light decoration
How you arrange your light decorations is up to you, but you should generally place your black lights in darkened areas of your room, so that your guests are well-lit in those areas. You could also decorate the exterior of your apartment with lights to welcome your guests, as well as in other parts of your interior.
Step 5. Tell your neighbors and get permission to throw a big party
An evening in the company of a few friends will probably not cause you any problems with the neighbors, as long as the volume of the music remains bearable and your guests behave correctly. But you risk seeing the police arrive if you throw a huge party and your neighbors don't agree. To avoid this, be sure to discuss this with your neighbors in advance. Let them know when and what time you plan to kick off your party, give them your phone number so they can reach you if it gets too loud, and give them a chance to voice any objections.
You should also inquire about the noise at night and you could request an exceptional exemption from the officials of your municipality, since the legislation on this subject may change from one region to another. These exceptions are generally authorized for very specific events with a limited number of guests
Part 3 of 3: kick off the party
Step 1. Prepare food and refreshments before your guests arrive
Make sure you have enough to eat and drink before your guests arrive. This will give you something to offer your guests when they arrive. It also means that you won't have to rush through any final food and drink preparations, giving you time to greet people, chat with them, and be a top host!
Step 2. Encourage your guests to neon games in the dark
When your guests have arrived, they have no trouble chatting with each other, and you won't have much to do to keep everyone having a good time. However, you should offer neon games in the dark if the guests are unsure of what to do and the evening seems to be dragging on a bit. You can offer classic hide and seek games and puzzles, which can take on fantastic proportions in the dark. You could also try the popular game of musical chairs. In the dark, it's extremely funny! It's for you to see.
Step 3. Maintain a good musical atmosphere
You can get your music program going after all the guests are there and busy chatting with each other. The volume of the music will depend on the type of party you are having. If, for example, your neon party is more of a casual get-together of friends, you should keep a not-too-intrusive background music closer to background music. Otherwise, turn up the volume if you want your guests to take over the dance floor!
You should keep your music selection in shuffle mode, unless you obviously have a friend to handle the PA. It can become quite uncomfortable for your guests, especially if they are dancing, if you are forced to turn on music after each song ends
Step 4. Allow your guests to get some fresh air if they need it
You should make sure your guests know where to go if they want to get some fresh air, especially if your night is very lively with lots of dancing. Allow your guests to go to a terrace, courtyard or veranda to cool off as needed, because a room crowded with sweaty dancers is the last place you want to be after an hour of exhibition on the dancefloor.
Step 5. Encourage your guests to drink plenty of water
Big evenings with a lot of dancing require good hydration. Make sure your guests are provided with enough water in addition to any other drinks you offer. Dehydration can overheat your guests and cause them to pass out, which can put them at risk on very eventful evenings, not to mention the darkened mood of your evening.
Access to water is especially very important for participants who have taken illicit substances such as ecstasy or any other drug often required during the evenings. In addition to the health dangers associated with taking these types of substances, which are well known, they can quickly be fatal due to dehydration and exhaustion. It is therefore important to provide plenty of water and resting beaches if you have guests who consume these substances. Even articles written by over-the-counter drug fans recommend it
Step 6. Recognize the signs of burnout
As mentioned above, injuries or deaths from exhaustion are no laughing matter. If you are throwing a party with a lot of dancing, you should recognize the signs of extreme exhaustion, or even signs of drug use, so that you can provide your guests with the best possible health and safety. Take a guest who appears to be in extreme exhaustion and let them rest in a cool, calm place, give them water to drink, and call an ambulance if their condition does not improve. It is better to be safe than to risk the death of your guest. Knowing the following symptoms can help save a life:
- a state of confusion;
- dizziness or vertigo;
- great general weakness;
- fainting
- headaches;
- Cramps;
- very pale complexion;
- nausea.
Advice
- Use a black light to encourage your guests to wear at least one white or brightly colored garment.
- Have some relaxed music that you can dance to the night away.
- Have each guest wear at least three to four fluorescent accessories for optimal brightness.
- If you have a swimming pool, you can throw light cords into it and observe their magical luminosity in the water.
Warnings
- Take care when hosting games in the dark, so as not to hurt anyone.
- Don't leave teenagers unattended at a party. It might sound silly, but a night out can escalate in a matter of minutes. An adult should always be present in case there is a problem.
