10 Tips For How to Plan a Las Vegas Themed Party
- Details
- blog
- Updated: 13th October 2023
More than 41 million people visit the city of Las Vegas, Nevada each year, but you won't hear many of them talking about it! A common adage on the Vegas strip is "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" The locals call the illuminated oasis in the desert "Sin City" for a reason, and it has nothing to do with the number of churches per capita!
A Vegas themed party has the potential to be a wild and rollicking night full of food, performances, and gameplay! Guests can dress to impress in Vegas themed party outfits as they drink and gamble like genuine high rollers. You can pack the evening with so much entertainment that time will lose all meaning and fun will take centre stage!
Packing an entire city's worth of magic into a single evening is a fairly large task. So how do you begin to plan your sinful, star-studded Vegas party?
We've created this guide to help inspire a night so memorable that your guests will blush to talk about it! We've gathered ten tantalising tips to ensure that the festivities go off without a hitch! Keep reading to learn how to bring the Vegas Strip to you.
Give 'Em a Show
The Smith Center for the Arts, located in downtown Las Vegas, is ranked tenth for the most ticket sales on earth! Millions of people each year come to Vegas for wild concerts and performances featuring big stars, pyrotechnics, and high production values. The best way to set the stage for your Vegas theme party is to announce a high-profile musical guest!
Don't think you need to give Beyonce a call to make the evening magical. You can hire a cover band or impersonator and have an equally great time! Choose a band that evokes a sense of nostalgia and give your guests an authentic vegas concert experience.
You might want to consider that Vegas flair when choosing a venue or other vendors for the event.
Elevate your live performance with the addition of professional stage lighting. Bringing in a single, talented lighting technician adds an extra level of over-the-top ambience. After all, Las Vegas is the brightest spot on earth!
Make Some Magic
When people think Vegas, they think magic! For years, Las Vegas was home to Siegfried and Roy and their famous Siberian tigers. To this day, visitors flock to magic shows on the Vegas strip, hoping to experience something mindblowing.
You can add a touch of that mystery to your celebration by hiring a magician to put on a show for your guests - no tigers necessary! Magicians are performers first and foremost, and they understand how to use human psychology to create brilliant illusions. They'll perform tricks like Houdini's Metamorphosis or Thurston's Levitation illusion.
Consider Casino Games
Nearly half of the revenue in the city of Las Vegas comes from casinos. Guests from all over the world feel called to the lights of the slot machines and the lure of the tables. Every good Las Vegas theme party includes an interval during which guests can mingle, gamble, and win prizes!
You can bring in professional dealers to handle this part, or enlist some friends with strong poker faces. You can either rent gaming tables or set up a few folding tables with green table cloths. Renting a roulette wheel is a great way to give your party the look and sound of a genuine Vegas casino.
Some of the most popular casino games for Vegas themed parties include:
- Poker
- Blackjack
- Roll the Dice
- Texas Hold Em
- War
- Keno
- High Stakes Go Fish
- Roulette
- Chase the Ace
- Craps
When choosing which games to include, keep time in mind. Some guests could stay at the poker table for hours if left to their own devices!
Set a Sinful Dress Code
The perfect Vegas themed party outfit is a mix of class and sin. On the strip, you'll find plenty of clingy outfits, sequins, sparkles, bowties, fedoras, and loud, printed suits! Visitors to Sin City don't mind going a little over the top to pursue a good time!
With that in mind, you might want to encourage your guests to dress for an evening of debauchery! It's a wonderful excuse to wear something a little bit wacky and fun! Tell them to "dress like they're on holiday in Vegas" and see what turns up.
Be sure to let them know there will be dancing, and don't forget to set up a photo booth!
Eat Like You're on Holiday
Las Vegas has a global reputation for high-end smorgasbord-style dining! Guests line up to pile crab legs and caviar onto their plates, savouring every decadent bite! While you don't need to offer lobster tails, you can replicate the effect by providing classy, buffet-style dining.
Serve up Some Signature Drinks
Part of the reason "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" is because visitors to the city tend to spend most of their time getting tipsy! Serve up some colourful cocktails that guests can carry along as they travel from table to table. Better yet, employ a few waiters to take drink orders and deliver them to the high rollers so they don't need to get up.
Take It Back in Time
As the evening begins to wear down, it might be good to take your party back in time. When some think of Vegas they think of "Old Vegas," which brings to mind American gangsters, jazz, and fedoras. You can lean into that vibe as you help your guests wind down and transition back to "real life."
A great way to change the tone during a party is to switch up the music. You can facilitate that feat of time travel by bringing in a live jazz band with some smooth crooner vocals. They can perform the hits of a bygone era, perhaps even inspiring some slow dancing on the casino floor!
Conversely, you can bring in the jazz musicians during the gameplay portion of your theme party. As guests flit from table to table, a small jazz or swing ensemble can keep the vibe going. Your guests will want to whip out their favourite fedoras and start talking in a 20's era MidAtlantic accents!
Send in the Clowns
Las Vegas is also the home of Cirque du Soliel. Multiple circus shows are going on in Vegas at any given time. Most guests don't consider a visit to Vegas complete unless they've spent some time under the big top!
You can add a touch of Vegas eccentricity to your soiree by bringing in a circus performer! Artists trained in silks and other aerial elements can perform for your guests.
If your venue can't support aerial rigs, consider bringing in a fire eater, stilt-walker, sword swallower, or another amazing performer to add a touch of the big top to your gathering.
Make It Sparkle
Casino owners intentionally design the floor to delight and disorient. The overhead lights stay dim so that the lights from the slot machines can beckon would-be gamblers in the dark. Dramatic uplighting adds a touch of brilliant colour to dark spaces, making it feel like day and night all at once.
You can achieve a similar effect by keeping lights dim and decorating with candles and fairy lights. Many venues include uplighting as part of their rental packages.
Other interesting decorations might include:
- Garlands made of playing cards.
- Giant dice made from cardboard boxes.
- Rich, red curtains over the doors.
Raise the Stakes
One of the most popular group events in Las Vegas sounds like something you might traditionally associate with the older generation: Bingo! In Vegas, visitors play a version of the game called High Stakes Bingo. The game becomes exciting because huge payouts and prizes are on the line!
The game is fun because everyone in the room is hoping for the same outcome: they all want to win! They'll be on the edge of their seats, cursing the Bingo caller and watching their card like a hawk.
It's a great way to transition guests from the cocktail hour to the main seating area. Pre-set their place setting with a Bingo card. After you've played a few rounds, let them loose on the rest of your "casino!"
What Happens at Your Vegas Themed Party Stays at Your Vegas Themed Party
Every good bash includes a touch of sin somewhere! When you throw a Vegas themed party, you're putting sin at the forefront, giving your guests an instant excuse to let loose and have a wild time. If you apply our Vegas themed party ideas, you're sure to throw the sort of soiree that everyone remembers and nobody talks about.
You can get the party started by booking your entertainment. Bands for Hire has all of the over-the-top rock acts, cover bands, and small jazz ensembles you could ever want. Contact us today so we can match you with a top rate act for your rich and raucous Las Vegas theme party!
