We’re just a week away from the Oscars – the Super Bowl for movie lovers. Since I love a good excuse to get some friends together for food & drinks, I jumped at the opportunity when Bailey’s asked me to put together tips for throwing a fabulous Oscars fete.

And while Super Bowl parties tend to err on the masculine side, a good Oscar party embraces a little of the feminine glamour. That doesn’t mean that the guys have to stay home, it just means they need to be prepared for the lack of buffalo dip and beer.

The Academy Awards always reminds me of the glamour of old Hollywood, so when it comes to throwing the ultimate Oscar party I say, embrace the glitz and glam. It’s super easy to throw together a fab gathering and even if you decide to watch it in your PJ’s, pick a fancy, silky pair instead of your ratty sweats.

Ready to plan the Ultimate Oscar Party, here’s some easy tips. 

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Five Tips for Throwing the Ultimate Oscar Party:

1. Pick a color scheme. I love black and gold but you can also go with red and gold or red and white (like a popcorn bag). Sticking with a couple simple colors makes it easy to keep it all cohesive. Grab some black paper plates, add a rim of gold glitter to your champagne glasses and sprinkle a little gold confetti on your table.

2. Establish a dress code. Want to make your party a little swanky, encourage guests to dress in the color scheme. Or encourage everyone to dress like a character in their favorite nominated film (I’d go with 70’s attire from American Hustle but I can see someone doing their best Astronaut George Clooney). It’s not hard to throw something together from what’s in your closet so tell guests to come in costume, or else.

3. Commemorate the Evening with Pictures. The paparazzi may not be lined up on your driveway but that doesn’t mean that everyone can’t get their pose on. Create a faux red carpet (just grab a couple yards of red felt or fabric) with a movie themed backdrop (I love the gold & black stars above). Then snag some fun movie props and use every commercial break as a photo opp. Upload them all post party or use an Instax camera and let everyone take home their tiny pics.

4. Take a Vote. Get everyone tofill out their Oscar ballots before the show kicks off. If a guest picks the winner, make them give an acceptance speech at the break. Give the overall winner an faux-Oscar to take home and proudly display.

5. Keep the Cocktails Flowing. We all know the Oscars can run a long, so keep everyone’s spirits up by keeping the fun cocktails flowing. And while mixed drinks and Champagne are pretty standard, serve something a little more festive and fun (and gold themed). Put together a tray of these Bailey’s Glamour Shots and pass out a round whenever a winner’s speech gets cut off by the orchestra.

Glamour Shot
Add some fabulous to your evening with this decadent blend of Bailey’s Vanilla Cinnamon and pure gold leaf.

Ingredients
• 1 oz. Baileys® Vanilla Cinnamon
• 0.5 oz. Goldschlager® Cinnamon Schnapps Edible gold flakes (Optional – found at most baking
stores)

Directions
• Rim shot glass with gold flakes. Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a shot glass. Serve ’em up! 

So invite a handful of fellow movie lovers over this Sunday for a fabulous and fun party. I’m thinking I need to send out the invite text ASAP.

Baileys Irish Cream. Stay Stylish. Drink Responsibly.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Diageo via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Diageo.  Diageo reserved the right to repost assets, quotes, and blog posts via their owned digital properties noting the author.