Gatsby Glamour: A Roaring 20s 30th Birthday Party Guide

Goodbye, Roaring 20s — Hello 30! If you’re searching for a unique way to ring in your third decade, consider throwing a Roaring 20s 30th birthday party.

I recently turned 30 and had a blast planning this Gatsby-themed party. Here’s why it’s the perfect theme — and how to pull it off.

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Why a Roaring 20s Party Is the Perfect 30th Birthday Theme

When I first started researching 30th birthday party theme ideas, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Then I discovered the concept of a Roaring Twenties party. An event devoted to the iconic era of The Great Gatsby? Say less. 

I confess I have a love/hate relationship with the book. I know it’s a masterpiece, but I’ve always found the characters unlikable, and I detest tragic endings.

However, I recently watched the 2013 movie adaptation for the first time. Although it takes some creative liberties with the book, I also felt like it humanized the characters and made them more relatable. 

Whether you love or hate Gatsby, there’s something irresistible about the Roaring 20s — maybe because it’s wild that Prohibition was actually a thing?

A Roaring 20s party is an ideal theme for a 30th birthday celebration. First, because you are quite literally leaving your Roaring Twenties behind.

Also, turning 30 can make you feel nostalgic or reminiscent — I know it triggered some personal reflections for me. Since your 30s are often associated with a more settled time in your life, this theme can encourage you to reflect on the past decade and look forward to what’s next!

How to Throw a Roaring 20s Party (Step-by-Step)

There’s a moment in the Great Gatsby movie where Gatsby fills a room with flowers for Daisy. Nervous, he asks Nick, “Is it too much?” to which Nick replies, “I think it’s what you want,” and Gatsby affirms, looking quite pleased with himself.

As a lover of elaborate decor and parties, I have never felt more seen. That’s what’s so fun about a Roaring 20s 30th birthday theme — it’s supposed to be crazy, over the top, extravagant, and fun! 

Here’s my step-by-step guide to throwing a Roaring 20s 30th Birthday Party.

1. Plan Invites, Encourage Gatsby Attire, & Create Communication Timeline

First, you need to create a framework that sets the stage for your event.

Plan Invitations

Decide how you’ll send invitations and track RSVPs. I used Paperless Post, but Evite is another great option with both free and paid tiers.

You could also do printed invites if you want something formal.

Encourage Gatsby Attire

In your invitation and communication, be sure to encourage Gatsby/20s attire right from the start.

A room full of people in themed attire really takes an event to the next level. 1920s attire — dressing up like flappers, socialites, dapper gents, and bootleggers — is so much fun!

Since there’s a wide range of casual to dressy in the Gatsby era, people have more flexibility in choosing their outfits. It’s important to set this expectation early, so people have time to plan.

Create Communication Timeline

After sending your initial invites, keep guests in the loop with RSVP follow-ups, reminders, and day-of details.

Click to expand my invitation and communication timeline for a sample framework, and feel free to adjust as needed for your event.

2. Go All Out with Decor

Gatsby decor is meant to be bold and extravagant. This isn’t the time to go minimalist! Start decorating early if possible, even if it’s just a mockup, so you can troubleshoot and adjust your setup in advance.

I got help from ChatGPT with troubleshooting a couple of my decor layouts. AI can be really good at interior design, as I’ve written about previously, and I’m also working on a post about how it can help with event planning. Subscribe to my newsletter if you don’t want to miss it!

Click each dropdown for more detailed info about each decor tip!

Create a Speakeasy Vibe

One of the most intriguing parts of the 1920s was the emergence of speakeasies: hidden bars selling illegal alcohol. Speakeasies have so much appeal that today, many modern bars seek to recreate this effect — kind of an oxymoron when you consider their original intent. 

Turn Down the Lights

Aim for low, ambient lighting — not pitch black, but just enough to feel moody and intimate.

Make It Mysterious

Try to create a feeling of mystery and intrigue. Displaying decorative signs (more on that later) that hint at the Prohibition era — “Shh! It’s a Speakeasy” — is a fun way to play into the forbidden nature of the times. 

Giving your guests a code word to say at the door is a creative add-on, if logistically possible.

Create a Speakeasy Playlist 

It’s critical to have music playing throughout the event, so be sure to curate a playlist that fits.

Not a playlist guru, but I made one that worked for us — listen here. Live jazz? Even better.

Choose an Elegant Art Deco Color Scheme

To achieve the luxe feel of the Roaring 20s, choose an Art Deco color scheme with metallic accents.

In my usual decor style, I decorate with a lot of white and gold, but I pivoted mostly to black and gold for this event. Focusing more on black helps keep everything feeling darker and more mysterious, and still aligns with the Art Deco theme.

Jewel tones like deep red or green work too, though they’re trickier to match.

For metallic accents, you can use gold or silver — gold is more commonly used for 20s decor today and aligns with my usual aesthetic, but either works if you keep it consistent.

Make DIY Ostrich Feather Centerpieces

Ostrich feather centerpieces are a showstopping addition to any Gatsby party — and surprisingly easy to DIY with a little prep. All you need are vases or bottles, spray paint, feathers, and floral foam.

Start with the base

I used a mix of tall Eiffel Tower vases and repurposed wine and liquor bottles. My original plan was to remove the labels from empty bottles and spray paint them, but… I severely underestimated how hard it is to get those labels off.

Hours of soaking, scrubbing, and battling adhesive later, I wished I’d just bought bottles from Goodwill. If you’re up for the challenge, hot water, Dawn, and rubbing alcohol can help — but patience is required.
That said, Goodwill is your best friend. You’ll want a mix of bottle sizes for visual interest anyway, so it’s worth the trip.

SPRAY PAINT

Once bottles are clean and dry, paint them in gold, matte black, or both for a moody ombré effect. I also spray-painted a couple of Eiffel Tower vases to match. Pro tip: use a clear protective top coat to protect against scratching (I didn’t and regretted it).

Eiffel Tower Vase Centerpieces

Cut small chunks of floral foam (they don’t need to look good — mine definitely didn’t) and hot glue them into the top of each vase. Insert your ostrich feathers starting at the base and working your way up, spacing them evenly.

Don’t press them in too deep or you’ll run out of room! The feathers are light and stay in place easily.

It takes more feathers than you’d think to get that lush, full look — I used around 40-50 per arrangement. I found affordable 14″ white feathers on Facebook Marketplace, but you can also check craft stores or order online.

Wine & Liquor Bottle Centerpieces

For bottles, keep it simple: no floral foam needed. Just drop one or two feathers into each bottle opening.

You can also group plain painted bottles with your fuller arrangements to create stylish vignettes. The mix of heights, colors, and shapes adds a dramatic touch with minimal effort.

Decorate with Glassware & Pearls

Later, I’ll talk about how I recommend using real coupe glasses for drinks. You can also decorate with them by grouping them with your other decor elements.

Pearls are so 1920s! Place them in your glassware, spilling out of your decor, and wrap them around your bottles and vases.

I have these gold-rimmed coupe glasses that I love. I didn’t have enough to use for drinks, and so I had to rent additional, but they were perfect as part of my decor.

Martini glasses are another great addition if you have them.

Feature Framed Signage & Photos

Framed signage is one of the easiest ways to make an impact. I used 11×17 and 8.5×11 gold frames and designed prints with Art Deco fonts and Gatsby/speakeasy sayings.

I displayed some of the larger ones on black tabletop easels. 

Here’s a list of quotes and sayings I used: 

• A Little Party Never Killed Nobody
• A Party without Cake Is Just a Meeting
• Shhhh…It’s a Speakeasy
• Welcome to the Sweeteasy: Decadence Served on the Sly
• Prohibition Ends Here
• Goodbye, Roaring 20s
• “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!”

I also printed a welcome sign and a sign for the bathrooms — a handy tip if you’re hosting at home. And I made detailed signs for themed food and drinks (more on that later!). 

One word of caution: printing signs with black backgrounds is a little tricky. You need to print them on larger paper than the actual size and then cut them down. FedEx can do this! You can save money by cutting them yourself using their free cutters.

Using framed photos is another fun way to decorate. You can do black and white pictures of your childhood, milestone moments from your life, or a combination. You can also use black and white pictures of you in 1920s attire as a nod to the theme!

Want My Free Designs?

I created all of my Roaring 20s party printables — including these framed signs and my cocktail cards — and you can grab them for free!

Download the PDFs here!

Layer Real Tablecloths & Metallic Table Runners

Using real tablecloths is a great way to make your event feel luxurious. You can rent or buy them — I recommend black, or whatever aligns with your color scheme. If you’re worried about cost, I resold mine on Facebook Marketplace afterward.

Layer table runners on or along tables, or use as a backdrop for your photobooth! I found gold sequined table runners on Amazon and used safety pins to attach them to the tablecloths. 

Frame Your Photobooth with a Balloon Arch

I used my tablecloths and tablerunners as the backdrop for my photobooth. Don’t use those awful gold plastic fringe backdrops; they are a nightmare to work with!

A balloon arch is a great way to frame your photobooth and isn’t that hard to put together — you just need a kit and a balloon pump. If you don’t want to commit to a full arch, you can just do a couple of clusters.

Check out my instructions on how to assemble this. 

Pro tip: don’t buy the balloons with confetti in them because if they pop (and trust me, at least one will), it makes a huge mess.

I chose to have an informal station without props or a dedicated camera and simply had a sign that said “Strike a Pose, Old Sport,” but you can create a more structured photobooth if you want! 

Display a Styled Dessert Station

Desserts can double as decor! I’ll go into the details of dessert later, but treat your dessert station as an intentional styling moment. 

Accent with Candles

You know me….You can never have too many candles. And they’re perfect for a Gatsby-themed party, with low lights and a speakeasy feel.

You can use taper candles, pillar candles, tealights — you name it! Group at varying heights, and cluster throughout your space. Just try not to catch anything on fire.

Take It to the Next Level with a Champagne Tower

Full disclosure: I didn’t do a champagne tower, but I really wanted to! I decided it was a) too messy/accident-prone and b) took up too much space. 

If you have your heart set on a champagne tower, but are hesitant, here are a couple of suggestions to make it more manageable:

• Instead of filling your tower with champagne, fill it with pearl strands that cascade down. It will look beautiful and still create a wow effect with less spillage risk involved.
• Pre-pour the champagne into the individual glasses, rather than pouring it from the top and having it overflow. It won’t create as much of a “moment,” but it will be way less messy.

Once your decor is in place, it’s time to focus on the food!

3. Serve Finger Food & Elegant Appetizers

Food is an essential component of a Roaring 20s party! Popular 1920s fare includes shrimp, finger sandwiches, and deviled eggs, perfect for party snacking.

Not catering? Ask your talented friends to bring food — it made all the difference for my party.

Hosting tips:

1. Choose a color palette for serving dishes (I chose to use all black and white) to keep things consistent.
2. Naming your food cute things also helps add to the ambiance.

Normally, I’m all about using real dishes, but with a large event, that’s not always feasible. While I do recommend buying or renting real coupe glasses, I skipped real dishes to save money and effort.

There are some elegant disposable options available online. Choose an option that aligns with your color scheme and display your utensils in stemless wine glasses for an extra touch.

Here’s what I used:

• Gold & Black Cocktail Napkins
• Gold & Black Square Appetizer Plates
• Gold Plastic Forks

4. Make a Statement with a Sweeteasy

“A party without cake is just a meeting.” This quote is often attributed to Julia Child, and as a dessert lover, I stand by it.

We created a “Sweeteasy” dessert station with a black velvet cake, cupcakes, and other treats to match the color scheme. It was both functional and decorative — a total highlight.

I used an acrylic tiered cupcake stand wide enough to hold a 6-inch layer cake on top (a little top-heavy, but it worked!). I made the cake and cupcakes myself, but you can absolutely outsource to save time.

A friend made cake pops, and I filled tall vases from Goodwill with Ferrero Rocher — easy, celebratory, and on-theme.

Want to use edible gold leaf? Check out my step-by-step tutorial for all my tips.

5. Feature Signature Cocktails & Mocktails (Plus Sparkling Sips)

You don’t need alcohol, but 1920s cocktails and/or mocktails bring the theme to life. Prohibition-era drinks are iconic and a blast to serve. Lean into it!

How to Batch & Serve Cocktails for a Crowd

For my party, I did a deep dive on how to make cocktails in bulk. We had three signature drinks, all 1920s themed: An Aviation (the Flapper), a Sidecar (the Gatsby), and a Whiskey Sour (the Bootlegger).

We also offered mocktails: a virgin Greyhound (the Ruby) and a virgin Tom Collins (the Flirt).

Want to master the art of batched cocktails?

• Check out my tips and get my drink recipes in my post about how to batch and serve cocktails for a crowd.

Looking to make your own oversized ice cubes?

• Check out my instructions for this in my tutorial about how to make clear ice cubes at home.

Sparkling beverages such as champagne and sparkling cider are also representative of the era. Be sure to keep your fizzy drinks on ice in a beverage tub to keep them cold. You can never have too much ice — the most underrated rule of parties!

To serve your drinks, I highly recommend buying or renting real coupe glasses to lean into the time. Real glasses both feel special and are practical — the plastic ones are often not large or sturdy enough.

Although I used to think renting was a hassle, it was surprisingly easy and affordable. Be sure you check for dimensions and ounce capacity.

Hosting tip: buy some wine charms if you don’t already have them, so people can tell their drinks apart. I got a pack of 50 gold charms for a steal on Amazon.

6. Let the Night Unfold

I debated adding games or activities, but ultimately decided to keep it simple and let guests mingle and enjoy themselves. While I’m not the biggest fan of party games (and yes, I did Google whether people actually like them), I’ve found that unstructured time often works best.

That said, if you do include activities, my best advice is to read the room. If the vibe is lively, don’t interrupt the flow, but if things start to lull, a well-timed game can bring fresh energy.

Just play it by ear and let your magical Roaring 20s evening unfold.

Need More Hosting Inspiration?

You’ve got the feathers, the cocktails, and the sparkle — now keep the party inspiration going with my ultimate hosting guide.