Ye Olde Renaissance Faire

My Lords and my Ladies, imagine yourself in the days of old! Never having to use a fork, spoon or knife. Dressing ragtag and no one caring. Dragons, war on horses, armor. Ahhh the pleasure of it. Well, you can create this atmosphere again-and your friends will thank you for it. A renaissance party is a time to let loose, drink wine out of old-fashioned goblets, tear into a turkey leg and wipe your mouth on your sleeve. I'm liking it, I know that! So, let's get started!

Renaissance Faire Party Invitation

Of course, it should be a scroll. You can find some brown fake-looking scroll paper at any Kinko's or paper supplier. Some even have brown edges like an old treasure map. Small mailing tubes can be purchased from your local Mail Boxes or Post Office.

Most of this paper is laser ready, so use your computer to make a great invitation. Some creative ideas include:

• Levying taxes against anyone who can't come or those who come without a costume.

• Suggesting different costume ideas: court jester, peasant farmer, a lord, a merchant, a knight (hopefully dashing), a lady in waiting, a bar maid from the local pub, a gypsy, a washer woman, virgin maiden and others.

• Using the "Town Crier" as the host (that's you)-so the return address and RSVP go to The Town Crier at your address…which is, of course, the local inn!

• Listing activities such as crafts, games, wagering, etc.

• Including a glossary of terms based on Olde English so they understand when you greet them at the door with, "Hark! How now, me Lord and Lady?"

• Try creating your own family shield. Choose your own colors, design and the like. If you use it on the invitation, be sure to carry it throughout the rest of the party, like on seating cards and signs. Let Party411 help you create it.

That should do it! Who could say no to an invitation that promises a feast of food, activities and period crafts?

What To Wear

You'll want to dress the part for this party and you'll surely want your guests to dress the part at well.  We have Renaissance theme costumes for women and men.  Here are our favorites that you and your guests can choose from. 

• Village Wench - a bone colored peasant dress with attached green crushed panne overskirt.  Elastic waist, top, and sleeves. Separate vest with boning at front, eyelets and black laces.

• Renaissance Gypsy - Gorgeous purple/pale gold two-tone dress with corset.

• Lady Of Shalott - Includes dress with attached glovelets and under dress.

• Robin Hood - Hat with feather, shirt, vest, capelette with lace up front, belt, pants and boot tops.

Renaissance Faire Party Decorations

This is a bit harder. One can't expect you to totally recreate a pub, a home of wood and burlap with roof of sod, shingles and fronds (aren't I the educated one? But you can certainly use signage to make your point.

At the entrance, put a sign welcoming your guests to The Inn. If budget allows, you can always put a tent up in the back yard with big picnic tables or banquet tables (no tablecloths needed) and long, wooden benches. As well, torches in front of the party venue, lighting the way up the walk, will work nicely (since there was no electricity back then-and you'll be so authentic!). Throughout the space, you'll want to set up a fair atmosphere. Have a local company (or Party411) make you old-style signs or create them yourself: Ye Old Starbucks (for a coffee/dessert buffet), The Goblet Shoppe (the bar)-and others, Wherefore Your Laundry?, Come Hither Wench Salon and so on and so forth.

Hang tapestries on the walls. All signs should be written in calligraphy. Rent suits of armor to stand at your entryway. Label the bathrooms as Ye Royal Chamber Pots.

If you can rent them or find them, big wooden goblets or drinking mugs would be great. If not, big steins (like beer mugs) will work just fine. Oversized paper plates (plain white) will work for the food; paper towels work for napkins (unless the Queen is hosting this party-and then you may want some London garden-style designer plates and cups).

Decorate your tables in earth tones. Our Party Shop has lots of solid paper goods and cutlery. Try forest green and gold. Linen tablecloths in any earth tone would really be authentic.

Of course if this is a party of all royalty, you will use royal colors like purple (for queens only), black or royal red. If not paper, use satins, velvets and other elegant heavy fabrics.

What to Serve

You need lots of meats and turkey legs and fruits and vegetables on huge platters, big loaves of bread-a feast of sorts-where people help themselves but have to eat with their hands! A basic meat and potatoes meal! Don't you love it? Make sure to take pictures! Use pewter everything if you can.

Renaissance Faire Party Entertainment/Activities

Music first. You can probably start with some medieval stuff at the entrance (available from http://www.renfaire.com/), but I wouldn't stay with it all night-or I can promise you a food fight! A true renaissance party would have jugglers, mimes, and minstrels playing the lute, the flute and magicians hawking black magic. You may get your friends to volunteer! That could be amusing.

You may also want a few mystics, gypsies and astrologers on hand to read palms, do the tarot card thing and the like.

You also may want to set up a craft area. Allow people to make candles, decorate swords and shields (you have already cut out of tagboard), make a sundial and more. Try this soap making kit.

Jousting! Stranger things have happened.

Hark, this is a party to behold. This party will slide down the gullet of your friends easier than ale, trust me. Thou should'st invite everyone they know!

For more information, how to speak, what to wear, etc., go to http://www.renfaire.com/. It's a great site with lots of valuable information for you lords, ladies and wenches!

Anon, Fare thee well. The Party Girl

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