The Ultimate Guide To A Great Gatsby Theme Event

Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 Great Gatsby has become the face of the roaring 20s for people the world over and Great Gatsby theme events are always popular with guests.

The 1920s was a time when the world was undergoing enormous change as films, cars, and telephones became commonplace: it’s also when the world learned how to party in style.

Flappers reinvented fashion and threw wild and opulent parties filled with jazz, swing dancing, and cocktails. The bright lights, beautiful art deco designs, and lively atmosphere make for the perfect event theme.

In this guide, we’ll look at how to design and style a brilliant Great Gatsby theme event, including lighting, decorations, and creating a toe-tapping atmosphere.

Getting Started With Your Great Gatsby Theme Event

A Great Gatsby theme works well for birthday parties, weddings, end of year parties, and even many conferences and product launches. It’s a theme that is focused on dancing and revels in luxuriousness – so it’s a great way to reward guests and to give them space to let loose.

If you are looking for an event that will play well on social media and gives guests permission to dress up, then a Great Gatsby theme is a good choice.

It’s a theme that meshes well with many venues. If you are looking to really play up the art deco and fashion element, then many hotels, museums, universities, ballrooms, winter gardens, and buildings with an early 20th-century style are perfect.

If you want to focus on the swing dancing and speakeasy atmosphere, then you might consider using a bar or large dance hall for your venue. 

Decorations And Design

Great Gatsby themes are known for their art deco designs which will influence your choices in furniture, costumes, and decorations. It’s a design known for its bright colours, strange modernist shapes, and the use of expensive materials such as stained glass, ivory, and leather.

Cities such as London, New York City, and Paris are filled with classic art deco designs in skyscrapers, hotel lobbies, cinemas, and tube and train stations from the 1920s and 30s.

Early films such as The Kiss and Metropolis are great examples of art deco design but you can also look at more modern films such as 2010’s The Artist and 2013’s The Great Gatsby for inspiration.

When styling your event, you should choose props from the era including travel trunks, feathery lamps, leather furniture, glass-style sculptures, beads, and golden drapes. You can also include images of flappers, patterns with sharp cubist lines, and modernist-style paintings or posters.

To complete the look you want to include a bright archway, a lit speakeasy-style bar, chandeliers, and fountains.

Centrepieces, Lighting, And Colour

Great Gatsby theme parties are known for being loud, opulent, and bright. You’ll want to have several sources of clean and warm lighting while making sure that you’ve got an environment fit for dancing and drinking.

There are a few approaches you can take when it comes to your colour scheme. Classic art deco style is often filled with bright prime colours – especially strong greens and reds. Great Gatsby parties, on the other hand, often feature heavy amounts of gold, silver, and black.

Vintage lamps with coloured glass and large light bulbs can really help to complete the image here.

A good centrepiece is a must for any Great Gatsby theme dinner party. With an art deco design, you have a large range of choices including golden statues, ostrich feathers, ornate lamps, half moons, bottles of Champagne, or glass sculptures.

At Table Art, we specialise in making lit centrepieces that will fill your venue with dynamic lighting and can match any colour you choose. Take a look at our gallery to see our range of art deco inspired centrepieces.

Roaring Life Into Your Great Gatsby Event

Making a successful Great Gatsby night where guests are transported into the past and your world of excitement and excess can take a lot of work. However, if you manage to pull it off, then you’ll have a night that guests will remember for a long time to come.

If you want help planning and designing your Great Gatsby or roaring 20s theme event, then get in contact with Table Art for a consultation. We’ve had lots of experience transforming venues into works of art and we can elevate your party into something truly spectacular.