Booze & Blacklights
A Complete Planning Guide for A Neon Night of Fun
Ready to glow, have a blast, and party in style? A Booze & Blacklights themed party is perfect for those who love neon colors, glowing drinks, and high-energy vibes. Whether you choose to hit up a blacklit club or roll around a roller rink, this event is all about embracing the night with UV glow-in-the-dark fun, vibrant cocktails, and unforgettable memories. So, throw on your most radiant outfit, and let’s dive into a night where neon lights and great drinks collide!
The Planning
Setting the Scene – A Neon Glow Party
The key to this party is to create a vibe that feels otherworldly, electrifying, and full of life. Think UV lights, vibrant colors, and high-energy spaces. Whether you’re at a roller rink or a blacklit club, you’ll want to bring all the glow-in-the-dark elements to life.
Decor: Transforming the Space with Neon Vibes
Blacklight Glow: The star of the show will be the blacklight itself. Make sure the venue is flooded with UV lights. If you're setting it up yourself, use blacklight bulbs or rent out a UV lighting setup to give the whole place that electrifying feel.
Neon Colors Everywhere: Decorate with neon-colored streamers, balloons, and glow sticks. You can even have neon-colored tablecloths and cups that shine under the blacklights. If you're at a club or roller rink that’s already equipped with UV lighting, use colorful neon tape to add extra flare to tables, chairs, and walls.
Fluorescent Graffiti Wall: Create a space where guests can add their own glow-in-the-dark art. Provide UV pens or markers for guests to leave messages, doodles, or their names on a large whiteboard or even a canvas, which will glow under the blacklights.
Glow-in-the-Dark Accessories: Have glow-in-the-dark face paint available for guests to add funky designs to their faces and arms. Provide glow necklaces, bracelets, and even glow-in-the-dark sunglasses for everyone to wear during the night.
The Menu – Electric Drinks & Glow-Inspired Snacks
The drinks and snacks at your Booze & Blacklights party should be as vibrant as the party itself. You’ll want to create an eye-catching, glowing experience with each sip and bite.
Drinks: Glow-in-the-Dark Cocktails
Neon Punch: A glowing punch made with tonic water (which glows under UV light) and a mix of your favorite spirits. Try mixing gin, vodka, or rum with citrus juice, and then garnish with colorful fruit slices or glowing ice cubes.
UV Cocktails: Serve drinks with tonic water, as it glows under blacklights. Try a “Neon Margarita” with blue curaçao and lime juice, or a glowing “Cosmic Cosmo” with cranberry juice and vodka. The UV effect from tonic water will light up the drinks, creating a radiant visual.
Glow Shots: Prepare vibrant, colorful shots with glowing effects. Use neon food coloring or tonic water in shot glasses to make them pop. Serve shots in fun neon-colored cups or glasses that reflect the glow.
Blacklight Beer: Offer neon-colored craft beers, or serve light beers with UV-reactive highlighter powder (safely approved, of course) to give them that glowing effect.
Mocktails: For non-drinkers, serve glowing mocktails using soda water, tonic, fruit juices, and ice. A “Glow Fizz” made with sparkling lemonade, lime, and a few drops of tonic water will shine brightly under UV lights.
Glow-Inspired Snacks
Glowing Jello Shots: Make glow-in-the-dark Jello shots with tonic water mixed into the Jello for that UV glow. You can create different flavors like lime, raspberry, and orange for variety.
Neon Cupcakes: Serve cupcakes decorated with brightly colored frosting and neon sprinkles that shine under blacklight. Add edible glitter to give them a cosmic look.
Glowing Cotton Candy: If you can find a way to make cotton candy glow (using UV-reactive sugar), it’ll be a magical addition to your party spread. Otherwise, cotton candy in fun neon colors will still look amazing under the lights.
Neon Fruit Skewers: Offer fruit skewers with fruits that glow a little under UV light, such as tonic-soaked melon, blueberries, or pineapple. You can also add neon food coloring to some of the fruit or yogurt dips to keep the glow theme going.
Glow Popcorn: Toss popcorn in a vibrant-colored seasoning (think neon pink, green, or orange) to keep the party’s snack game strong. Add edible glitter or glow-in-the-dark powder for a fun twist!
The Dress Code – Neon, Bright, and Glowing
For a Booze & Blacklights party, you want your guests to embrace the vibrant, glowing energy of the night. Here’s how to help everyone look their neon best:
Glow-Inspired Outfits
Neon Everything: Encourage your guests to wear as much neon as possible! Think neon t-shirts, dresses, leggings, or even funky socks and shoes that’ll pop under the blacklights.
UV Face Paint & Glitter: Set up a face paint station with UV-reactive face paint. Guests can get creative and add neon designs, like stars, stripes, or funky shapes, that will light up when the blacklights are on.
Glow Accessories: Provide glow-in-the-dark necklaces, bracelets, and hair clips to complete the look. Guests can wear glowing wristbands or colorful glow-sticks to really shine during the night.
Retro Roller Vibes: If you’re at a roller rink, suggest guests wear retro-style neon workout gear, like crop tops, high-waisted shorts, and colorful leg warmers, for an extra fun, throwback vibe.
UV-Reflective Makeup: If your guests are into makeup, offer a UV-reactive makeup station with highlighters and neon eyeliners that will shine brightly under the blacklights.
The Party
Experience of a Lifetime Timeline
The fun doesn’t stop at drinks and outfits; it’s time to keep the energy high with fun activities that everyone can enjoy.
Guest Arrival & Cocktail Hour: Welcome guests into the blacklit atmosphere and let them grab a fun neon drink!
Neon Photo Booth: Set up a photo booth with neon props, like funky sunglasses, feather boas, and fun signs. Guests can take glow-in-the-dark photos, and you can even provide UV-reactive face paint for extra glowing designs. They’ll get to take home a fun memory from the party.
Glow Roller Skating or Dancing
Roller Rink Party: If you’re at a roller rink, host a glow-in-the-dark roller disco, where guests can skate around to upbeat, dance-worthy tunes while glowing under the blacklights.
Neon Dance Floor: If you’re at a blacklit club, set the stage for a neon dance party! Create a glowing dance floor with flashing lights, blacklights, and a DJ that’s spinning those high-energy tracks everyone loves.
Glow Games & Contests
Glow-in-the-Dark Limbo: Set up a limbo stick (or glow stick) and see how low your guests can go under the UV lights. Add a fun neon prize for the winner!
Neon Costume Contest: Host a best-dressed contest for the most radiant, glowing outfits of the night. Award the winner with a glow-in-the-dark prize or a neon-themed trophy.
Glow Bowling: If your venue offers glow bowling or you have a bowling alley nearby, organize a neon bowling tournament for some extra competitive fun.
Glow-In-The-Dark Karaoke
Set up a karaoke machine and let your guests belt out their favorite songs under the glow of the blacklights. The more neon, the better! Pick fun, upbeat tracks to keep the energy high.
Favors: A Keepsake to Remember the Night
Send your guests home with something that will remind them of this nostalgic, unforgettable birthday night.
Glow Stick Packs: Give everyone a pack of colorful glow sticks to remember the night.
Custom Neon Cups: Send guests home with a neon cup or mug that glows in the dark. You can even personalize them with their names or a glowing design from the party.
Neon Snacks: Wrap up some leftover glow-in-the-dark treats in cute gift bags so guests can take a piece of the fun home with them.