Among the latest trends in parties, school parties and birthdays are the glow-in-the-dark decorations. Guests are asked to wear fluorescent clothing or accessories that light up thanks to Wood's lamps to create a disturbing yet fun effect. If you are looking to organize a perfect "fluo-party", know that with a little planning you will get the desired result. Read on to learn more!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: The Material
Step 1. Buy some black lights
The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to "fluo-party" is precisely this type of lamp! These are special bulbs that make objects and clothes shine and transform the dance floor into a swirl of colors. While they aren't essential (you can always use glow-in-the-dark decorations and accessories), they do turn a regular party into a memorable event. So seriously consider buying or borrowing them.
Remember that there are websites that specialize in the sale of these lamps and brilliant decorations. A very cheap Wood lamp could cost you even less than 10 €
Step 2. Purchase some glow sticks
Another key piece for parties of this type are the glow sticks. These are rigid or flexible plastic "tubes", which can sometimes be folded to form bracelets, which contain a chemical. This product, when activated, fluoresces for hours. Try wearing them around your neck as if they were necklaces, or get thin, flexible ones to twist them around your arms.
This is really cheap material, a pack of 25 sticks lasting 12 hours costs around 12 €
Step 3. Get some pens and fluorescent paper
To give the party a "do-it-yourself" look you can try building the decorations yourself with some paper and bright markers. Rigid cardstock that is specifically sold as fluorescent should glow in black light, as should most highlighters.
Paper and markers have an affordable cost, a few euros per pack. To make sure they shine during the party, take Wood's lamp to the shop and do some tests
Step 4. Get some fluorescent lamps and LEDs
These elements are also an impactful touch to your party. They are sold as classic bulbs or LEDs. Nowadays, the latter are quite cheap, often they are also programmed to light up with different colors or to switch from one shade to another in a fluid way according to a certain order; that's why they are a great choice for your event. However, you can also take advantage of old Christmas lights that sit in the garage for months if you don't want to spend any more money.
The price of a string of Christmas lights varies by length. For example, a cable with 100 lights could cost around € 10 while a 300-light cable could cost around € 20
Step 5. Get some cheap accessories in bright colors
If you can find them at a good price, buy some colored plastic glasses, bracelets, rings and other accessories to make the party even more fun. For this phase you must monitor the price, you absolutely must not use up your savings for objects that in all probability will be lost, trampled on or dropped. So, if you decide to buy them, choose the absolutely cheapest ones.
For example, you could buy twenty or so brightly colored "80s" style plastic glasses (similar to Ray-Ban Wayfarer models) that you could find for around € 5
Step 6. Find some body paint
If you want to throw a truly wild party, you need to consider coloring your skin with fluorescent paint and making it available to your guests. This dye is available in stores specializing in carnival costumes but also online. It is not easy to get hold of, compared to other party items, but if you can buy it you will get some fantastic results.
While hard to find, phosphorescent body paint isn't terribly expensive; a set of various colors should cost no more than € 20-25
Step 7. Choose some good music
Parties and music are like bread and butter: they are great together! If you are looking to recreate the atmosphere of a "rave" you can choose house / techno music or the more modern EDM (electronic dance music). However, you can throw a successful party with almost any music genre, if you pick some good pieces and play them at (reasonably) loud!
Try to choose the playlist before the party starts. You can catch up with your friends and identify the songs that need to be played; once done, you'll just have to program your iPod or stereo and then forget about it
Step 8. Don't forget food and drink
Every party needs something to eat and drink; guests who dance, talk and have fun with time will be hungry and thirsty, so prepare a buffet worthy of the name. For a glow-in-the-dark party, you can prepare "finger-food" because it is difficult to tinker with plates and cutlery in the dark.
- In grocery stores, you can buy "prepackaged" trays with cheese snacks, cold cuts and crackers. They are quite comfortable and inexpensive (even less than 15 €) by weight. Or you can prepare the food yourself, your guests will appreciate it anyway; the choice is up to you.
- For drinks, you can choose to serve them in plastic cups instead of glass or other "precious" material. The plastic ones are cheap, don't need to be washed, and you don't have to worry about some rowdy reveler breaking them. This is the most convenient and obvious solution.
Part 2 of 3: The Preparation
Step 1. Send out the invitations in advance
Once you have decided to throw the party, you need to invite people early enough; the sooner you move in this direction, the more likely people are to have no scheduled engagements, so do it as soon as possible. If it is a party for a few close friends, you can simply send e-mails; if instead you have decided to organize a big party, then it is better to create an event on social media and invite your friends through this page, it is the quickest and easiest solution.
Be smart and ask guests to confirm their presence well in advance. This allows you to get a rough idea of how many people there will be, so you can get the right amount of food, drinks and freebies
Step 2. Ask willing friends to help you
Depending on the size of the decorations and how elaborate they are, it may take a week or even just a few hours to get the party venue ready. Regardless of how big the event is, it's never a bad idea to ask friends to help you with the preparations. The help of other people reduces the time and you can have different opinions and points of view on how to set up the decorations. For example, one of your friends might have a brilliant idea of how to arrange the LED lights over the guests' heads so that they form a fake "ceiling".
Step 3. Leave the party venue "in the dark"
When organizing a "fluo-party" it is important that the area is as dark as possible, with the minimum lighting necessary to lead guests to the area you have set up with the fluorescent decorations. In other words, the area must be in absolute darkness. If the party takes place in the tavern or in the attic, you won't have much work to do in this regard. However, if there are any windows, be sure to close them to prevent outside light from entering.
Black garbage bags are a practical and economical solution to solve this problem
Step 4. Arrange the decorations
At this point you need to think about the fluorescent decorations. The exact set-up depends only on your personal tastes, you could mount Wood's lamps in the "dark" area of the party so that everyone who wears fluorescent objects will shine. You can also decorate the outside with welcome lights and decorate the rest of the house.
Step 5. Ask for permission if you really want to throw a big party
An event for a few close friends usually does not create big problems and there are no particular events you need to worry about. Even if it gets too loud for the neighbors, people generally don't have too much trouble coming to your house to ask you to turn the volume down if it's a civilized party. Conversely, if you have organized an event with many people and have not obtained permission from the neighbors, there is a reasonable possibility that they will call the police. To prevent everything from ending in disaster, ask neighbors for permission, specifying the number of participants and a telephone number to alert you in case of loud noises and other problems.
Also, if you have decided on a large party, you may need to ask the City for permission to protect you legally. The rules regarding quiet hours and laws against loud noises vary from city to city, so be well informed
Part 3 of 3: The Day of the Party
Step 1. Prepare all appetizers and drinks before guests arrive
Try to be ready for the agreed party time (no later) because that's when the first guests start to arrive. Having food and drinks ready means having something to offer to the very first guests (and thus avoiding moments of awkward silence). Furthermore, you will not be in a hurry with last-minute preparations if guests start arriving early and you are free to welcome people, chat with them, entertain them; in practice you can be a perfect guest.
Step 2. Involve the guests in glow-in-the-dark games
When everyone has arrived, they start chatting naturally and there is no need for your supervision to have a good time. However, if you feel the party is running out of steam, you can organize games to cheer up the spirits. For example, you could involve people in simple children's games like "hide and seek" or "you have it", which will have a completely different effect thanks to the fluorescent accessories and the dark environment. You can also try to organize proven "icebreaker" activities, such as "truth or dare", spin the bottle or "never have I ever …". You have a lot of options to choose from.
Step 3. Let your chosen music liven up the party all the time
Once enough guests have arrived and they are chatting to each other without your help, then you can turn on the music. The volume depends on the situation and the type of party. If you have decided on a meeting between a few friends, then it is better that the music is just a pleasant background. If, on the other hand, you have organized a dance party, turn it up to the maximum!
Unless there's a DJ, you've probably set up your playlist automatically on some device. It is best to avoid embarrassing pauses between songs, you may even get bored of those who are dancing
Step 4. Let guests get some fresh air if they wish
If there are a lot of people and especially if it's a party where you dance, then you need to provide some rest and fresh air as well. After an hour of dancing, a house crowded with sweaty revelers is the last place a person would want to be; so make sure there is a porch, patio or other outdoor area where your guests can "decant".
Step 5. Encourage the guests to drink plenty of water
When attending a big party where you dance, hydration is very important. Make sure everyone can drink as much water as they want, plus all other sodas; offer them a glass of water when they stop dancing for a while. Dehydration causes heat exhaustion and fatigue which, in a crowded party, can become a big emergency for those affected (and will ruin the party for you).
Water is especially important for those who use drugs such as ecstasy. In addition to the legal and health problems that arise from the use of these substances (all well documented), there is also the risk of death from dehydration and fatigue, as ecstasy inhibits the alarm signals that the body sends (thirst and fatigue).). Therefore, it is essential to offer plenty of water and a chance to rest if you have noticed that there are people taking drugs at your party. Even those who use them regularly recommend not underestimating dehydration and fatigue
Step 6. Recognize the signs of extreme fatigue
As mentioned earlier, you can even go to death by exhaustion and it is certainly not a topic to laugh at. If you are having a party where there is a lot of dancing (and especially where there is the possibility of someone taking drugs), you must be able to decipher the symptoms of severe fatigue so you can ensure the safety, health and happiness of your guests. If you think someone is going to have heat stroke or a fit of exhaustion, move them to a cool area, give them water (not alcohol), and if the situation doesn't improve, call an ambulance. It's always better to be safe than sorry, so don't risk someone dying. Here are the typical symptoms of exhaustion you need to know to save someone's life:
- Confusion.
- Vertigo / dizziness.
- Weakness.
- Fainting.
- Headache.
- Cramps.
- Pallor.
- Nausea.
Advice
- Use black light to encourage guests to wear at least one piece of white or glow-in-the-dark clothing.
- Get some good music to dance the night away.
- For a great effect, have each one have at least 2-4 fluorescent objects.
- If you have a swimming pool, put glow sticks in the water and watch how they light up.
Warnings
- Be careful when playing in the dark.
- Make sure there is always a responsible adult at the party. Sure, it may sound boring, but the party could escalate in an instant, so make sure you can reach out to an adult if something goes wrong.
