How to Recreate the Great Gatsby Themed Party from the Movie

Lauren

4 years ago

Having a Great Gatsby themed party is not a new concept. However, I think we can jazz it up a bit (pun intended) by recreating the very vivid and vibrant party from the Baz Luhrman movie. In case you’re confused, we are going to recreate the party scene from the Great Gatsby that Leo DiCaprio was in!

It’s a mix of old world and new, much like the themes of the book. And true to Baz Luhrman, it’s colorful and energetic. (Remember Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge?) I’ve rounded up the supplies you’ll need and some fun costume ideas, so you can get your Great Gatsby on…let’s dive in (second pun intended too).

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Setting the Scene

Just in case you don’t remember the party we are recreating, here is that scene from the re-made movie:

Great Gatsby Party Decorations

To get you started with your Great Gatsby party recreation, we need to set the scene. You can see the picture above; this party is a pool party! But, don’t you worry, there’s still plenty of glitz and glam to go around the pool. Here’s what you’ll need for decorations:

Giant White Balloons – Various Sizes

6-pack Giant 36 inch White Balloons – These balloons make a statement and are great for creating the opulent look of a Great Gatsby Themed Party. They are made of a premium, eco-friendly latex that is super durable. And because they are thick, they last longer too! You can get them here on Amazon.

36 ct 20” Clear Balloons – These balloons are made of a high-quality latex. They are non-toxic and beautiful! And, since they are clear, you can fill them with feathers, glitter, or anything you can think of for extra excitement. Grab your party balloons here.

Paper Circle Decorations

The Glitter Circle Garland comes in both Gold and Silver (but silver also has stars). It is the perfect statement piece for your party to hang from the ceiling, from a tree, behind a dessert table. The package comes with 5 strands that are 13 feet long. You can always trim them down or in half, if you need to. And there is no assembly required – just open and hang up. Grab your gold dots here. And get the silver dots & stars here.

Tinsel Hanging Décor

This also comes in gold and silver (and many other colors). They are also available to purchase in single curtains up to packs of five. They suggest one for covering a door or at least two to hang on the wall. The curtains are 3.2 feet wide by 9.8 feet long. Get the gold tinsel or the silver tinsel hanging decor on Amazon.

Champagne Bottle Balloon

In the movie scene, you can see a lady pouring out of a giant champagne bottle. This replaces that bottle! It’s a giant champagne balloon kit. It comes with the bottle balloon and (20) 5” silver, (20) 5” gold, (15) 10” clear, (10) 12” heart golden confetti, (5) 12” clear balloons. Not to mention the tools you need like: balloon glue dots, a balloon strip, balloon tying tool, (5) sticky glue dots and instructions (thank goodness). Pick up your Champagne Bottle Balloon set for your Great Gatsby themed party here.

Zebra Pool Toy/Float

If you look closely in the Great Gatsby Party Scene, you’ll see an inflatable zebra (talk about keeping it interesting). This blow up zebra is 32” tall and high quality (aka sturdy). You can dunk him in the pool, float with him, or just use him as a conversation starter! Get your inflatable zebra on Amazon.

Champagne Tower & Glasses

I love the vintage vibe of this champagne fountain. You can actually put 1.5 gallons of any beverage in there. The three tiers breakdown for easy cleanup and are designed to keep the flow moving easily as well. The base is illuminated, so your whole fountain can light up! It also includes (8) 6 oz reusable cups. And, before you start worrying about the mechanics, it has a simple on/off switch to get it going. Get the retro Champagne tower set and your plastic champagne flutes.

Diamond Table Confetti

The diamond table scatter comes in multiple sizes from 6mm to 12mm. The quantity in this item is 1000 pieces, so PLENTY to go around. They’re acrylic, so no need to worry about gemstones and safety. They are ready to go. Grab your table scatter here.

Great Gatsby Party Outfits

The next thing we need to discuss is wardrobe! If you want to party like a flapper, you need to look the part. Check out my favorite 20’s costume picks for your Great Gatsby Party. If it were me, I would make it a full-on costume party. Just tell people in the invitation. Please dress up in your Gatsby finest!

Dress

This dress embodies the 1920’s theme wonderfully. It comes in a few different color options, which is fun. And you can get any size from XS to XL. It’s a short dress with sequin embellishment, and according to the seller, fits true to size. Get your flapper on with this short 1920s dress.

Shoes

These shoes are adorable and match the 20s theme perfectly! They are leather and rubber soled and closed toe with straps across the ankle. It has a short heel and a t-strap on the front. They come in size 5 to 12. You can check them out here.

Headpiece

There are many headpieces available online. This is one of my favorites. I think it matches the black and silver themed outfit we are putting together. It also has the 20’s retro style feathers as well as beading. It is a one size headpiece. Pick up your vintage headpiece on Amazon.

The other option is a gold flapper headband with bling. This one is a little fancier than the black one. There are many variations and styles available from the same seller. It’s a rose gold with a champagne colored ribbon. Because of the ribbon tie, it’s easily adjustable. Grab the gold headpiece on Amazon, too.

Beads & Fans

The beads are the perfect party favor. You can hand them out to your guests as they arrive. This set comes with 144 pieces (which is a lot – you could probably give one of each color to everyone). They are 33” long with 7 mm beads. They are a good quality, not too cheapy looking. To make it especially flapper-esque, tie a knot at the bottom of your beads. Get your beaded necklaces here.

Roaring 20’s style feather fans are another good addition to your outfit, your photo booth area or your party favors. These fans come in a variety of color/pattern options. It can also close, but spread open, measures 11” by 20”. And, it does have a metal ring holding it together at the bottom. Grab some feather fans here.

Jewelry

This jewelry piece looks just like the one that Daisy is wearing in the movie scene! It’s a bracelet and ring, connected by a beautiful chain. It’s an adjustable piece, with imitation pearls, and rhinestones. Similar to other items on this list, there are design and color variations available. You can get it here.

Great Gatsby Themed Party Invitations

For your Great Gatsby themed party, you can’t forget the invites! These invitations are actually electronic. I know, they look amazing! They have virtual envelopes too. You can preview the evite before you send it. Greenvelope has a bunch of fun invitations on their site and these two are my favorite picks for a Great Gatsby theme.

You can get some Great Gatsby themed party invite inspiration on Greenvelope.

Great Gatsby Party Food & Drink

Desserts

Um, can I just start by saying any dessert dipped in chocolate with some kind of gold or silver sprinkle. It’s that easy to stay on theme! You could also do a fun dessert table with a black and gold or silver theme. If you bookend the table with feathers, it will look amazing! Check it out below. And Grab some Ostrich Feathers for your end pieces. (You can get a bunch of different sizes, so be careful to choose the ones you want!)

Party Food

Now that dessert is covered, we have to move onto food. I know I’m going backwards, but I couldn’t help myself. Chocolate is my weakness. Lol. For food, I would keep it super simple. Think hors d’ourves (man that is a hard word to spell) and finger foods. Mini sandwiches, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, oysters if you want to get fancy, etc. These foods are the type of vibe you would find at a speakeasy or a 1920s party. To be honest, they were mostly focused on the cocktails. (Especially considering prohibition).

Party Drinks

Speaking of drinks, you definitely need champagne. You can supplement with more wine if you want to keep it simple. Otherwise you could branch out into maybe Bourbon cocktails. Like an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Kentucky Mule or Mint Julep. These all bring out a very 20s vibe.

An Old Fashioned is a classic Prohibition-era cocktail. There are many fun variations, but If you need a recipe for a basic one, check it out:

1.5 ounces of Bourbon
1 sugar cube
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
A few dashes of plain water
Cherry and/or orange slice to garnish

Directions:

Muddle the sugar with the bitters. Add the Bourbon and the few dashes of water. Garnish with a cherry and orange slice. Serve in a short glass.

Great Gatsby Party Games/Activities

Gatsby Party Playlist

First, you need to start with a playlist! I have one you can download below. You can’t forget, though, to have a way to play your music. Get a boombox (old school) or a portable speaker. Make sure you charge it all up the night before/day of the party and you’ll be good to go. For more playlist tips, check out my post on 5 Steps to Creating the Perfect Party Playlist.

Gatsby Party Playlist Download

Pool Floats

It is supposed to be a party by a pool, so you could have a swimming option. You can decide if you want to open up the pool for use or not. But, if you do have swimming at your Great Gatsby party, you could fill the pool with fun pool floats! I have some options for you:

Silver Ring, Gold Ring, Gold Swan, Giant Clamshell, Diamond Ring

Retro Games

The Great Gatsby took place in 1922. The 20’s is full of fun party games! I know that seems weird but it’s true. There are options for both a daytime and night time party. Here are some great game ideas for your Great Gatsby Party:

Dominoes
Croquette
Card Games – Poker, Black Jack, Canasta
Bocce Ball
Photo Props/Photo Booth

As for photo props, I would definitely set up a little picture area. You don’t necessarily have to have a formal backdrop. You could just hang some of these glitter circles from a tree and have that be your photo area. I would suggest adding a few props, like the feather fans, Champagne Bottle, beads, etc.

Wrap Up

Alright, are you ready to party? I think you have everything you need for your Great Gatsby Party recreation: from cocktails to party decorations. Grab your best buddies, hit the pool and get your prohibition party on! Don’t forget to check out the Great Gatsby themed party photo props on the Etsy shop. And download that playlist above for the perfect flapper music.

There were a ton of ideas and links in this post. So, I’m going to round them up down here for you. Happy partying!

Invitations: Gatsby Themed Evites