by Krista Jansen

Created on: February 04, 2009

For the past four years I've thrown a big party on Oscar night. I love watching the arrivals on the red carpet, seeing which celebrities are dating each other, and who will take home the little golden statuettes. I'm attracted to the glitz and glamour that is "Hollywood." And now each year, my friends are just as excited as I am for the Academy Awards.

In preparing for my fifth annual Oscar party, I've decided to plan a simple and inexpensive party for this year. In the past, I've worked away baking for days and buying lots of food that no one ends up eating. And I never seem to have enough of what people actually want to drink, so this year I'm planning on getting it right without breaking the bank.

To plan your own Oscar party, take note of some things I've learned over the years:

Invitations: While I would love to send out formal printed invitations, making the evening quite classy and sophisticated, I usually put together a very nice Evite invitation. Evites are so easy to prepare and they're free. With the Evite, I think guests like being able to see who else has been invited to the party. If you want your guests to dress-up for the party, be sure to mention it in the invitation; I find that people prefer to dress casually in their normal weekend clothing.

Food: Do not go overboard with food, but be sure to have at least one or two hot dishes to serve. Though the Academy Awards start at 8pm, the show lasts for a very long time and people will want to munch. I suggest pizza or chicken tenders, which you can buy at your local food store, or you could order in from a nearby restaurant. Have some popcorn and veggies with dip, and maybe some dishes of candy; M&Ms are always popular at my parties.

Drink: Buy some champagne, even if it's inexpensive champagne. It makes the night a little more glamorous if you're sipping some bubbly. Also have a few bottles of red and white wine, and beer on hand, as well as regular and diet versions of soda. If your guests ask if they can bring anything, suggest they bring a bottle or six-pack of whatever they prefer to drink; some people are very particular about what they like or they have special requests, such as cider or hard liquor which you might not have on hand.

Dcor: Really, you don't need to go all out with decorations for an Oscar party. You just need a very good television set-up, since this is a party, much like the Superbowl, that revolves almost entirely around the TV. Also, make sure you have plenty of seating for all your guests; if you have limited seating, be sure to keep your guest list small. It's a long show and people need to be comfortable for three or four hours.

Ballots and Prizes: My Oscar parties always include a competitive element, which keeps people interested. Before the show beings at 8pm, I have guests fill out a ballot that I print from the official Academy Awards website. People switch them around and grade each other during the awards show. The person who guesses the most correct categories wins a prize. It can be anything from a cupcake to a DVD to a fake Oscar.

Oscar parties are a lot of fun if you and your friends are interested in pop culture and awards shows. And you don't have to go broke planning a fun Oscar night.

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