Lord of the Rings Party to Rule Them All

A Lord of the Rings Party Brings Middle Earth to Your Living Room

If you’ve ever dreamed of living in a hobbit hole with no responsibilities except tending gardens, or if you long to live in a radiant tree house in Lothlorien, you have found your calling as host of a Lord of the Rings party. With all the diverse geographies and cultures of Middle Earth at your creative discretion, you have more than enough material to make an awesome event. And when you love a story, planning the perfect themed party will bring it to life like nothing else. Invite your friends and let’s get started!

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How to Throw a Lord of the Rings Party

1. Turn Your Home Into Middle Earth

Will you bling out your home with all the jewels and metals that dwarves can mine to mimic their impressive underground kingdoms? Or will you opt for an equestrian vibe and swath your space with rich Rohan-worthy medieval tapestries? Maybe you favor the leafy abode of the Rivendell elves and cover your space in plants and leaves. This is a very easy feat if it’s fall, but if you can’t find enough plant materials, choose from plenty of artificial foliage. Whether you choose a specific region of Middle Earth with your décor or whether you embrace a general/global Middle Earth aesthetic, here are plenty of decorations for inspiration:

• The One Ring decorative shallow bowl/centerpiece
• ‘It Comes in Pints’ coaster
• Lord of the Rings confetti (set of 120)
• ‘My Precious’ banner
• Lord of the Rings paper lantern (multiple colour and size options)
• ‘Hobbits Welcome’ mini decorative wooden sign
• ‘Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost’ decorative mini wooden sign
• ‘No Admittance Except on Party Business’ spruce wood sign
• Durin’s Door tapestry
• White Tree of Gondor throw pillow
• Rohan horse emblem throw pillow

2. Prepare Lord of the Rings-Inspired Food and Beverages

There are three dishes to definitely serve at a Lord of the Rings party (well actually one): PO-TA-TOES. In other words, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, and potato stew. But to refrain from a starch overload, maybe include a few other plates, too! Thematic dishes like Eowyn’s stew (should be easy – just throw together some fatty pieces of meat, some stringy stuff and a bunch of broth) and Denethor’s cherry tomato platter will be sure to appetize. Southfarthing ale and lembas bread may be more appealing staples. For drinks, serve wine, beer, spiced apple cider, tea, and coffee (including water-decaffeinated). And if you can find a type of water that immediately adds height upon consumption (or better yet – that immediately sheds excess pounds upon consumption), you’ll be the most popular host in town.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

• Po-ta-toes (boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew)
• Lord of the Rings-inspired “Shirecuterie” board
• Eowyn’s stew  (promise it’s actually tasty)
• Hobbit’s vegetable and beef pie
• Lembas bread

3. Set the Ambience with Lord of the Rings Music or Video

The most relevant music to play at a Lord of the Rings party is any of the movie soundtracks. But you could also opt for the Hobbit soundtracks, or the 1970s animated film soundtrack if you’re into retro folk music! You could alternatively play any of the movies on TV in the background. Or play a Lord of the Rings-inspired soundscape video to create a pleasant background ambiance, such as this Green Dragon Inn soundscape. There is even a Lofi of the Rings playlist that includes such tracks as a Lofi Rivendell theme.

Another option if you own the extended version of the recent trilogy is to play the Making of the Lord of the Rings in the background. It includes plenty of thematic music and is a fun way to capture snippets of cast interviews, filming techniques, and lots of interesting (and entertaining) information.

4. Add Thematic Scents

We covered the sights, the flavors, and the sounds of a Lord of the Rings party. But don’t forget the aromas! To truly immerse your guests in Middle Earth, here are a few scented candles to engage the evocative sense of smell:

• The Shire candle (tobacco and clover-scented)
• The Shire candle (moss, herbs and wood-scented)
• Second Breakfast candle (scented with banana, almond, honey, spices, maple, etc.)
• Rivendell candle (scented with bergamot, pine, white tea, moss, etc.)
• LOTR candles: Mordor (woodsmoke/leather), Rivendell (rain/amber), Shire (moss/sugar), or Gondor (birch/musk)

5. Plan Lord of the Rings Games or Activities

From trivia to murder mystery, check out these fun Lord of the Rings games:

• Lord of the Rings drinking game (digital download)
• Lord of the Rings drinking game (the physical version)
• Secret Sauron 3D-printed murder mystery board game
• Lord of the Rings trivia (printable download)

Another fun way to engage guests but with a looser agenda is storytelling. Go around the room and invite each guest to remember the first time they read the Lord of the Rings books and/or watched the movies. What year was it? How old were they? What were they doing in their lives? Or have everyone talk about their favourite part of the story, or what it means to them. Some guests may be die-hard fans. Others may have yet to read/watch the trilogy. The diversity here makes this fun, and someone’s bound to learn something new!

6. Establish Guest Participation

Guest participation is optional and depends on what kind of party you’re having and what sorts of things you’ll do/share. If you are inviting/expecting a large amount of guests, maybe you don’t have the time or budget to feed that many people and want to make this a potluck party where everyone brings a dish or drink to share. Even so – as the host of a potluck-style party, be sure to provide at least one large dish that is both tasty and filling (just in case others end up bringing things that are less tasty or less filling).

Maybe you encourage everyone to attend in a Lord of the Rings costume. Not necessarily a full-on cosplay costume (which are quite pricey but amazing) but something as simple as a cape and boots (Strider) or a Bavarian-style dress (Rosie Cotton). You could be the hero of the party and dress as Smeagol (if it wasn’t for him, the ring wouldn’t have ended up in the fires of Mount Doom, after all). Sexy, no, but unique among a roomful of lovely elves and happy hobbits, yes!

Of course, always choose your guests mindfully and with their interests in mind. Prioritize friends who you know love Lord of the Rings. But don’t shy away from others who may not know much about it. You never know, you may turn someone on to it!

Checklist of Items You Need

These are the things you need for this party:

1. Lord of the Rings-inspired decorations
2. Lord of the Rings-inspired food and drinks
3. Any of the Lord of the Rings soundtracks, movies, or inspired soundscape videos
4. Lord of the Rings-inspired scented candles
5. Lord of the Rings games
6. Lord of the Rings costume (especially if you invite others to dress up)

Preparation Checklist for Your Lord of the Rings Party

1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date:

1. Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
2. Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort)
3. Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s)
4. If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure calendar date for your one Lord of the Rings party to rule them all!

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning:

1. Schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep (securing and/or making food/drinks, etc.)
2. Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
3. Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to prepare and set up)
4. Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
5. In your planned time slots, acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
6. In your planned time slots, set up decorations
7. In your planned time slots, prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)

3. Day of Party (in your amply planned time slot):

1. Prepare any foods/drinks that are too fresh to do any earlier
2. Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations you didn’t want up before
3. Prepare ambience (audio/visual, candles)
4. Get dressed in plenty of time, whether in your costume or simply your favourite party outfit
5. Once everything’s ready, do any preferred self-care to get in a good head space if you aren’t already. You want to feel relaxed, energized, and genuinely excited so you can be a happy host for your party that you’ve prepared so well for!

However you choose to decorate your own corner of Middle Earth, whatever activities you decide to include, with mindful preparation you’ll surely have a lively and joyful Lord of the Rings party. And who knows – maybe it will be so fun that you have another one in a few months!