There is a version of a cards party that looks styled and a version that looks like someone moved the sofa and put out a bowl of namkeen. The distance between them is smaller than you think, and cheaper.
Here are nine ideas that do most of the lifting.
1. Light low, not bright
Overhead tube lights kill the mood and glare off the cards. Use lamps, string lights and diyas at floor level instead.
Round Paper Lamps are the fastest way to soften a room. Hang three at different heights over the snack table, not over the card tables. Black and red suit a poker night; yellow and green suit a traditional Diwali look.
2. Give every table a mat
A plain table becomes a styled table the second something goes down on it. Poker Table Mats or Casino Night Table Mats do this and also protect the table from four hours of glasses being put down carelessly.
3. Do the ceiling, not the floor
Floor decor gets kicked. Ceiling decor gets photographed. Poker Danglers or Casino Night Danglers hang above the entrance and the buffet, and stay out of everyone's way all night.
4. One wall, one backdrop
Clear a wall and put a backdrop on it. Add two cushions and one warm light pointed at it. Every guest will use it and you will not have to stage a single photograph.
5. Centrepieces on the food table, never the card table
Card tables need to stay clear. Food tables need height. Poker Centerpieces or Casino Night Centerpieces come in packs of two, so one sits at either end of the buffet and gives the table a shape.
6. Match the disposables to the theme
This is the cheapest upgrade in the entire party. Napkin Rings, Drink Straws, Picks and Water Bottle Labels. Four small buys, and every snack table photo suddenly looks art directed.
7. Label the food
Food Labels and Buffet Table Cards. It sounds fussy. It is the thing people comment on, and it saves you answering the same question twenty times.
8. Wrap the sweets in your theme
Take the mithai out of the delivery box. Arrange it at two or three heights, and wrap the chocolates in Chocolate Wrappers. Same sweets, completely different impression.
9. Wrap the favours before guests arrive
A neat stack of identical gift bags by the door is decor in itself. Tag them with Diwali Gift Tags, and you save yourself a scramble at eleven at night.
The rule underneath all nine
Repeat, do not add. Most home parties look busy because every element is different. Pick one theme, let it show up in six places, and that repetition is what reads as expensive.
The easiest way to do this is to start from one kit. The Poker Party Package or Casino Night Party Package gives you the repetition built in.
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