Till' Death Do We Pinterest: A Formal Affair

Already picked out a formal murder mystery and looking for theme assistance?

Window shopping for a swanky event to get your friends together and need an excuse to re-wear that expensive ball gown you bought for that one party that one time?

Well, look no further! We've got you covered in this post with plenty of inexpensive decor, diy, or just idea fodder for your high-class event.

One of the most commonly used themes for a murder mystery party is to create a world of elegance, usually that of a fancy cruise, a Hollywood party, a charity banquet, and so much more! Formal themed murder mysteries are the perfect excuse to get all dolled up and bring out your finest silverware. From getting ready for the party together with your friends like you would before high school prom to putting on a posh accent and sweet-talking your friends with a fake $100 bill, formal murder mysteries are arguably more exciting than actually living the high life. Or, at least that's what I tell myself. ;)

You can see the complete Pinterest board (No account required!) here.

Typically formal events are defined by the use of high-class materials such as crystal, with the primary decor color being either white or black, often with an accent color of purple, deep red, silver, or gold. For this set-up, we will be using black as the primary color, and gold as the accent color. The black represents the mystery and scheming present at the event, and the gold represents the relative wealth of the characters.

Segments: Decor | Food


Decor:

Attach golden balloons to golf tees to line your guests' grand entrances.

Source: nibsblog.wordpress.com via PartyTYDDead on Pinterest

Murder 101: What is a Murder Mystery Party Anyways?

“Murder is always a mistake – one should never do anything one cannot talk about after dinner”

-Oscar Wilde

In my many days of hosting murder mystery parties, I've found that each party has a few common threads:

First, a murder.

Second, a host.

And third, a newbie who just doesn't get it.

And that's perfectly okay! Everyone has to start somewhere, and as this isn't a very 'mainstream' method of entertaining, new players abound.

As a host, however, gathering the right words to explain what exactly a murder mystery party is can be a daunting task. I've stumbled over things like, "Well, there was a murder, there's food. uh. good luck?" "Someone in the room just murdered this guy and I can't say if it was you or not but you would know if you did it unless you didn't read your packet right, but sometimes you don't know, but I'm not sure, but your goal is to solve the murder - go!" and my all-time favorite, "This guy was murdered, and READ YOUR PACKET OH MY GOODNESS. THERE'S AN INFORMATIONAL PAGE RIGHT THE-oh. There isn't? Whoops. Heh. Here, let me get you one. . ."

So, then, what exactly is a murder mystery? I shall now explain it to you to the best of my ability:

A murder mystery party is an event planned by a host, most often through store-bought game, and carried out by the guests. The guests take on the role of a 'detective' to solve the party's main mystery, usually a murder, and any other mysteries that take place surrounding it.