Here’s how to throw an awesome Friends TV Show themed party!!
Show them you’ll be there for them when the rain starts to fall!
Hello, I’m Rachel! And if you’re new here, you may not know that I love a good party theme. From Dinosaur Tea parties to Mario parties, and everything in between. I pride myself on hosting parties well without breaking the bank and showing you how to do the same!
A party idea mulling around in my brain for quite sometime has been a Friends Party theme. But no one loves Friends like me! Actually, by the popularity of the new Friends Experience, I would say plenty of people love it just like me.
Friends is still my easy-to-view, favorite show. I watch it while cooking or when I’m feeling blue and need a comfy comedy. It just feels like home to me. Remember when almost everyone found out about Monica and Chandler, but instead of outing them, they decided to mess with them? “They don’t know we know they know we know.” Still one of my favorite Friends moments.
This year, some of my best friends pulled together to throw me a Friends themed birthday party; “The One Where Rachel Turns 38.” They rose to the occasion and pulled off what will be one of my favorite birthdays.
Even if it’s not a birthday party, a Friends themed party would be great for, wait for it…friends. It would even be fun to have a Friends Reunion theme for a reunion.
How to throw a Friends TV Show Party
1. Start with your theme.
As you saw above, mine was “The One Where Rachel Turns 38.” There is an episode where Rachel Green turns 30. There are so many ideas to be gleaned from watching the party episodes! My friends purchased a crown much like hers for the occasion. If it’s not a birthday you’re celebrating, look at the titles of the Friends episodes to get ideas for what you would like your theme to be. A Halloween or Christmas Friends party would be fun!
2. Choose colors.
We went with light purple and yellow. Monica and Rachel’s apartment is light purple, and yellow is the infamous picture frame around the peep hole. There is lots you can coordinate with this!
3. Create a balloon garland.
Balloon garlands are time consuming to make, but incredibly cheap, and they add such a wow factor to a party. They can be made several days ahead of time. In fact, I recommend hanging it a day before the party so your full attention can be on last minute things the day of. Here’s my simple balloon garland tutorial.
4. Decide on the menu.
We did pizzas and called them “The Joey special” (in the show it’s two pepperoni pizzas). There was also Monica’s Righteous Mac and Cheese, Monica’s Neighborhood Candy, Chandler’s Stolen Cheesecake, and Phoebe’s Toulhouse Cookies. And don’t forget the episode, “The One Where Rachel Smokes.” where Monica and Phoebe throw Rachel a surprise party. Monica puts Phoebe in charge of cups and ice and she decides to make the most of it. Make a cup tower, cup banner, set out crushed ice and cubed, and add a note that says, “I was in charge of cups and ice.”
5. Have everyone dress as their favorite Friends character.
If they aren’t a Friends fan, dressing in 90’s fashion would do! My husband decided to be “Ross is wearing leather pants.” It turned out great. One could even carry bottles of lotion and baby power to add to the effect. I wore my “Frankie Say Relax” shirt. It was perfect. Rachel never wears this in the show, but we know it’s Ross’ favorite old shirt, which he gave to Rachel, took back when they broke up, and gave back again because he still cares for her. Other good costumes ideas would be Phoebe’s smelly cat, Janice, Monica when in Barbados in season 10 when her hair gets enormous and she plays a ping pong tournament with Mike, Spudnik, the Holiday Armadillo, Monica with a turkey on her head, or Joey when he tries to be a 19 year old (“Sup with the whack PlayStation, sup?”). There are so many options!
Janice, Rachel in Ross’ favorite shirt, Rachel in Overall shorts
6. A Friends photo backdrop is worth investing in.
We had the best time taking photos “on the couch” at Central Perk backdrop. It also provides a nice decoration for an entire wall at the party. Hang it with sticky tack and you have one main area of your party all planned out!
7. Create a Trivia Game
This was another favorite part of the party for me. My friends created a “Rachel Trivia Game.” It was very much like the game Monica and Rachel lost their apartment in “The One with the Embryos,” episode. If your celebrating a birthday, make the trivia about the guest of honor. If it’s simply a Friends themed party, make it all about Friends trivia. You could even be sure to plan a lighting round!
8. Add details.
Using poster boards, cardstock, string, Sharpies, and good handwriting you can add all kinds of fun details for a few dollars. These Central Perk stickers are an inexpensive way to add decoration to disposable cups. Friends vinyl stickers are another inexpensive idea for party favors. Hang favorite quotes around the room for a simple and fun decoration:
- Joey doesn’t share food!
- I’ll be there for you.
- Pivot!
- Here comes the meat sweats! (Especially appropriate if you have a charcuterie board.)
- The One with…
- Whapah!
- Unagi
