The tricky part is choosing the right theme for your event. It should be something that catches the eye of your guests – but nothing too outlandish or difficult to understand. A good theme is one that attendees “get” right away. It lends itself to a lot of fun and interesting event planning decisions. Your theme should also have universal appeal and be in good taste (stay away from politics or other topics that might create conflict).

Looking for some theme ideas to help you get started? Here are 10 event themes we love that you can use for your next big event.

1. BACK IN TIME

Choose an era. Whether it’s the Roaring 20s, the Swinging 60s or the Disco 70s, just make sure all the decor, music and food matches. Let attendees know they can attend in their best retro outfits to add to the decor.

You can even have video screens playing clips of the most important cultural moments from that decade, or a live retro band playing the right tunes to set the mood. With this theme, the more you pay attention to the little details, the more your guests will feel like they have been transported back in time.

2. INTERGALACTIC PARTY

This is one of the most fun event themes we’ve seen yet! Use this one to make your guests feel like they are on a spaceship in the distant future. Include a lot of neon lights, flashy metallic-looking costumes, electronic music and astronaut-food appetizers. You can even have dancers and performers dressed up as aliens and robots to add more of an atmosphere to the event.

Since no one really knows what’s in outer space, this event theme allows for a lot of creativity. You can reference pop-culture icons like Star Trek, Star Wars or Dr. Who, or create your own version of what space might look like.

3. DINER EN BLANC

The traditional of Diner en Blanc began in 1988 when François Pasquier wanted to celebrate with his friends in Paris upon his return from Tahiti. His garden was too small, so he decided to have a picnic party in the Bois de Boulogne (sounds lovely, right?).

In order to help friends who didn’t know each other find the party in the large public park, he asked everyone to dress all in white. The dinner was a complete success! So much so that he did it every year after that, until eventually the event had grown to more than one thousand guests.

Why not recreate the elegance of Diner en Blanc at your event? Find white versions of everything, from tablecloths to linens to plates, glasses, decorations and flowers, to really bring your event to life. This can be a very budget friendly event too, as most standard tablecloths and linens supplied by venues are already white.

4. THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Why not bring the outdoors inside with your event theme? This theme works really well, especially if your event is promoting an environmental cause. You can bring in trees and potted plants to create a “forest” effect indoors.

You can even add tents and rustic decorations, and play a soundscape that includes chirping birds, whistling wind or howling wolves. The great thing about this theme is that you can evoke the great outdoors without having to worry about dealing with rain, insects or other elements.

5. UNDER THE SEA

An aquatic-themed event can be a lot of fun! It opens up a huge range of possibilities when it comes to decor, entertainment and more. You can serve beautifully presented seafood, have blue-hued tropical drinks and even install a water feature or a fish pond to add to the atmosphere.

There are so many simple yet effective ideas for this type of party. For example, hang curling ribbon, streamers and strips of iridescent ribbon “tentacles” from a paper lantern to create a jellyfish decoration!

6. ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Lewis Carroll’s much-loved story about Alice and her journey down the rabbit hole has plenty of potential to inspire event themes for any occasion. You could recreate the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party by setting a long table with all different types of mismatched teapots, cups and saucers.

You can also decorate with playing cards, chess pieces, pink flamingos and hedgehogs. You could even create centerpieces with white roses that have been partially painted red. And of course, don’t forget the tiny cupcakes and cookies that say “Eat Me” and the small bottles of alcohol or other beverages that say “Drink Me.”