Bowties and Bourbon Kentucky Derby Party

It's time to sound the trumpet, hear the thunder of hooves and the roar of the crowd! We are off to the races to celebrate the Kentucky Derby!

Don your bowties and sip some Bourbon to celebrate the 148th Kentucky Derby. This year celebrate the Run for the Roses with a posh Bourbon tasting party where everything from the guests to the drinks will look dapper in their fancy bowties and hats.

Just because the Kentucky Derby has been dubbed as the "fastest 2-minutes in sports" doesn't mean your party has to lack southern hospitality and charm. This is a super simple party that's perfectly on point with its theme featuring lots of roses, bourbon, and dapper bowties.

I started by creating a focal point and set up a lush garden wall backdrop that serves as the perfect spot for guests to select and sip bourbon while they cheer on their favorite horse to victory. Or they could mix it up and create the signature drink of the Derby, a Mint Julep.I used the Small Back Drop frame and Square Boxwood Mats to create a lush garden wall. I then added a white balloon garland to give it a playful look. I draped the Navy Blue Gauze table runners through the balloons and added Rose Garlands to complete the look. I think it gives the bar a sophisticated look without being too over the top.

For the main table, I used an Artificial Grass Roll to serve as a table runner and provided a pop of color and dimension that grounded all the red in the room.

Derby Paper Dinner Plates, Red Square Dinner Plates, along with Derby Lunch Napkins created a stylish, yet super functional place setting. I layered the plates with the colorful plaid Derby plates. I love how all the patterns mix together to create a cohesive look.

Table decorations were kept simple with vases of red roses and a few items from the Kentucky Derby Decorating Kit.

Everyone is a winner at this party so I added silver Trophy Cups with Lids to each place setting. These were filled with water so guests could cleanse their pallets in between Bourbon tastings.

Each guest was served a flight of three different Bourbons. Guests were encouraged to rank their favorites, just like we did at this Beer Tasting Party.

In between tastings, guests could enjoy classic Derby fare like Hot Brown Sandwiches and ooey-gooey Pecan Bourbon Balls.

The actual race only takes two minutes, so I always like to plan a few Derby-inspired games to extend your party and keep the fun going before and after the race. This year we used the Derby Place Your Bet Game Cards to take wagers before the race begins.

I also decided that our lush garden wall would make a great photo booth so I set out Derby Day photo stick props, so our friends could capture fun memories during this celebration.

The race might only last a couple of minutes, but guests will have fun placing bets, sampling bourbon, and cheering for their favorite horse to win at this classic and stylish Kentucky Derby Party!