If you talk about Chandler and Monica like they are your real friends, you will love this Friends Themed Party / Luncheon ideas!
One of the worst parts of being a military spouse is making such great friends and then losing them to new postings. This year, it’s happening to me, and one of the best friends I’ve ever had is moving half a country away from me. Sad doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel, but I have determined to make the best of our last few weeks together. Example? In honor of Best Friends Day we met together at our favorite little restaurant here in town, The Nook Creperie, to hold small going away party and luncheon.
The guest of honor, Melanie, is an absolute Friends nut. We both tend to talk about Joey and Chandler as if they really exist and are present in our lives, so it seemed natural that the get together be Friends themed. I was super excited, because I rarely get to host events for adults!
Friends Themed Party Favors
The first thing I created for the event were these adorable little favors. They’re a Burt’s Bee lip balm, tucked inside a purple card. On the front of the card, I printed a picture of the frame that surrounds the peephole on Monica’s apartment door. Then, I used a font that was inspired by the Friends logo to print “Thanks for bee-ing…” (get it? Bee-ing… Burt’s Bee’s? I’m so punny!) and on the inside, it read “a great friend.”
Friends Themed Party Decoration Details
When people ask me how I plan such great parties, I always give them the same advice: think of the little things. Those little tiny details are what will make people remember the party for years to come. For this party, it was the silly name tags I created with fake Friends names on them, like Princess Consuela Banana Hammock (from when Phoebe changed her name) and Miss Chanandler Bong (the name on the delivery slip of the TV Guide). Everyone in the restaurant was wondering what we were up to – and at the same time wondering why we were having so much fun on the middle of a Thursday afternoon.
Other decorations and details included speech balloon photo props with Friends one liners on them (such as “Pivot!”, from the well-known couch moving episode), cards with each character and one of their famous sayings (“We were on a break” anyone?), a small pail filled with Friends trivia, and of course, the adorable little favors, which finished the whole thing off!
Also, it’s really important to keep your events simple. This is something I’ve learned the hard way over the years, and each party has become simpler, less stressful, and I am able to be present and enjoy the party. Since this was a going away party for one of my best friends, I really wanted to be able to enjoy myself for this one. That’s why we decided to hold it at a restaurant – plus, it’s the place we’ve gone every time over the past five years, whenever life called for a celebration or some cheering up, so it seemed fitting.
Friends Themed Party Gift
Lastly, if you’re holding a party for someone, leave a final lasting touch with a memorable gift that ties into the party. For Melanie, I created this cute mug that says “You’re my lobster” – it was an easy, five-minute gift and she loved it so much. And it’s true – we’re totally each other’s lobsters. Or, for you Grey’s Anatomy fans, she’s totally my person!
We ended the lunch by grabbing someone walking down the street to take our photo on the restaurants patio – silly name tags and all. It was hilarious because while trying to get the restaurant in the photo, he backed up onto the road and actually stopped traffic for a while. (Not advisable, by the way.) Overall, our little gathering took about 2-3 hours to plan, and it was something the four of us will remember for many, many years to come – and making memories is what it’s really all about, right?
What about you? What are your favorite tips and tricks for gathering with friends or hosting a small party? Leave me a comment below, or tag me on Instagram (@simplycraftedlife).
Melanie Pitawanakat says
You are amazing! Truly proud of you, Sarah. Oh and Burt’s Bees products are awesome , too!!
Alison C says
Great ideas! It looks like you had a lot of fun. I remember those days of pcsing. It wasn’t fun leaving friends.
Can you please tell me what font you used on the name tags? Is it the same font on “I got off the plane”?
Sarah says
Hi there! I used a different font for each name tag. I didn’t save the files either so I can’t remember which one I used. I’m so sorry!
Alison C says
No problem. I liked the look of the font.
KP says
Where did you get those adorable printables: Ross (We were on a Break), Phoebe (Smelly Cat), Joey (Doesn’t Share Food). Did you have more for the other characters?
Sarah says
I found them on google but because I dont know who originally owns them, I couldnt offer them for a download. If you search though you may find them! I just changed the text on some of them in photoshop!