A rave theme is a very unconventional approach at a debut party. However, if you play your cards right, you might just end up having the best debut ever.
Venue. It would be such a delight if you could rent a bar since these venues are already set up for this type of theme and so you don’t need to worry much about decorations. However, if you would not be able to rent a bar, don’t fret. A little pinch of imagination would do the trick. Your plain venue can be transformed into a raving atmosphere. The place should be dark enough to emphasize the lighting effect that you will set up. When you’ve already figured out how to darken the venue, it is time to scout for suppliers of lighting effects. Choose a supplier who can give you the best deal for more lighting effects as possible. Remember that you are creating something out of nothing. Believe me, this will make all the difference.
Throwing a rave party needs four basic things. Lights, sounds, drinks and party people.
Lights. As mentioned, your venue should be dark enough so as to enhance the lighting effects that you will set up. For lighting effects, you will need the following: Strobe lights, glow sticks, mirror balls, LED spotlight, black lights and laser. Fill the venue with glow sticks to add to your lighting effect and string them together in order to create different shapes. Include a glow bracelet into your invitation and ask your guests to bring it to your debut party. Make your party by invitation only and only those wearing the glow bracelets are allowed inside the venue. Position pseudobouncers at the entrance of the bar. It will add to that bar atmosphere that you are aiming for.
Sounds. A good DJ is a must for this theme, and so is good music and an excellent sound system. The combination of techno, trance and progressive music usually works best with rave theme parties. Browse through the net for these types of music. There are so many good DJ mixes to choose from, but check out DJ Tiesto and DJ Sasha’s mixes as an example. If you have a favorite song in mind that you would like to be included, brainstorm with your DJ the list of songs so that he can arrange the list in order to create a playlist that flows well from song to song. Be sure to specify any special music tracks you would like the DJ to play and when it is to be played. After all, it is your party, so it is your choice.
Drinks. There must also be drinking and toasting in order to create a rave theme, but it need not be alcohol. You do not want your crowd to be too rambuncious. Serve plain iced tea instead. You can also serve shandy which has only 0.5% alcohol, just enough to let their guard down.
Food. For a total Rave Theme, it is optional to serve hot viands unless your guests are expecting dinner first before the rave party starts. Lean more toward foods that are served cold to keep your guests cool as they dance the night away. Also foods that are sweet to provide them with the energy for a night of dancing. Examples of these are shakes, ice cones, ice creams, popsicles and smoothies. You can even have a dessert bar of sorts with foods served in little glass containers (panacota, chocolate mouse, fruit cups, coffee jello). You can also serve fruits and marshmallows dipped in chocolate on a chocolate fountain.
Party people. Invite people that you know really knows how to party. They will create that energy in the dance floor that would encourage nonravers to join in.
Other things to consider are the following:
Dress. In a rave theme, you have two choices. You can wear a gown during the program proper and then change to a more comfortable yet elegant cocktail dress later, or wear a dress that you can party on but chic enough to stand out. If don’t plan on having a program, you should opt for the latter.
Shoes. Wear comfortable shoes that goes well with your dress. Bear in mind that you are going to party all night so comfort is your primary consideration.
Some more cool ideas:
Invite and party favor rolled into one. Make your invite your party favor too. Select trance and dance songs and burn it on the CDs. Design the label of the CD (which will serve as your invite) through CD/DVD label design software that can be downloaded on the internet. Print it and stick it on your CDs. I’m sure your guests would love hearing your CDs over and over that they’ll be psyched, excited and ready for a night of pure fun.
Laser light show. For a more out-of-this-world rave theme, have a laser light show. I’m sure your guests will enjoy watching it as well as dancing with it.
Special effects. A fog machine will surely create a dramatic effect for your grand entrance.
Remember all these and your guests will definitely have something to rave about.
Hi, I’ll be celebrating my birthday this May and i still don’t know how the party will go. I like a rave- bohemian party :). I like the set to be bohemian style but with all the lights, dancing and partying.
I don’t know how to do it tho, I have so many ideas in mind about bohemian theme and another about rave and i cannot put them together. I don’t like to have traditional 18’s . I’m planning to put games instead so that the guests could interact with each other. How should the flow of the program be? Btw, I’m planning to do this in a bar or a fuction room where i can set up the lights and party stuff 🙂 thanks
Hi Kaye,
A Bohemian-Rave party sure seems to be a lot of fun. We have tips on how to throw a Rave party that is going to be out of this world. http://debutideas.com/?p=855. Combining it with the Boho style would be even better. The Bohemian style is free-thinking, extraordinary, unconventional and earthy.
Your choice of venue is good because a bar is perfect for a rave party. In a rave party, sometimes a full program is impossible because rave parties are spontaneous so you should make your program short afterwhich you and your friends can party the night away. Your program can flow like this:
Introduction of the debutante
Toast by parents
Games
AVP
Dinner
Games
Talent portion (some debutantes like to sing or dance, but this is optional)
Games
Speech by debutante (marks the end of program and start of the dance party)
Party
Inserting games in the program is a good idea too. We have some games in our Games section that you may wanna consider. http://debutideas.com/?page_id=851. You could also have an award for Best Boho Style so that guests who makes an effort to dress Bohemian will be rewarded.
Here are some pointers in making your party truly Boho.
Wear your hair in an updo like this:
Source: http://www.misquincemag.com
or just let it flow like this:
Source: http://remotecontrol.mtv.com
For your outfit, you can go for the maxi dresses Boho style:
Source: http://vogueidea.files.wordpress.com
and these:
Source://3.bp.blogspot.com
Ask your guests to wear a Bohoish outfit which is similar to this:
Source: http://www.polyvore.com
or these:
Source: http://3/bp/blogspot.com
For party favors, you could give away bandanas for the male guests and hooped dangling earrings and these lovable Boho headbands for female guests:
Source: http://www.polyvore.com
Hope this helps and happy birthday Kaye!
I’ll be having my debut on JUNE! :(( And I’m seriously cramming haha 😐 HELP
hi, what’s the best theme on a debut? except for the formal, i really dont like it because it’s boring.. i want my visitors to enjoy and always dancing, if ever i want to have games on the party..haha,, help me, i want something different that its not common but sexy type..
Hi Akin,
I think you are describing the Rave theme. This is an informal type of party that spells pure fun. You can have a short program and infuse some games into it and after that you can dance the night away. You can also infuse this with the Glam Rock theme where you and your friends will dress in their finest with with glamour and sexy rolled into one. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
hi! I want to celebrate my 18th bday with a rock theme with 18 roses, candles, treasures, etc. Kasi I read your article about “the party that rocks” eh I want it to be formal kasi., where girls attire is cocktail dress and guys wearing formal attire is that possible?? 😐 and I don’t know where to celebrate the event. can you help me or can you suggest something? 🙂
hi debut ideas,
i saw how you help somebody regarding her inquiry re rave-bohemian party (pictures for hairdo, dresses, accessories, etc). it so helpful because of the pictures. I am celebrating my debut in May and i am thinking of a hawaiian themed party. Can i do this even if the venue i am considering is a ballroom? I know my guest won’t be wearing grass skirt (maybe the younger ones, they might), any suggestion for the dress (male and female). Can you give me some pointers on how to go about this theme…i want all the guest to feel and enjoy the party. Please help…thank you in advance…Nica
Hi Nica,
We have an article about bringing the beach indoors. It is great because even if your party is indoors, you can still have a feel of the beach into it. Ask your guests to wear either all white or summer dresses so that it would add to the ambiance of being in a beach
Source: http://images2.like.com
Source: http://fashionfling.blogspot.com
Table centerpieces would be like this:
Source: http://i.ehow.com
Have a backdrop such as this at your stage:
Source: http://www.theme-it.com
There are more tips on our article bringing the beach indoors. Hope this helps.
HI! This theme is what i really want! Can you help me decide on the invites? I’m planning on having it made like a poster or like a promotion of some bar. Do you think it’s nice or should it be a more formal one? And do you have suggestions regarding the program? Like i can’t have 18 candles anymore because it would not fit the theme. What can i replace it with? And what other 18 somethings can i put in the program? 🙂 I’d love to hear back! Thanks! 😀
I NEED HELP!! 🙁 My debut is on april 15 already! huhuhu. and i still don’t know how the party will go. Im in a russhhh bec i had so many probs.. (better late dan never). I like this rave party. I rent a bar already. but my mom wants a little program & i dont know how will the program will go.. I want a unique party… 😀 has a symbolics… blah2 like 18shots… wish den shot. hhmmm, & i dont know what will i put in my invitation… i just want to have a simple party,fun, colorful,elegant, SEXY! partty party party animal? :PP like that… hhmmm help me pls asap & i dont know what i will wear… 🙁 i love your idea of a glow bracelets… hhmm… thnks… :'(
Hi Jade,
Rave parties are great! Your mom is right. You should still have a program even though rave parties are somewhat informal. The program should be short and concise which should probably be like:
Welcoming guests by host
Intro of parents by host and then speech of parents
Grand entrance of debutante
18 roses
Games or Intermission number by friends
18 candles
Debutante’s talent portion (optional)
Debutante’s speech
Rave starts
You can name your 18 roses 18 raves, 18 favorite songs. You 18 candles can be substituted by 18 glow bracelets or glow sticks where your 18 candles will break a glow stick, make a speech and then give it to you. You can also have 18 lighters. You can also substitute 18 tequilla shots, 18 toasts, 18 wines where they will make a speech and then toast.
For your dress, go for cocktail short dresses in your color motif so that you can move about easily. Go for comfortable shoes that are stylish as well.
For your invites, look for pictures of mirror ball in the internet and make that the front cover for your invite to give your guests a hint as to what is in store for them on your party.
Lastly, relax and enjoy your party. Happy Birthday Jade.
about the script . .im having problems on how to set an script for my 18 angels,18bears,18 treasures and 18 cocktails. . can u help me do a script for this. . ?, i will celebrate my debut this april 18 so pls help me. . thank you
i have 6 18. . .tulips,candles,angels,bears,treasure and cocktail.. . pls help me with flow of the script. .thank you
Hi Eli,
Your invites are like the first peek that your guests are gonna have for your party so it should reflect the theme that you are aiming for. A promotional ad or a ticket to a concert sort of invite is the one that you should make. This type of invite would really set them in the mood for a rave party. Make your program short so that you can go on with the rave party as soon as possible. You program may be like this:
Welcoming of guests by host
Intro of parents
Debutante’s grand entrance
18 roses (18 songs, top 18 hits, 18 cheers)
Games or talent number by debutante
18 candles (18 glowsticks, 18 glow bracelets)
games
time to party
Hope this helps Eli and happy birthday.
Hi Sandy,
Don’t concern yourself too much with the script because the designated persons for your 18s are the ones who will be making their own speech. For the general script, visit — http://debutideas.com/wp-content/themes/mimboPro/files/Program_TechnicalScript.xls
Are you sure you want to have six 18s? That will be 18 X 5 (minus the 18 roses/dance) = 90 speeches! Maybe you can substitute some of your 18’s with an AVP. For instance, 18 people will light up 18 candles, while 18 angels and 18 bears will be part of an AVP in which they make brief speeches for you. This way, you have a specific time frame for the other 18s. We worry that some speeches might take long and you might have an overtime. Moreover, some of your friends might get bored. So why not make it fun for your audience by turning some 18s into an audio visual presentation? We usually advise debutants to have at most three 18’s, but if you’re up to the challenge of being creative, then it will all be worth it.
Happy planning!
Hi! I can’t think of a cool theme for my party, can you please make some suggestions? But I was thinking of the Rave theme, I think its cool. Can you post some pictures on how to dress in a Rave party theme. I like to have 18roses and candles but not that formal coz its boring. I dont want my guests to be bored. thanksss!
Hi Yel Dizon,
Yes a Rave Theme is indeed kinda cool because it is going to be just chill out party that I’m sure everyone would love. You can still have a short program with grand entrance and all because after all, this is YOUR party so you should be able to establish that. For your dress, cocktail dresses work excellently because it is less restricting so you can move about to entertain guests, and best of all, dance. Choose also stylish but comfortable shoes because you are going to be on your feet the whole night. For the 18s, you may want to have an 18 roses that is in keeping with the rave theme. In order to do this, you should pick songs that are upbeat that you and your 18 roses can dance to, some techno music perhaps, and instead of roses, try using 18 technos or 18 rock songs or 18 favorite songs, depending on what music you choose. You can also have 18 glow sticks were your 18 candles will break their glowsticks to make it glow and then make their speech. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Trina,
Sorry for the late reply. For a Rave Theme, I think the best place to celebrate it would be in a bar. Ask around for bars in the metro that would allow you to use their space. Rave theme or glam rock theme are usually informal and kind of laid back which would allow you and your guests to just rave, chill out and enjoy the party. You can still have a program but you should make it short. I think cocktail dresses would work for this theme. For guys, you can ask them to wear long sleeves or three-fourths with neck ties. If it becomes constricting as the night progresses, they can remove the tie so they can be more comfortable to rave. Hope this helps.
Hai! 😀
My debut will be on May 15 and I want to have a rave party!! The venue is not a bar, so I plan that the program proper would be held inside while the rave party will be held outside. What equipment will I need to rent for the party?? my program proper is a bit on a masquerade-ish theme. I have a gown for the program proper and I’ll have a cocktail dress for the rave party. I still don’t know how to merge the two themes together…please help. love lots KC. <3
Hi debut ideas. My debut is on july already and im cramming! Rave party is really what i like but i didnt rent a bar, my mom rented a clubhouse. How would i incorporate the rave party there? And we’re on a tight budget.. I also have in mind renting mobile bar for the drinks. As for the invitations and other stuff, would you pls give me ideas?? Its already may and i haven’t organized it all yet. HELP! 🙁
Hi KC,
I think a modern masquerade is not going to be hard to pull off. You don’t have to go all Renaissance-ish just to pull of a masquerade theme. Rave parties nowadays often use masks for drama and it is okay. First of all, make your decorations current and modern in order to create cohesion between your two chosen themes. You could also choose a mask that is modern looking so that your guests won’t have to do anything to transition from a masquerade party to a rave outside. If they are wearing a cocktail dress with their modern masks on, they won’t even need to remove the mask when they go outside because the mask just kind of blends in because of its modern look. A black and white masquerade party is a nice theme to go about. The transitioning from the masquerade to the to the rave would not be a problem because there is that modern vibe that you have established. Having your rave party outside is fine and it doesn’t really need special equipment from other raves indoor, and since it is not totally rave and I think with a masquerade theme initially, glow bracelets would not really blend in, you would not need total darkness for your rave theme. I think what you would need in your rave party is a laser show and dancing lights to create a rave atmosphere. Hope this helps KC and happy birthday.
hi kim,
a mobile bar is a good idea for the drinks. check out this page / description about Swizzle Mobile Bar’s services. You might get an idea how to do it =)
Of course, don’t forget to have a good playlist that can last the entire evening. You can either get the services of a DJ or just make a playlist yourself and compile them in a CD. You can also do both. Since you have a limited budget, you can have a DJ play for a few hours, then just move on with your music. For invitations, perhaps you can include a glowstick already to give your guests an idea on how fun your party will be. Then just include “Don’t forget to bring this glowstick to my party!” —- Instead of putting “____ seats reserved”, you can imply that the number of glowsticks you included is how many seats you have reserved for that guest.
Don’t panic. List down your tasks and make sure to follow up on them. I suggest that you scout for the mobile bar supplier first, then the DJ / music, then buy glowsticks, decorations, disco balls, strobe lights, etc. Don’t forget to have a simple invitation. The fact that you chose a Rave theme means that you have to get away from the traditional debut. Your invitation has to be witty and simple, but still makes an impact, which the glowstick will hopefully make.
We suggest you visit the House of Rave website to determine what else you might need. =)
Happy Planning!
hi.. i’m planning to have this rave theme to my debut next year.. can u give me suggestions on venue, invitations, souvenirs and especially on my dress.. i want it to be hip, fun.. i don’t like the traditional debut because i think it’s boring.. i also need suggestion for my 3 18s like 18 roses etc.. please help me.. i really don’t know what to do.. i want to make my debut unforgettable and unique.. help pls!!
Hi Bianca,
You can name your 18 roses, 18 raves. Your 18 candles can be substituted by 18 Lighters or 18 Glow Bracelets or glow sticks where your 18 candles will break a glow stick, make a speech and then give it to you. You can also substitute 18 toasts, 18 wines with 18 tequilla shots, where they will make a speech and then toast.
We also gave some answers to debutants who had similar questions and comments above, specifically to Kim, Yel Dizon and Jade. Our answers to their queries may give you some ideas too. =)
Happy Planning!
Hello! I love this rave theme you came up with! I want my guests to party hard, dress up crazy and bring out their distinct fashion sense. Thus, the rave/club theme. However, I’m also thinking of doing fashion runway. I want my debut to be neither too formal nor too casual. Is there any way I can merge both? Hope you can give me a piece o’ your mind on this. Thanks a lot!