Murder Mystery Style, Jane Austen Party
Party Like It's 1799
A regency murder mystery party is perhaps the best way to celebrate Halloween. This party will never be a true Regency Halloween party because even though Halloween was based on several accent European holidays it was not widely celebrated until America adopted the tradition in the 1800s. However just because it may not be authentic, doesn't mean you can't do everything in your power to make it feel that way.
You can throw a party that Jane Austen herself would be proud of.
How to invite your guest is a lot easier than you think. In the regency times parties were by word of mouth or by handwritten notes or letters, however since you want your guest to feel like it is a grand occasion worthy of dressing up for. You can find regency style invitations at www.zazzle.com/loudesigns.
You can make them yourself, use aged parchment style paper and a print font in a pretty classic style. Fold the paper over and seal it with sealing wax. After you have stamped the wax with a stamper, write the name of the invitee on the back and have these hand delivered by people in period costumes.
How do you cook for a regency style food on a budget. No one wants to spend 300 dollars on a half eaten cake. Roasted duck, goose or even turkey can be used as a main course. Cornish game hen can be used as a fabulous man dish. It is great for the hostess on a budget, lets say you have ten guests including yourself. These small hens are about two dollars at ALDI stores, one per-person is actually too much, cut in half after they are cooked is actually better. Candied carrots, celery stocks and french rolls served with creamed butter.
Fruit tarts and teacakes for dessert. Fruit tarts can be bought at most huge chain stores or you could even make them using Wonton paper, which is lighter and crispier. Teacakes are like round cupcakes with wedding cake frosting.
Decorate with lit or flickering battery operated candles, you want a sense of romance to fill the air. Use flowers dried or fresh, classic furnishings like trunks and wood items to decorate your house, and remove the overly modern things that would distract form your event. Think like the TV and hide the phone and computer.
Let there be music if you cannot hire the string section of the local school band or hire the local piano teacher to play classical music you can buy CDs or download music to your ipod or other mp3 players.
The mystery part of the party is the most creative. Assign your quests and yourself their names and or titles for the mystery game. This can be people from regency history, your favorite songstress or characters from books. Say you get to be Jane Austen because it is your event, well you could assign your friends the names of people from her novels. Catherine Morland, Emma Woodhouse and so forth and if you have a rather large party you could use names from Jane’s youthful short stories and unfinished works as well.
Posts
Party Like It's 1799
A regency murder mystery party is perhaps the best way to celebrate Halloween. This party will never be a true Regency Halloween party because even though Halloween was based on several accent European holidays it was not widely celebrated until America adopted the tradition in the 1800s. However just because it may not be authentic, doesn't mean you can't do everything in your power to make it feel that way.
You can throw a party that Jane Austen herself would be proud of.
You can make them yourself, use aged parchment style paper and a print font in a pretty classic style. Fold the paper over and seal it with sealing wax. After you have stamped the wax with a stamper, write the name of the invitee on the back and have these hand delivered by people in period costumes.
How do you cook for a regency style food on a budget. No one wants to spend 300 dollars on a half eaten cake. Roasted duck, goose or even turkey can be used as a main course. Cornish game hen can be used as a fabulous man dish. It is great for the hostess on a budget, lets say you have ten guests including yourself. These small hens are about two dollars at ALDI stores, one per-person is actually too much, cut in half after they are cooked is actually better. Candied carrots, celery stocks and french rolls served with creamed butter.
Fruit tarts and teacakes for dessert. Fruit tarts can be bought at most huge chain stores or you could even make them using Wonton paper, which is lighter and crispier. Teacakes are like round cupcakes with wedding cake frosting.
Decorate with lit or flickering battery operated candles, you want a sense of romance to fill the air. Use flowers dried or fresh, classic furnishings like trunks and wood items to decorate your house, and remove the overly modern things that would distract form your event. Think like the TV and hide the phone and computer.
Let there be music if you cannot hire the string section of the local school band or hire the local piano teacher to play classical music you can buy CDs or download music to your ipod or other mp3 players.
The mystery part of the party is the most creative. Assign your quests and yourself their names and or titles for the mystery game. This can be people from regency history, your favorite songstress or characters from books. Say you get to be Jane Austen because it is your event, well you could assign your friends the names of people from her novels. Catherine Morland, Emma Woodhouse and so forth and if you have a rather large party you could use names from Jane’s youthful short stories and unfinished works as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment