Costumes & Accessories (18)

Elvis Party

Table of contents

Introduction

He's known as The King and has reduced many a girl to floods of tears and squeals of excitement. His music is known throughout the world and has been used in many films... his name is Elvis Presley. And for those who want to throw an Elvis party for their friends, we have just the ideas to get the good times rollin'. So get your pen and paper ready and start making notes, right after we've had a closer look at the life of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

 

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8th 1935, Elvis Aaron Presley was one of two twins boys, though one was unfortunately stillborn. As child he had a stutter and was therefore taunted by the other kids, but also for the fact that he was very close to his mother - some children labeling him a "mama's boy". Elvis had his first performance at the age of 10 at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show and was dressed as a cowboy. He came second in the show and won $5 as well as a Fair tickets.

 

It was in 1946 that Elvis would receive a guitar for his 11th birthday, an instrument that he would carry with him wherever he went. His success started shining through in 1952 at his school's Annual Minstrel Show where he won the first prize.

 

Following this Elvis took a job as a truck driver while still indulging in his love for music. He would attend venues where gospel was sung and, in a similar fashion, those where blues was the at the order of the day. On July 18th, 1953, Elvis recorded "My Happiness" along with "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" at the Sun Records recording studio in Memphis. It was there that Elvis' career took off to make him the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

 

On the day of August 16th 1977, Elvis Presley was found dead on his bathroom floor by his then fiancée, Ginger Alden.

Back to top

Elvis Party Invitations

Get your party started by making some very cool Elvis invitations. If you’re stuck for some ideas, why not use any of those listed below. Should you require any of the materials mentioned, simply pop down to the appropriate retailer in your area or browse online. In addition, be sure to include the details listed below.

  • Party Name: e.g. “Patty’s Jailhouse Rock” or “Sven’s Elvis Party”

  • Salutation

  • Date & Time

  • Venue/Location

  • Dress Code

  • Contact Details

  • Additional information…

Back to top

Elvis Design

This is by far the easiest and the most inexpensive Elvis-themed invitation to make. For this you’ll need a computer loaded with the appropriate software as well as a printer. Should you not have the latter, simply take the finished design down to your local printing firm and have them print it out for you.

 

Now, what you’ll need to do is get your hands on some suitable images to go with the theme and, importantly, the name of your party. For this you’ll be able to use the internet and download them with the appropriate permission.

 

Once you’ve got your image, simply edit and arrange it using some image editing software and place it on the front of your invitation template. Be sure to include the name of your party on the front in the appropriate font.

 

When you’ve got that pat, simply print it out on the appropriate paper (gloss/matted/etc,) and get ready to deliver them.

Back to top

Elvis CD

This invitation is for those individuals who have a slightly higher budget set aside for their party.

 

For this invitation you’ll require a CD for each couple or each individual guest that will be attending. In addition, you’ll have to make or buy invitation cards equal to the number of CDs your are planning to buy. Take care to ensure that the invitation is exactly the same size as the CD cover.

 

Once you have all the items, simply replace (or add to the front of) the CD cover with the invitation. For those with a bit more time on their hands, why not dedicate the first two pages of your custom made Elvis CD cover to the invitation and a couple of subsequent pages to some interesting facts about the singer?

 

Not only will this make an excellent invitation, but the perfect keepsake too.

Back to top

Elvis Shirt

Wherever there’s an Elvis Party, there has to be a couple of Elvis-shirts too. These are available from all Elvis merchandise retailers or from the internet. Be sure to buy one for each of the friends you are planning to invite.

 

Now, as soon as you have your shirt, be sure to get into contact with your local screen printing firm as you’ll want the invitation to your party printed on the back. Remember to include all the details as listed above and to change the name of your guests with each print.

 

As with the Elvis CDs, these will make excellent keepsakes for days and years to come.

Back to top

Elvis Party Dress Code

Nothing could be easier than deciding what to wear to an Elvis party – well, except maybe shaking your hips and singing along to Jailhouse Rock in the shower.

 

Be sure to include “Elvis Attire” or “Elvis Threads” (use slang from that era) as the dress code on your party invitations.

Elvis Party Decorations

As with the dress code, getting your hands on suitable Elvis decorations should be a cinch. Here are a couple of items vital to any Elvis-themed party:

  • 50’s Foil Balloons

  • Electric Guitars – real, plastic or balloons

  • 50’s Vinyl Records (wall décor)

  • Elvis Posters (wall décor)

  • Elvis Shirts & Jumpsuits (wall décor)

  • Juke Boxes – real, plastic or balloons

Back to top

Elvis Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

Announcing your guests as they arrive will require you to temporarily play the role of the show announcer. As your guests arrive, exclaim in a loud voice:

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome, the King of Rock and Roll… Elvis Presley and his beautiful wife, Priscilla! (a.k.a. Jim and Ruth Howard)”

 

For added authenticity, be sure to dress in a 50’s presenter’s outfit.

Elvis Party Favors

As Elvis memorabilia are plentiful, you won’t have any problems finding suitable Elvis gifts to use for Party favors. And just in case you are stuck, here are a couple of our favorites:

  • Elvis Mugs

  • Elvis Shirts

  • Elvis CDs

  • Elvis Clocks

  • Elvis posters

  • Elvis Bags

All these and many more are available from your local Elvis merchandise retailer or from any of the thousands on the internet.

Back to top

Elvis Party Activities

Elvis Impersonation

No one can resist doing Elvis impersonations, especially at an Elvis-themed party. As such it is only right to clear a small area or construct a little stage where you and your guests will be able to impersonate The King.

 

To add to the atmosphere, construct a backdrop for one of Elvis’ most famous songs and hook up your stereo system. Each guest will be able to do the song as Elvis, in his or her own way.

Elvis Trivia

Everyone who loves Rock ‘n’ Roll will have heard of Elvis. Spend some quality time with your friends by purchasing an Elvis trivia set from your local Elvis merchandise retailer or from an appropriate store near you.

 

This will ensure that you and your friends spend some quality time together by showing what you know and learning what you don’t.

Back to top

Find The Real Elvis

There can only be one real Elvis, and now’s the time to find him. For this game you will have to make as many little squares of paper as there are guests, including yourself. Mark one of the scraps of paper with an ‘E’ and put all of them in a non-transparent bag.

 

Once you’re ready, you and all the other Elvis impersonators have to sit in a circle and draw a piece of paper from the bag. The person who draws the square of paper marked with the ‘E’ is the real Elvis (but he or she should keep it a secret).

 

The game rules are as follows: The real Elvis has to eliminate all the impersonators by winking at them. But he or she must do this without being caught. As such your guests have to stare at each other’s eyes to catch the real Elvis. Once somebody’s been winked at, he or she is out for that round. If someone suspects who the real Elvis might be, then they have to say “Elvis isn’t dead!”. Upon saying this, both the people to their left and right have to say it too. The person who then said it first has to point out the real Elvis. If they are wrong, then he or she is out of the round including those immediately to their left and right. If they are in fact right, then Elvis is found and it is time for another round.

Back to top

Elvis Boogie

What would an Elvis party be without some Elvis-style dancing? Clear a sufficiently large area and crank up the volume to Blue Suede Shoes and Jailhouse Rock to see your guests shaking their tail feathers!

Back to top

Food & Drink

Well, it’s a Rock ‘n’ Roll party and as such you’ll have to have Rock ’n’ Roll food and drinks. These are easy enough to lay your hands on as they mainly include the following dishes, among others:

  • Pizza

  • Burgers

  • Fries

  • Hotdogs

  • BBQ

  • Chicken Wings

  • Tacos

  • Nachos

  • Chips

  • Dip

  • Sandwiches

As for drinks, well, use your imagination. Aside from the usual beers, wine and spirits, why not get your hands on a couple of fancy cocktails with which to surprise your guests?

Back to top

Reader ideas