Easy Tips for An Amazing Kentucky Derby Party!
Grab your hats, roses, and Mint Juleps and head off to the races with this unforgettable Kentucky Derby Party! It’s not often that we get to dress up and have some fun, so we hope these tips can help make some lasting memories for you and your people!
1. Choose Accent Colors to Sprinkle In
What I love about this time of year is that you have so many options for colors to sprinkle throughout your Kentucky Derby Party. We went with a striking black, white, and red combo, but you could easily go with pretty pastels for Spring such as lavender, pale yellow, or blush pink.
Many of these classic black-and-white decorations can be reused throughout the year!
Also, keep in mind what decor you already have on-hand so you don’t have to over-spend purchasing decorations. I’ve been slowly but surely growing my MacKenzie Childs collection for years and incorporated the following black-and-white checkered items:
I know these items are higher end, but they do make amazing gifts for people to grow a collection over time. I also love the variety of colors and patterns!
A local baker made these adorable horseshoe cookies in our black, white, and red color scheme, but you can also make your own sugar cookies using royal icing if you are feeling adventurous!
2. Add Rosy Accents
We sprinkled in roses (real and faux) and other red flower accents throughout the party! To make those giant ice cubes below, place a small rose inside a balloon, fill it up with water, then freeze. Once it is frozen, cut the balloon away to have these cool spheres!
Also, swapping out your usual wall decor for these large 3-D Paper Roses is another clever way to incorporate pops of red. You could hang them around betting cards like we did, or cute banners like this Kentucky Derby Burlap Banner with rose accents. I love how you can recuse these year after year!
Finally, simply adding fresh roses to a plain grocery-store cake instantly elevates it to meet your theme without the cost of a custom cake. We used a Black Forest Chocolate Cake, but any plain cake will do!
Whether you use faux or fresh flowers, everything is coming up rosy with these beautiful, classic accents.
3. Frame Menus & Mini Signs
You don’t need to be a Graphic Designer to create custom signs for your Kentucky Derby Party! These can be used for drinks, directions to place bets, food labels, party favors, and so much more. You can modify an existing template on Canva, or download ready-made templates on Etsy, Pinterest, etc.
You can temporarily use any frame around your house, or purchase simple frames at the dollar store.
Also, don’t feel like all of your frames need to match! It’s okay to tie in different textures and styles, such as wood or metal in various colors.
Printing out signs online and using frames you already own is such an easy, inexpensive way to add extra touches to your Kentucky Derby Party!
4. Bring the Hats to Your Kentucky Derby Party!
Confession: Sometimes I wish wearing fancy hats like Jackie O or Princess Diana was acceptable for special occasions. 🙂 This Kentucky Derby Party gives me my fancy hat fix without looking like a weirdo. 🙂
If you’d prefer not to wear a larger hat, a small fascinator or fancy headband also complete the look while being more practical.
First, I picked out a dress to wear, then just found a coordinating fascinator online. I instantly felt more proper and refined (lol.) 🙂
How cute is my BFF Jenn?!
5. Have a Photo Backdrop and Accessories
Photo Backdrops are so fun for both an activity during the party and fun memories to keep afterwards! We used a Circular Balloon Arch Stand, which you can get for about $30 off Amazon. Red Rose Garlands, black-and-white balloons, and faux topiaries complete the look! Tip: The topiaries are great year-round decorations that can be placed indoors or outside!
Also, while the girls have fun with chic headgear, the boys can also enjoy some fun Photo Booth Accessories for some festive photo ops! Here is a fun Kentucky Derby Party Accessory Kit set for under $10!
(Of course, the girls also wanted to get in on the fun with photo accessories too!)
Off to the Races!
6. Don’t Stress Over the Food!
Have you ever wanted to throw a party, but the thought of meal prep left you feeling overwhelmed? (Happens to us all the time!) Whether you cook yourself or buy your food, just remember that your guests will be most grateful for a fun experience to gather and won’t be thinking about if your dish is made from scratch or not.
Try not to pressure yourself with feeling like each dish needs to be Pinterest-worthy!
We like making little bite-size apps that people can walk around with, rather than needing to sit down at a table to eat.
Mini-sandwiches also had us feeling ever-so-dainty!
Red Sangria was another hit! You can find that pretty Floral Galvanized Beverage holder here!
For another easy appetizer, these Apple Pastry Roses would also be perfect!
7. Have Fun!
It can be so easy to get caught up in wanting every detail to be perfect, but always remember that the main goal is for you and your guests to have fun! Try to sit back, enjoy yourself, and absorb the moment with your people, which is always far more important that tiny party details.
For other party planning tips, be sure to check out our Tricks for a Stunning Garden Party, our Easy Tips for a Stunning Outdoor Party, or this deliciously fun Murder Mystery Party that We Did for Halloween.
Happy Hosting, Friends!
