This How to Throw the Perfect ’90s Throwback Party post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DrPepperPickYourPepper
The summer months are always such a fun time of year! From the long, sunny days spent outside splashing in the pool to the late evenings gathered round a bonfire while roasting s’mores, nothing compares to sweet, sweet summertime.
If you’re anything like me, you probably love a good summertime gathering with family and friends and I always enjoy hosting a fun party as a way to kick back, relax, and have a good time. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than inviting my favorite people over for good food and drinks, while enjoying each other’s company.
But instead of throwing a traditional party this time, why not switch it up this year and make it a throwback party. But not just any ol’ throwback- a ’90s throwback, baby!
How to Throw the Perfect ’90s Throwback Party
Ah, the ’90s. The era of vhs tapes, CD players, scrunchies, brightly colored binders- the list goes on and on. As a ’90s girl through and through, to me there’s no better decade.
From the bright neon colors to the one of a kind phrases (“As If!”), what’s not to love about the ’90s? (Okay so maybe the inability to use phones and the internet simultaneously had its annoying moments, but really that’s it! )
Today I’m sharing how to throw the perfect ’90s throwback party that will have all your friends reminiscing on days from the past. From the invitations and decorations to the best party foods and drinks to serve for your guests, I’ve got you covered! And in case you need a little extra help, I’m sharing a super helpful ’90s throwback party checklist printable!
’90s Throwback Party
Invitations
First things first, you’re gonna want to send out some old school ’90s style invitations to get your guests pumped about coming to your party!
Brightly colored invites with ’90s catch phrases will help instantly take your guests back to a time where they loved rocking neon and grunge rocker T-shirts, scrunchies, and spent way too much time watching music TV channels and kids getting slime dumped on their heads.
To add to the fun, make a request for guests to dress in ’90s attire and ask them to bring along something fun from the decade. This could be anything from their favorite movie, CD, or cassette tape, to a favorite toy or knick-knack. It will make great conversation starters at the party and will really help create the perfect 90’s atmosphere.
Also, forget the new age methods of texting, instant messaging, and e-mails, and send out some traditional snail mail invites. It will be fun for those invited to receive something in the mail and will make for a great keepsake afterwards.
You can grab this invitation to use yourself, by selecting the photo above!
Decorations
If you’re a hoarder and kept everything from the ’90s, decorating for the party should be pretty simple. Check your attic, basement, and your parent’s house for old toys, movies, CD’s, and games that can easily be used as decoration around the room and on the table. (See Mom, keeping those old toys was a good idea!)
Another item perfect for decorating your ’90s party is old movie and band posters and magazine clippings. I don’t know about you all, but I used to have my walls covered with boy band posters and my heartthrob at the time, JTT. If you don’t still have any of those, you could always grab a foam poster board from the dollar store and tape on printed pictures of your favorite celebrities and cartoons from the ’90s.
I also picked up neon colored items in the craft section from the dollar store and used that as table decoration, labeling them with fun sayings from the decade. Using a fun pink poster, I cut out a banner which I decorated to say “I <3 the ’90s!” Neon colored bowls and platters also work perfect for displaying food and drinks.
Food + Drinks
Of course one of the most important aspects of any great party is good food and drinks. While traditional party appetizers are great choices, adding in fun treats from the ’90s will be real crowd pleasers. For food, I chose to include several popular candies, snack cakes, and chips that I can remember loving when I was a kid, and paired it with the limited edition Dr Pepper® Pick Your Pepper packaging that I picked up at my local Kroger store.
Not only is Dr Pepper one of my favorite drinks, but the unique packaging is absolutely perfect for a ’90s theme party – or really any fun summertime gathering! From unicorns and fireworks to comic inspired designs, there’s a unique design out there for everyone!
Dr Pepper fans can also snap the code on their 20oz bottle for a super fun Snapchat filter based on the bottle’s unique design.
Even better, from 06/21 – 8/15 or while supplies last, there’s an amazing offer at Kroger where you can buy 3 Dr Pepper 12pk or 8pk 12oz (any variety), and get a free 20oz!
I also picked up some neon straws to make it even more fun for guests to drink their delicious Dr Pepper. Guests will love having a stroll down memory lane while eating and drinking nostalgic items from the ’90s and trust me when I say the fun Dr Pepper “Pick Your Pepper” drinks alone will make it an unforgettable party.
Music + Games
A ’90s playlist will also make for an amazing party, and who can forget all the fun songs from the ’90s? Guests will love to hear and sing along with their favorite music playing in the background. To make your ’90s throwback party even more unforgettable, bring out some fun board games from the ’90s for guests to play at the party. You could even break out some super popular ’90s video games.
Don’t have any board games on hand? Play a round of ’90s pop trivia or pull out the karaoke machine for guests to go to town with their favorite ’90s hits. Another simple game would be to have guests put their favorite movie, show, or band from the ’90s into a bowl, and then guess which item belongs to who.
Wardrobe
Last but certainly not least, looking the part for your ’90s party is a must. For girls, denim jackets, T-shirts under spaghetti strap dresses, overalls with one strap down, and high-waisted jeans are all very fashionable ’90s choices. For the guys, grunge rocker tees, bright neon printed pants, flannel shirts, and athletic sneakers are where it’s at!
Also, who can forget all the ’90s must-have accessories like scrunchies, butterfly clips, jelly shoes, Walkmans, chokers, baseball caps worn backwards, and one-strap backpacks. And in case you’re feeling stumped, just pull out some of your favorite ’90s shows and you’ll quickly remember all of the fashion fads of the day.
Ready to Party?
So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to throw your own ’90s throwback party that will be the talk of the summer?
To help you in your planning, I’ve created a printable party checklist that will keep you on track in planning your perfect ’90s party! Simply tap the picture above to save!
I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I hope you’ll throw your own fun summertime ’90s party! It really is good to kick back, relax, and have fun with friends and family, and a ’90s Throwback Party is the perfect solution! Be sure and pin this post for later!
Also, don’t forget to pick up the limited edition Dr Pepper “Pick Your Pepper” packaging at Kroger for all your fun summertime gatherings. I can’t wait to sip on mine all summer long. 😉
Hope you each have a wonderful summer! Thanks for stopping by!- Cara
OH HOW I LOVE THE 90S AND YOUR PARYT POST. WOO!
Haha, right?! The 90’s were the best! Glad you loved it!
This looked amazing! You have such an eye for detail. Just beautiful, and so FUN!
Aw thank-you! It was a lot of fun to create! 🙂
Ahhhhh the 90’s is my favorite!!! What a fun party theme. I love all the details. Give me those cosmo brownies and sour worms!
Yes! We may or may not have indulged with those afterwards 😉 lol
Haha this sounds so fun! I miss the good old days!
Me too! Things were so simple then and laid-back!
This is SO much fun! I love it!
Thanks Chelsea! Who can forget all the good things about the 90s!?
I am loving this new 90’s throwback that is going around everywhere! This party is giving me life! The vibrant colours are everything right now!
http://www.nmdiaries.com
Thank-you! Gotta love the 90s!
Oh my gosh, this is amazing!!! You thought of everything!
Thanks Laura! It’s a fun party idea for sure! 🙂
This is amazing, so colorful. I need to throw a party in a few weeks, so I might take some tips. 🙂
Thank-you! Hope you have a great party!
My fave thing about a 90s party is the 90s style that I absolutely can’t get enough of!
Agreed! It’s amazing how many styles from the 90s are back in right now! 🙂
Oh my gosh! Yaaaaas! The 90’s! This is so awesome! Great post!
Thanks girl! 🙂
Omg absolutely love this 90’s themed party! So cute!
Thanks girl! Who doesn’t love the 90s?!
This is awesome! Would love to throw or attend a 90s-themed party!
Thanks Erica! It was a lot of fun to create! 🙂
The 90s were my FAVORITE! I love this so hard!
Thanks Summer! Definitely my favorite decade for sure! 😉
My friends just threw a 90s themed birthday similar to this for their 30th and it was such a fun theme! The playlist was key and had us dancing all night.
How fun! Yes, I created a playlist on spotify, and it was so nice hearing all the best tunes from the decade! 🙂
Omg yes! Love love the 90s. And now you have me missing my Gigga Pet and all of the scrunchies!
Yes! My husband and I were just talking about our gigga pets. I don’t know how I managed to keep mine alive because I’d always forget to feed it lol.
Ohmygosh! Such a fun idea – I love it! I actually found a beloved cassette tape the other day and told my husband, “We have no way to listen to this!” Guess I should hit the thrift stores to look for a Walkman or something! Your party ideas are so fun!
Thank-you! I still have all of my cassette tapes in a little pocahontas lunch box lol. I don’t even know if they’d still play anymore but they’re vintage 😉
This is such a great idea!! This would make a great end to summer party theme! Thanks for the inspo!
Joy
http://www.basicallyjoy.com/
You’re so welcome! Let me know if you throw one! 😉
Super cute idea! This would be fun for someone born in the 90’s to celebrate a birthday later on!
Absolutely! That’s a great idea! 🙂
This is so fun! I would love to go to a 90’s party. We went to an 80’s party but I don’t remember much form the 80’s lol. Have a great weekend! Beautifully Candid
Thank-you! Haha me neither. I was technically only in the 80s for 9 days. 😉
Such a fun idea! I love how the Dr. Pepper cans look a little throwback, too! 🙂
Thanks! Yep, it kind of inspired the whole thing! They have the cutest bottles in-store too with unicorns! 🙂
I grew up in the 90’s and it was a lot of fun. The music was good and the style was…well embarassing now, but good then. I loved those butterfly hair clips. I had a million of them!
Haha, it’s crazy how much of the fashion from the 90s is in-style right now. I didn’t have to look very hard to find some things lol.
Oh my goodness, I LOVEE this! The 90’s and early 2000’s are my fav – I definitely need to throw a party like this soon!
Kristen | http://www.sophisticatedgal.com
Thank-you! Mine too! 🙂
Now… if you only had Girl Talk for a game! I LOVE this! Thanks for taking me back to the days of Saved By the Bell!
Tiffany
tiffanystaples.com
Oh, man! I forgot about Girl Talk! haha 🙂
Wow I love this idea, I think my friends would love it! 90s fashion is so much fun too if guests came dressed like that!
Exactly! So many cute fashion options! 🙂
What a fun idea. You hear so much about the 80’s not the 90’s…
I like the 80s too, but the 90s were the heart of my childhood <3
This is so awesome! Loving the 90s spin you took on this for your own throwback party. I’ve seen so many people have this type of party and the photos are “all that and a bag of chips,” haha! You may have inspired some great ideas here for me, Cara! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Kiara! Haha gotta love those 90s catch phrases! 🙂
What a cute idea! I love the 90s and think this is a great birthday party idea! What a cute setup.
Thank-you! Yes it would be an awesome b-day party!
This is too cute and so fun!!
xo, Lily
Beauty With Lily
Thanks Lily! It was fun to create and nice to have a little trip down memory lane. 🙂
SO much fun! Oh how I miss the 90’s, and I embarrassingly said all of those phrases 😛
Green Fashionista
You knew you were cool if someone said you were da bomb lol
So fun!!!
Jaymie
http://www.jaymieashcraft.com
Thanks Jaymie!
Great job
Thanks!
What an awesome idea! I love the throwback slang!
Thanks! Who can forget all the cutesy catch phrases we used to say?! 😉
Haha! So fun!!! I feel like I need to hunt down some Surge!
Thank-you! Ah yes, I forgot about that one!
Ha! I love this. I completely forgot about Mr. Potato Head.
Thank-you! True story- my kids came downstairs and were like “Mom, why are you using all of our toys?” haha 😉
This is the cutest. The 90’s were SO fun! Adorable ideas!
Thanks girl! I miss how simple things were in the 90s! Can you imagine how we ever survived without cell phones and the internet? lol
omg this is amazing! I love the 90s so this party would be amazing!
Thanks Kara! It was a lot of fun to create! 🙂
You knocked it out of the park with this tutorial! I love it! Looks like a fun time!
Aw thanks! I think everyone should throw a decade party at least once! So much fun! 🙂
Oh how fun is this! I used to LOVE cosmic brownies haha! Makes me miss the 90’s!
Not gonna lie, I still eat them! haha 😉
I love this! I would have so much fun throwing a 90’s/early 2000s party! I may need to do that! And I didn’t realize that DP was founded so close to the 90s!
Thanks! I ended up creating a playlist from that time frame and it’s been so fun listening to all the old hits! 🙂