Movie Night Party: How to Plan the Perfect Night In

08 Jan Movie Night Party: How to Plan the Perfect Night In

Lights, camera, action! I planned a movie night party for my family with the goal of recreating the theater experience at home. I had a blast putting together this concession stand with popcorn, classic movie theater candy, drinks and more. The snack bar and decor really took the energy up from just another night at home watching TV to a memorable experience. We’re already talking about doing another one!

Movie night also makes a great theme for a birthday party or a way to switch up your weekly hangout with friends. This could easily be a kids’ activity or an adults-only festivity if you add some wine to the mix.

I’m sharing all the elements you need to host an amazing movie night party at your home.

Let’s Get It Poppin’

The most important detail is good popcorn! This popcorn maker really makes it feel like you walked into a theater. I love that it doubles as decor and looks really cool on the counter. It’s also super easy to operate — you just add a tablespoon of oil (vegetable, corn or coconut work) and a scoop of kernels and you have delicious popcorn in minutes.

The striped popcorn cartons are also a crowd pleaser. You can go with one big bucket if you like to share or the individual boxes if your guests want to add their own toppings. I’d recommend offering butter, salt and seasoning. Use one of my favorite styling hacks and display some of the items on a pretty cake stand to create height and visual appeal.

Candy Concessions

The other must-have movie snack is a variety of boxed candy. I’ve found the best place to get these is Dollar Tree. You can’t beat the price. Stack them in a basket or tray for concession stand vibes.

Branded Beverages

Make your own themed labels to add to regular water bottles. Using Canva (this program is free and so great for basic graphic design), set the dimensions to 8” x 2” and customize with any text or images you’d like. Cut them out and adhere with double-sided tape to give your drinks an easy upgrade. I also bought glass bottles of Diet Coke to round out the beverages.

Movie Night Decor

While the snacks were definitely the focus, I supplemented with a few decor pieces to make my snack bar look even more exciting. I made my own “movie night” banner made out of cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby. I painted them red and black for an old Hollywood color scheme and glued them onto a ribbon. Since my parents have a home theater, we’ve collected some film-inspired decor over the years for that room. We already had the clapperboard, director’s megaphone and the vintage Pottery Barn cocktail plates and coasters featuring old movie posters. I found some similar items below to help build out the theme.

The Feature Film

My number one tip: Pick the movie in advance. You don’t want to waste time scrolling around, arguing and debating what to watch. Once you have a feature film chosen, you’ll be ready to roll and it will make the night stress-free.

If you don’t have a TV that’s good for gatherings, there are so many great projectors that transform any blank wall into a viewing experience. You can even bring these outdoors and project onto an inflatable screen.

Have you done a movie night party at home? What did you do to make it special?