I had heard of Favorite Things parties several years ago and always thought it sounded like a FUN and unique way of getting people together. I’ve since learned there are many variations of how you can throw this bash, and really it’s completely up to you and how you like to roll for your gatherings. I’ll walk you through how I chose to plan the festivities along with other options. That’s the best part…it’s your party…you get to decide!
Theme:
So obviously the “theme” is Favorite Things, but I still wanted to make it my own. I’ve often seen this party thrown during the holidays which could be a perfect fit. But I happen to have my own Christmas Party Tradition, (Check out my Hallmark Christmas Movie Night Party HERE), so that time of year was out for me.
I decided since it was my first Favorite Things Party, I’d throw it in May and keep pretty true to the Favorite Things theme and let it lead my decor. I found inspiration looking at Pinterest and google images which helped me solidify going with the sheet music from The Sound of Music to sprinkle throughout the decor. (I mean, who doesn’t love Maria?)
Invites:
Call me old-fashioned, but nothing says special like receiving a card or invitation in your mailbox. Especially in the days of texting, emails and evites…someone taking the time to put their pen to paper, put a stamp on it and send it on its way…I mean, that’s like a huge hug coming via USPS. Having said that..I have used a text, an email and an evite to gather the troops depending on what I’m planning. All these options serve a purpose and it’s a viable and economical way to go. I just wanted this party to be extra special, I had the time and energy, so paper invites were my choice.
These are my invites:
To see how I made my invitations, click here.
There are so many variations of a Favorite Things Party, but I decided on these “rules”, so to speak, to keep it light and fun:
- Bring 3 of the SAME favorite items ($10-$15 each) wrapped to exchange.
- Upon arriving, each guest dropped their 3 wrapped gifts on the dining room table
- Each guest wrote their name on 3 slips of white paper & placed them in a bowl
- Each guest also wrote their name on 1 slip of yellow paper & placed in the raffle box
- I also asked each guest to bring their favorite beverage, appetizer or dessert to share
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Decor:
I used black, white and pops of red for my color choices. Solid black and white linen tablecloths as well as black & white checked table runners were used on the tables. I used black, white and a few red paper lanterns to hang inside the pergola outside to continue the theme.
For my signage: Check-in and food & beverage tables were all made with the Favorite Things music sheets to keep continuity throughout. For some extra flair, I used more of the printed sheet music and black cardstock to make pennant banners to hang at the different stations. I also used the sheet music to cover the raffle box for an added touch. Even my cocktail napkins had music notes on them.
Flower choices were based on what Trader Joe’s had available. I used blush white roses, white hydrangeas, red roses, hypericum berries and fillers like eucalyptus.
[For a quick tutorial on my Easy Peezy way to turn market flowers (like Trader Joe’s) into beautiful arrangements, Click HERE!]
Votive candles were placed throughout. I buy them in bulk as I love the ambiance of candlelight and use them generously. Come on ladies, we all look better in candlelight. 😉
[HOT TIP: To remove candles from votives, place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes and they’ll pop right out. ]
Food & Beverage:
While I had asked people to bring their favorite beverage, appetizer or dessert, I of course had my own things on the menu.
Appetizers:
Individual Charcuterie Cups – using cocktail skewers to match & Shrimp Cocktail in Shot Glasses
Desserts:
Salted Caramel Brownies & Individual Cheesecakes in plastic dessert cups w/spoons
My first Favorite Things Party took place when we first started to gather after COVID and individual servings for parties were really the only way to go. I have to say, I still love to serve them. Guests don’t want to have to do a balancing act with their plates and drinks. And they make a great presentation. They’re darling!
Beverages:
Champagne, Wine (Red, White & *Raindrops on Rose), Margaritas, Brewski , Iced Tea, Sparkling Lemonade, Sodas & Water
*Gotta bring the FUN with the play on names. Honestly, it’s those little touches that help make it special. A framed printed list of libations added an extra touch.
After everyone had a chance to mix and mingle…we gathered and let the gifting begin. I began by sharing what I had purchased and why it was my favorite. [I’d purchased Maybelline’s 24hr. Super Stay Lipstick and Sally Hansen’s Double Duty Base & Top Coat] I then drew 3 names out of the bowl and those three people were the recipients of my gifts. The first name I drew was the person who would go next to share her favorite thing, and so on. If you drew your own name or duplicate names, you would pick again.
My Three Prizes Were:
- Voluspa Candle – Who doesn’t love a good candle?
- Travel-themed “Care Package”:
- Luggage tag
- Pop up Laundry Basket – I throw one in every suitcase
- Microfiber Towel – cleans sunglasses like there’s no tomorrow
- Hot Iron Case – throw that hot flat iron in there & off you go
- Movie-themed “Care Package”:
- Popcorn holder – perfect to use as the “gift bag” to jeuge
- AMC gift card – I dig the whole movie-going experience
- Milk Duds – best movie candy ever
I also provided everyone with handle bags with “Favorite Things” tags to carry home their “loot”. I definitely errored with the size of the bags (Too small at 10”x5”x13” – Amazon). I should have gone bigger, but you live and learn. (I’d recommend 16”x6”x12” so your guests can have adequate room for all their goodies.)
Favors:
Last but not least, guests were given gift boxes of homemade cookies that were…yes, ‘brown paper boxes tied up with string’. For entertaining, giving a little something for guests to remember the evening is a nice touch. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just thoughtful. Use your imagination and the options are limitless.
This party was a HUGE hit and it’s become an annual event. Again, there are many options on how to throw a Favorite Things Party. Here are some variations to consider:
- . Price point of gifts: I’ve seen them range from 5 gifts at $5 each to 3 gifts at $30+ each.
My thought was it is really hard to buy something you will actually want to keep for $5. Yes, I’m certain it can be done…but hard to get creative on such a limited budget. On the other end, I wanted to keep it somewhat affordable. Did some people go over budget? Of course. But no one felt like they had to and it kept it fun and manageable which was the whole point of the evening.
Some of our “Favorite Things”:
- Unwrap gifts for “shopping”: All the favorite things are displayed for all to see. Instead of a gift being given to you, your turn would be looking at what is available and picking items you want. The upside of this is that you get a clear look at what everyone brought and it could be fun when it gets dicey on what gets selected. But I hated the thought of someone bringing items that were less desirable and they ended up feeling bad about it. This was the opposite of the feel I wanted for my party, but with the right group it could be a blast.
To check out 35 Fabulous Gift Ideas on what to bring to a Favorite Things Party to exchange, click here!
The bottom line is you know your peeps and what scheme would be the best fit. No matter what “rules” you decide on, you’re going to have a great time. And hey, who says you can’t mix it up and do it differently each year? That way you can find out which way is your favorite. (See what I did there?)
As a final touch, about a week or so after the party, I put together a list of all the gifts people brought. It listed the names, brands and who brought it so if they were interested but didn’t receive the gift, they could try it on their own or ask questions about the product. In addition, the email included a link to a Shutterfly book made from pictures taken that night. (Btw, I take zero credit for the Shutterfly book as a dear friend collected all the pix taken that night and put it together. So sweet!! Thank you, Lisa!)
I hope this has inspired you to do your own version of a Favorite Things Party. If so, would love to hear all about it—how you changed it up to make it unique for you?! The most important thing is to have FUN with it. Because…life’s too short not to have FUN! To join in MY Fun-Size FUN and receive exclusive access to my Resource Library… Subscribe below . You’ll get my latest and greatest scoop right to your email so you won’t miss a thing! And…Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest @FunwithFun_Size and newly on Tik Tok at FunwithFunSize, too!
