Are you planning to host a Melbourne Cup Day Party at home? Now is the time to get set for ‘the Race that stops the Nation’. Thanks to Yellowglen Colours, you’ve landed in the right place because we’ve got some hot tips for you.
The first Tuesday in November is the day on which one of the most famous horse races in the world is run here in the beautiful city of Melbourne. Since 1861, Cup Day has been an official race day and since 1877, a public holiday in Victoria. Around the nation (and the globe), most of the population stops to have a sneaky wager on the race and watch it on TV.
If you have decided to not celebrate Melbourne Cup Day trackside, here are some of my tips on getting ready to host a fabulous at-home, Cup Day party.
For those of you who aren’t attending the big day at Flemington, the key to the ultimate at-home Cup day experience, is getting orgainsed early, so you can relax and actually enjoy the festivities.
Your friends are coming over for the afternoon, and you’re dying to impress them, but you have no styling skills and a small budget. Have no shame—inflicting jealousy is a normal desire for most hosts, and your friends won’t mind each bringing some snacks for you all to share. You can awe your guests by setting one amazing table and delighting them with some yumminess and you can do it all with a few bargain buys, some of your favourite props and a little creativity.
5 tips for celebrating Melbourne Cup Day Party at Home
1. Bring the Spring Racing experience to you
The official flower for Emirates Melbourne Cup day is the yellow rose. In the days leading up to Cup Day, head to your local flower market and pick up a bunch of yellow roses and also some great value natives to start the table decorations. Mix and match the stems into some odd bottles and jars from your pantry – they’ll also double as a great table weight for the tablecloth if you are planning on having your party outside.
When thinking about where to best set up the table, have your television nearby so you can watch each of the races live on 7 Sport. For some extra entertainment, watch the Fashions on the Field heats and draw a Melbourne Cup sweep before the big race at 3pm.
2. A touch of Sparkling
As the official Sparkling wine of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Yellowglen is the perfect party drink for Cup day. Start with Yellowglen’s signature sparkling, Yellow. Follow it with the soft rosé style with hints of berries, Yellowglen Pink.
For those who like red wine that sparkles, Yellowglen Red is great paired with chocolates like the gorgeous creations from Nectar & Stone. These choccies also look gorgeous on the table either in the packaging or popped onto each guest’s side plate.
To finish the day, serve your friends a glass of Yellowglen White. A sweet Moscato with aromas and flavours of musk sticks and blossom, White is refreshing, invigorating and always delightful with dessert.
3. Embrace your Home
Look around your home and find some pieces that you love to use as table decorations. These can include your favourite plates, I used my new side plates from the Missoni for Target range.
A candle for atmosphere and some confetti poppers to burst as the big race starts are fun additions to the styling. I’ve also got my light box and Nectar & Stone choccies ready to pop on the table for some cheerfulness and colour.
4. Pretty pieces from the Op Shop
Today isn’t the day to boast your finest china or crystal champagne coupes, as if any of us actually own expensive kitchenware anyway! In the rush and excitement of the race, you’d hate for anything to get broken, so I headed into my local Op Shop to buy some ‘vintage style’ glasses and a couple of extra jars/vases. Total spend was $5 and worth every cent as they provided the perfect pretty style to finish off the table.
5. Be a responsible Host
Partying responsibly should always be on any party list. Drinking in moderation, having plenty to eat and staying hydrated throughout the afternoon will all ensure you and your friends are safe and having a great time. The guests at my party will be sure to enjoy the food that everyone has brought along to share, but I’ll also be serving some sparkling mineral water and some fresh fruit and chocolate mousse for dessert. The mousse is an easy cheat, simply buy the mousse tubs from your supermarket and empty them into some little white ramekins and add a strawberry.
You can also change up your wine… Yellow 65 is a stylish, crisp sparkling wine, with 30% less calories and 40% less alcohol than Yellowglen Yellow. Pink 65 is a delicate soft petal pink sparkling, balanced by lovely light flavours on the palate and refreshing natural acidity. It has 30% less calories and 40% less alcohol than Yellowglen Pink. You and your friends can visit Drinkwise for support and to get the facts about drinking.
I’m looking forward to celebrating with Yellowglen Colours at home on Melbourne Cup Day.
Cheers to great friends, the big race and fun parties!
This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and Yellowglen.
