Is having a ball an option you'd be considering?
You have won the jackpot in the lottery and you want to celebrate with all your friends and family. Now all you have to do is come up with a great idea that will impress everyone and let them enjoy a great memory for the rest of their lives. So why not go crazy and have a Ball? That is, a real Ball; An expensive, knock-down, elegant and fantastic Ball that has everything from dancing to dining.
Now you may be asking, what is a real Ball? Well, a real Ball is something like a formal dance party that has both a lavish banquet followed by some Ballroom dancing. A real modern Ball is a stunning event in which a large number of formally dressed guests attend a spectacular venue and enjoy an evening of socialising, great entertainment, and exquisite and non-stop food and drink.
A real formal Ball is held for a number of reasons such as to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or other special event, or to raise funds for a charity. But some Balls are just held as a way to give some decadence and upper-crust enjoyment to those who would normally not be able to attend such an event.
But there is a big caveat here. A Ball is not a place for track pants and hoodies, or jeans and t-shirts. A gala Ball is a very formal event in which men wear tuxedos and woman wear beautiful dresses no shorter than the knees, or everyone must be dressed as per the Ball rules, or if it’s a masquerade Ball, a themed costume.
As for the food, there usually is a starting part where guests arrive, and drinks and small nibbles or finger foods are flowing liberally. There may be a buffet or two set up where a guest can grab whatever they want whenever they want. This part is basically a meet-and-greet for guests and hosts, sharing drinks and finger foods. After all the guests have arrived and the chit-chat has gone on for a bit, the host/hosts ensure that everyone is seated at their assigned tables, and the host(s) give a welcome speech.
After the welcome speech, the main dinner starts and will usually consist of 4-6 courses. The actual food itself could either be food that each guest had selected on their RSVP, or may be something no one knows about so it would be a surprise. Either way, the food is going to be expensive roasts, steaks, chicken, seafood, and other types of meats, and sides that are just as expensive. It may be brought by servers or set up buffet style depending on how you to present the food to your guests.
After dinner, another speech by the hosts or various guests would be made to thank the hosts for having the ball, praise the food, and then lead into the entertainment. Live music plays and guests participate in ballroom dancing. You could, if you want, change the dancing to more modern music, but remember to keep the formality of the event in mind.
If friends and family are not the Ballroom upper crust type of wannabes, then go all out and have a Masquerade Ball where everyone wears a costume either of their own choosing, or again themed to the hosts’ desires and Ball rules. These will be more relaxed and allow guests to feel more “loose” and free, but remember to remind guests that it is still a formal Masquerade Ball.
The actual masks guests could wear could be masks on a stick (to hold up in front of their face), the head mask which covers the entire head, the full-face mask, and the half face mask. Costumes could be as simple as formal attire with a mask on a stick, or as elaborate as a full period costume with accompanying accessories.
One game to play at a Masquerade Ball is for guests to guess who the person is under the costume. Each guest could be given a number. Guests would have to submit the number and the name of who they think the person is. The guest with the most correct guesses receives a prize, and you could provide prizes for first, second, and third place as well.
Whatever type of Ball you want to have to celebrate your win with those close to you, you have the choice of creating the entire event yourself and paying for all of it, buying tickets for all of your guests to a Charity Ball event, or hiring someone to create it for you. Remember, the more lavish and decadent the Ball, the more fun your friends and family will have and better the memory they will call up.