Could there BE a better theme for a 30th birthday party? Even though the last episode of Friends™ aired 16 years ago, its popularity is still going strong today! Bring back all of that feel good 90's nostalgia with this party inspired by Rachel's thirtieth birthday celebration in "The One Where They All Turn Thirty"!
From a floral fountain centerpiece, iconic props and a replica birthday banner to a late-night bar cart inspired by Central Perk, the modern nods to this classic show are sure to inspire. Gather your gang and celebrate with a party worthy of Gandalf the party wizard from "The One Where They're Going To Party"!
Transport guests to the set of friends by using a color palette synonymous with the show. The purple & yellow of the door along with the red, blue and yellow hues of the opening umbrella scene are iconic! I used a softer pastel tone of each (lavender, lemon, coral & baby blue) to soften and modernize the look while retaining the 90s feel.
For this party I created a floral centerpiece representing the fountain & umbrellas in the opening credits. I made the centerpiece using a Floating Candle Bowl as the base and stacking Clear Plastic Margarita Glasses to create the next two tiers. I then filled these with White Faux Hydrangea Stems colored blue to represent water.
I spray painted Umbrella Favor Containers coral, lemon and pale blue then added them to each level of the fountain.
At each side of the centerpiece I added photos of the birthday girl in FRIENDS Peephole Picture Frames. Bonus points if you can get the birthday guest of honor dressed as if they are aboard the Mr. Beaumont (The One with the Proposal). Accent the frames with umbrellas and Gold & Silver Fringe Blowouts, just like they used for Rachel's 30th birthday!
Each end of the table was filled with more iconic props like a New York Taxi Favor Box and a Prism Crown accented with tinsel and jewels to look like Rachel's 30th birthday crown.
Geometric shapes and grid patterns were BIG in the 90's so I incorporated both into the table setting along with the softer pastel color palette. To do this I spray painted the underside of a Clear Octagon Plastic Dinner Plate lavender then layered a black & white grid plate on top. Finish off this look with a lemon hexagonal plate.
Add all things Friends to the place setting with a Friends themed napkin and alongside Metallic Gold Hammered Cutlery.
FRIENDS Central Perk Photo Clip Holders make perfect holders for guest's name cards. I sprayed the green bases light blue then created name cards using lavender cardstock & the FRIENDS font (Gabriel Weiss) in white vinyl.
Including your favorite Friends quotes throughout the party is a great way to bring this theme to life. I used the same font and white vinyl to add quotes to Stemless Plastic Wine Glasses. Add a pop of color to cocktails with lavender edible flowers!
"The One Where They All Turn Thirty" opens in Rachel's apartment, it is decorated with balloons and a giant birthday banner. Recreate the scene with a modern twist. Rather than single floating balloons I created a balloon garland using chalky pastel balloons in yellow, lavender and blue with a pop of coral.
Under the garland I replicated the 30th birthday banner using a Fadeless Paper Roll and paints that matched our color palette.
Rather than using a traditional tablecloth I used napkins to cover the dessert table since I loved the design! Small glue dots work to hold these in place. In the center of the dessert table I placed the cake on a pretty lavender cake stand.
I used more Umbrella Favor Containers to create a cake topper. If you have a letter board at home use the numbers to add "30" to the center umbrella using glue dots. Otherwise, use numeric stickers or white vinyl.
Celebrate the guest of honor with more peephole frames filled with pictures. Add some humor and a few nostalgic memories to the table with a FRIENDS Turkey Ceramic Coin Bank (The One With All the Thanksgivings) and an Adult's Gold Roman Helmet with Red Brush (The One in Vegas: Part One).
Give the props some height using an Acrylic Riser Set. Fill the risers with more hydrangeas to tie into the party table decor. I had some Friends themed stickers at home that I added to the risers as well!
There's nothing like a few games to get the party going and I couldn't resist a round of "Its All Relative" (The One with the Embryos), although my house wasn't at stake during this one!
This is a super easy game to set up on the fly. Split into 2 teams and have teams submit answers to the questions before they ask the other team. I created the board using a foam board, sharpie and colored sticky notes.
Don't forget to set up a drink station so your guests can stay hydrated while they play! Set up a bar cart inspired by The Central Perk that transitions through to late night with a selection of post-dinner (or lunch snacks).
Get all the supplies and steps to create this Friends Themed Bar Cart HERE. You'll love the fun coffee board signage and take home FRIENDS Central Perk Tumblers!
Make sure Phoebe's guitar is on standby for a few bars of Smelly Cat!
Finally, capture all the fun with a Friends™ themed photo booth. Does it GET any better than a selfie with your friends?! Set up a photo booth prop area and decorate with a personalized Directors Clapboard that can double as a photo prop.
Add a Joey special into the mix...two Pizza Treat Boxes!
Create your own quote photo props using vinyl on Dry Erase Speech Bubble Photo Stick Props.
The last step is to cozy on up to this life-size FRIENDS Stand-Up and create some memories for your own flashback episode!
Thank you for joining us for our Friends themed 30th birthday party! I hope you're already planning to host your own party!
