The formal option Jun 88 involves guests being dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns, and should be set in a venue equally as glamorous. This is a party with class! Guests are made to feel like they have entered an exclusive European Casino where they are the rich and famous, and money is no object. Don’t forget to have waiters offering champagne and canapés to enhance the experience!
If your budget doesn’t stretch to the formal version, you can always host a Casino Royale party with a twist by making it a fancy dress. Ask guests to dress up as characters from any James Bond adventure. Ideas for women include Miss Mata Bond, May Day, Pussy Galore, Vespa Lynd, Rosa Klebb, Jinx, or more generic characters such as a Decoding Room girl or Russian Henchwoman. You don’t want all the men to come as James Bond of course, so offer suggestions such as Odd Job, Doctor No, Baron Samedi, Jaws, and Emilio Largo.
If you want a combination of these two ideas, you could opt for an op-shop or vintage formal fancy dress. This is a more tongue-in-cheek glamour that allows guests to perhaps recreate some of the 1960’s style formalwear from the Bond movies. Whatever dress option you choose, make sure you make it clear on the invitation so that all guests join in on the fun!
Invitations for a Casino Royale theme party can be a fun DIY project, or can be purchased through specialist invitation designers. You may want to try a design using the iconic 007 gun barrel image as a background, or embellish a plain invitation with recreations of the Casino Royale movie title, or the 007 logo.
Another design option would be to recreate the look and feel of the 1960’s Casino Royale book cover. This would be especially effective for a vintage formal Casino Royale fancy dress.Catering for a Casino Royale theme party should focus on canapés
. Bite-sized finger foods are easier for guests to handle when they are standing around Casino tables, unless you are serving a sit down meal before the gaming begins. Drinks should obviously include a “shaken, not stirred” Martini, and champagne shouldn’t be forgotten. For some extra fun, use your imagination and create a cocktail list of drinks with James Bond style names.
Baccarat was James Bond’s favourite casino game in the Ian Fleming novels, but with the growing popularity of Texas Hold ‘Em in the early 2000’s, the latest Casino Royale adaptation featured James Bond playing Poker. Either game is great for a Casino Royale theme party, but guests will also enjoy the traditional Casino favourites – Blackjack and Roulette.
There are companies which provide Casino tables and Croupiers for party hire. Of course you will be limited to those who operate in your area, but in making the decision on which company to hire, be sure to check that you are getting the best service available. Choose the company which provides the most realistic looking tables and equipment.
Don’t settle for felt layouts which are thrown over trestle tables – this is hardly Casino Royale style! Chips and cards should look good and be in good repair, and the Roulette wheel (if you hire one), should be the full Casino size of 32″ in diameter. Anything less will look like a toy and will detract from your guests’ Casino experience.