Masked with divine secrecy and draped in opulence, a masquerade New Year’s is certainly a step out of the ordinary and into the world of decadence and luxury. Imagine a night of a dimly lit ambiance filled with drippings of silver, glitz, and lace. Dapper dressed men, and sophisticated cloaked women all mingle and converse with an air of mystery surrounding their true identity and what’s just beneath that jet black lace or hauntingly white mask.
If you are looking for a different and unique twist to the traditional dressed up affair for New Year’s Eve, a masquerade is the way to go! New Year’s Eve alone is a night full of charged excitement and a high energy level. Pair this with a great party theme and you will be remembered for years to come. Masquerades take some special planning and well thought out details to successfully pull off. First things first, the invites.
The Food
When planning out the food, keep in mind that the grand unveiling of the masks does not happen until the stroke of midnight. Keep the refreshments easy to eat without having to remove your mask. The best thing to do is make sure the food that is being served is mostly bite sized and drinks are being embellished with straws or can easily be sipped out of a wide brimmed glass. Keep in mind that just because we are sticking to mostly finger foods and opting out of a large course meal, people do not have to go hungry!
To start off with, make some wedge salad Kabobs, drizzle a light vinaigrette dressing over the top, and pair with a fresh slice of tomato and a juicy piece of bacon. Keep the food moving throughout the night and have some items being displayed on a table while others are being carried and served butlered hors d’ oeuvres service style. As you are serving the salad, keep the menu diverse and serve up some crab stuffed mushrooms or even some crispy coconut shrimp. For the “main course” serve up plenty of protein too keep guess full with some glazed kielbasa and pineapple skewers or even turn some classic lasagna into a bite sized, rolled up scrumptious treat! Moving into dessert switch things over to a delectable mini tart with fresh fruit paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The Drinks
A New Year’s Night is not complete without some sips of something stiff and strong. For a classy affair stick with the traditional Dry Martini as well as the well-known Old Fashion.
Dry Martini Directions: start by filling a shaker three fourths full with ice and add 3 oz. of gin or vodka of your choice as well as ½ Oz. of dry vermouth. Cover the concoction and shake until you have condensation forming on the outside of your shaker. Next you want to strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with green olives. This yields one serving. Courtesy of: (Griepentrog, 2018) https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/easy-mixed-drinks/view-all/
Old Fashion Directions: Place 1 tablespoon of simply syrup in a rocks glass followed by 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters and 2 Oz. of bourbon. Carefully stir the glass and then follow by adding in a large ice cube and a lemon peel on the side for some garnishment. This yields one serving. Courtesy of: (Masks, 2013) https://www.vivomasks.com/blogs/masquerade/8116207-5-classic-cocktails-for-a-masquerade-party
The Decorations
Once you have all the fine tuned details of the night worked out, start with planning out how the party space should look. Typically you will want Black & White decorations for this theme. As guests enter the party space instantly have them whisked away into the night by displaying some star party panels. These black and silver stared panels are the perfect accessory for framing your entrance and kick starting the celebration off right.
Since most of the food will be served by a butler be sure to have plenty of standing tables as most guests will be standing and moving throughout the night with very minimal sitting. Cover the tables with a black plastic round table cover and drape the sides with a silver metallic table skirting. Since the ambiance of the party space is going to be dimly lit and brooding, shed a little light on each standing table with the light up paper lanterns as your table centerpieces. The slight glow these lanterns give off will be just enough light to welcome in a guests stopping to take a quick bite or to chit chat with a companion. Above each table, suspend some metallic fluff balls from the ceiling at varying lengths. This helps to brighten the room and nonchalantly show off to guests where they can locate a table in a crowd of people.
Along a wall at your event create an unforgettable focal point with the decorative silver and black fans along with suspending some 3-tier shimmering chandeliers from the ceiling.This would then create a great location for taking pictures in front of or even displaying the food that was chosen not to be butlered in front of. To make the stroke of midnight even more magical be sure to have a balloon drop to be opened right as people start to remove their masks and reveal their identity. Go for the black balloon bag with silver printed starts to give your ceilings a midnight-esc appeal.
The Favors
Out of all the party décor and favors you indulge in for the night nothing comes close to beating the New Year Masquerade Assortment. This kit comes with everything you need to truly hone in on that masquerade touch. This kit comes with enough pieces for 50 people and leaves each and every one of them looking regal and exquisite for the night. Not only does the kit come with three different styles of masks there are also velour toppers included for an eclectic style that suites anyone’s taste. Aside from the masks and the hats, each guest will also get a horn to make plenty of noise with to welcome in the New Year and send the old out the door with a final bang and one last hurrah!