Plain boring parties are a thing of the past. The future of parties is here. Black light party is one of the newest and hottest trends at house parties, New Year parties, and birthday bashes. Here, at PartyJoys, we will guide you with some ideas and suggestions for throwing a black light party.
Quick Tip
To get into the party mood, you can paint a cool butterfly, star, or any other design or symbol on your face with some glow paint.
Black light parties are just like any other ordinary party, the only difference being the lighting. A black light―a light source or lamp that is coated with a filter and which emits ultraviolet light and very little visible light―is used to light the entire venue or party area. When this light is switched on, the room remains dark; however, the ultraviolet light reflects off anything which is white or fluorescent, which provides a fantastic dash of color to a seemingly dark and colorless ambiance.
Hosting a black light party may seem a bit unconventional, but it can be a great idea for your 16th birthday, or maybe if you want to do something different and unusual. The guests at a black light party are supposed to wear something white or fluorescent, and of course, adorn some glow-in-the-dark accessories that shine under the glow of black lights, giving your room a fun and exciting look.
This PartyJoys article will shed some (black) light on throwing a wonderful black light party, So switch off the lights, break the glow sticks, and let’s get started!!
Arrange Supplies
This is the first step in our planning process and a very important one. Our party won’t be memorable enough without these supplies.
Black Light
As the name suggests, black lights are an essential item. Therefore, it should be your number one priority. Not all black lights are created equal, it depends on your requirement, if you are planning to light up an entire room, a proper LED tube or fluorescent black light is essential. You can put up a long fluorescent tube or row of LEDs as they emit maximum UV rays.
Glow Sticks
The star attraction of your party, glow sticks are available as a plastic tube or a wearable band, it contains certain solutions that react when mixed and cause the stick to glow for hours. You can use them to decorate particular areas, and simultaneously use them as lights, wherever required. You can keep them in the washroom, or place a bunch near the food and beverage counter, and of course, some near the door.
You can even use them as accessories like bracelets, twirl them around your neck, use them as a headband. The latest black light product in the market is small glow bulbs that can be placed in the mouth, and when you smile or talk, the color pops out giving your face a brilliant glow. Glow sticks are pretty cheap and come in various shapes and sizes.
Fluorescent Pens and Papers
These will come handy when you want to send out party invitations by post, you can also lend your invitation that DIY feel by showing off your creative side. Fluorescent construction paper will glow in the black light, but you can also go for neon highlighters and markers as well. You can use glowing pen and paper as game supplies if you plan to host some party games.
Black Light Glow Paint
If you have a large party venue, then obviously, you can’t cover the entire room with glow sticks; however, you could use black light glow paint instead. It is ideal to achieve the black light party effect, you can paint your walls and ceiling with glow paint. Just make sure that you buy paint that can be easily washed and removed using soap and water.
An added advantage of using this paint is that you can hand the party guests some glow paint and ask them to write a message or note on one wall or patch of wall. It can be a fun way to keep them entertained. The paint can be used on your body and face too, which takes the party to another level, if you think you are a serious dancer and want to show off your moves, then body art is a must.
Invitation
The planning for any party begins with the invitations. You can use glow paint to design and word your invitation, or you can give your guests neon-colored sunglasses along with the invitation card and ask them to wear them for the party.
Decoration
A black light party would be successful and spooky only if the entire area is dark. To achieve this, a good option is to organize the party in your attic or basement, as the area is already dark, and you don’t have to take extra efforts to make the room dark. However, if you have a large room or maybe a drawing room, which naturally will have windows, you can simply cover them up with foil paper, or drape them with a dark curtain to block any incoming light. Some more decoration ideas are:
- You can also hire a fog machine or a bubble machine which emits black light reactive bubbles. Another cool idea is to hang a disco ball right in the middle of the room, which makes the ambiance more interesting.
- You can cover your table with a table cloth that already has a glow-in-the-dark design; if not, you can always use some paint to create one.
- Stick to cheap plastic cups, and you can cover the outer area of the cup with some glow paint. Cheap plastic cups are convenient as you don’t have to wash them after the party. Also, plastic cups eliminates the possibility of breakage, unlike glass.
- Painting balloons with glow paint designs will be really exciting if kids are attending the party.
Accessories and Makeup
You don’t really need to stress on the clothes; however, opt for white or neon-colored clothing, as the color will pop out under the UV rays. If you don’t want to go plain, there are loads of glow-in-the-dark T-shirts available across all the stores. If you are a creative person, you can design your own T-shirt with glow paint logos and symbols adorning it. Lighten up your outfit with LED accessories, they are cheap and can be found everywhere. You can buy light up bracelets, rings, shoes, necklaces, belts, and just about everything. You can wrap them around yourself and are available in a wide choice of colors like green, blue, pink, purple, etc.
You may need to go light on the makeup, as removing neon paint from your face can be quite a task. You can use glow-in-the-dark body paint, hairspray, nail polish, lipstick, and much more. Color your nails with glow nail polish if you have some cool dance moves to flaunt―the effect would be tantalizing and amazing. Similarly, you can color your lips with glow-in-the-dark lipstick, which would complement your nails perfectly.
Food
Any party needs food and refreshments, it is said that guests at a party may or may not remember whom they met or the ambiance, but they sure remember the food. For such parties, stick to finger food because dealing with plates and silverware in the dark can become really messy.
You can use edible neon-colored icings for cake, cookies, and candies. It would be really cool if you could make your traditional snacks and refreshments that glow under the lights. A great and unexpected way to enhance your party drink is to include black light responsive drinks. These drinks are either white-milk or tonic water based. A good quality light milk-based drink will reflect many colors, and a tonic water-based drink would reflect blue color. It’s a great way for any party goer to spot his drink in the dark.
Hope all these tips help you in throwing a wonderful black light party. Party is all about losing your inhibitions, and enjoying every moment till it lasts. And the best deal about black light party is you don’t have to feel shy while dancing or talking, as it will be pitch dark and nobody will be able to see you. In the end, it’s all about embracing the good times.