Fantastic 1920 Speakeasy Newspaper Invite

later in the month we are planning a fabulous 50th birthday party. This 1920 speakeasy newspaper invite will set the scene and build some pre party excitement.

Save The Date

The first thing we sent out was a mock up of a vintage 1920s telegram. I used Adobe illustrator to make the card, and then sent it using Paperless Post. Details were kept to a minimum, as this is just a save the date. I created a ‘secret venue’ to add intrigue.

The secret venue is actually our house. But via the back entrance at the rear of our garden. Most of our guests wont be aware that it’s there.

The 1920s Speakeasy Newspaper Invite

About 6-7 weeks before the party, I sent out more details to our guest list. I had a lot of information to impart, and build up the theme / backstory for the party. A mock up newspaper was the perfect way to do this. Again I used Adobe illustrator to make the mockup newspaper (2 sided). You could easily achieve a similar effect on powerpoint.

To accompany the 1920 speakeasy newspaper invite, I added a personalised Temperance Society Card.

Both documents were placed in shiny gold envelopes printed with guests names in a 1920s font.

The 1920s newspaper was printed double sided on A3 paper, using a variety of vintage style fonts. The front of the paper sets the scene: The police are cracking down on saloons and bars in the city. The 49 club has recently been raided and closed. The picture of ‘The 49 club’ is the outside of our house. (gotta love that authenticity). I also added a few additional photos of the Christian Woman’s Temperance Movement. Anti prohibition protest photos and details of both movements also set the scene.

When they received their save the date details, a lot of my friends asked me what they should wear. A ‘fashion page’ at the back of the newspaper outlines the types of clothes people wore in the 1920s. A few photos of ladies and gents can be further illustrate.

An Adverts & Classified section at the bottom was added, with various ridiculous ads from the era. I included a new advert for ‘The 50 Club’. A handwritten font scribbled over the top explained this new ’50 Club’ replaced the closed 49 club. And was opening on the night of the party.

The Nitty Gritty Details

I was concerned that as the paper has a lot going on, the party specifics may not be 100% clear. Who, what, when, where etc.

To cover this, and also to further ‘set the scene’ I included a Temperance Society Membership Card. The ‘entrance’ to our speakeasy will be via a hidden speakeasy style door, masquerading as a Christian Ladies temperance Meeting.

Both front and back of the card are shown here.

The front of the card, is a mock up I made in 1920s style. I allocated ‘gangster names’ to each of my guests and asked them to come in character. The back then includes the summary details, in case my friends don’t read the paper!

Watch this space for more details of the party decorations, cocktails, casino and other party details. Why not follow the blog to make sure you don’t miss them.