Mamma Mia! The movie has been out for years, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the film with your friends and family. Whether you want to throw a themed party in honor of the movie’s 10th anniversary or just to show off your love of ABBA, there are plenty of ways to do it right.
Whatever the season, send out a celebration S.O.S. and prepare to put on a memorable Mamma Mia party. It will warm the cold winter nights and make summer nights even hotter.
Gather up your favorite dancing queens--it's time to party! Consider the ideas to help you throw the best Mamma Mia-themed party.
Make Invitations to Match the Mamma Mia Party Theme
If you have anyone in your life who loves Mamma Mia! then there's no better theme for their birthday than an all-out, "made for you" party. Whether it's a baby shower, bachelorette party, or birthday, hosting your event around a fan-favorite film will ensure fun.
Your invitation can set the tone for your entire party, so you need something that complements your theme. For example, if you want to throw a Mamma Mia-themed shindig, your invitation should clarify that guests are practically going to an Abba concert without having to say anything.
Decorating Your Invitations
With numerous templates and customizable designs online today, there are plenty of places you can get creative with fun graphics and font choices when making your invitations.
Select bold fonts like Broadway or Castellar for a dramatic 1970s-style invitation. Print brightly colored paisleys on the invites.
Alternately, design handmade invitations for personal touches that allow you complete creative control. Draw a disco ball on the back of the invitation, with musical notes floating around the invitation.
Lyrics & Quotes To Write
It's time to whip out your creative writing skills! Consider including lyrics from Dancing Queen or other memorable lines from the movie in your party announcement to seal what kind of party it will be. You can also use catchy 70's words such as "groovy" and "far-out" alongside your favorite lyrics. Aligning the content of your invite with the party theme is the perfect advertising to get your guests in the proper mindset.
Decorations for a Perfect Mamma Mia Theme Party
When it comes to throwing an enjoyable party, you want your guests—and yourself—to have an absolute blast. No matter what kind of theme you're going for, decorations are always a big part of helping set that tone. I mean, who doesn’t love streamers?
Mamma Mia takes place on the island of Greece, with ABBA disco melodies sung throughout the film. Make sure to add those essential factors, but with your personal touch.
Eye-Catching Centerpieces
Flowers make a beautiful centerpiece for a mother's day party (for example), but you can make them disco-inspired by combining silver beads and glittered crystal balls throughout a blue, white, or pink bouquet. Whoever the festivities star is, she's sure to love it--or he!
Taking inspiration from Donna's hotel is also a great idea. You can pull from the beautiful warmly toned stone walls; the blue-green decor sprinkled throughout the scenes, or the chic rooms and bar area. Any Mamma Mia! lover knows Hotel Bella Donna is where most of the action happened, so having it in your decor inspiration is an excellent option to consider.
Tablecloths & Napkins
You can place dolphin or marine-inspired decorations to recall the Aphrodite fountain from the movie to decorate the table settings. For tablecloths and place settings, choose white gauzy textiles with blue floral prints or white lace and blue fabrics for other table decors like napkins.
Use your imagination and create an impression that your home is on an island in Kalokairi!
Guests Can Dress Up As Their Favorite Characters
To make the most of your theme, consider how you want guests to dress. Creating an online invite with instructions for guests to follow can create an even more immersive party experience for attendees. Inviting guests to wear denim, bell bottoms, or sundresses (and giving them fake belly bumps) could add another layer of fun.
You can also have costume pieces available for guests to put on when they arrive. As the party host, you can assign different guests as specific characters! Themed attire will help guests get into the dancing mood and set the stage for an unforgettable night.
Will you dress up as Donna? Maybe Sophie or Tanya? Whichever you choose, you will be sure to have a blast.
Mamma Mia Party Activities
If you're throwing a party, you want to deliver an evening of fun. Whether the event will be in your home or a unique location, here are a few ideas for activities that won't make your guests want to leave.
Search for ways to implement things to do and deliver an unforgettable event that brings everyone to life!
In addition to your theme, it’s also essential that you plan out all of your ideas in advance; making them seem more spontaneous will impress your guests and make you feel good.
Watch The Movie
First and foremost, you'll want to watch Mamma Mia. How could you not!? The film stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried (with songs by ABBA), so it's sure to be loved by all. Not only that, but watching it will give you a feel for what type of environment is ideal for your version of an Abba bash.
Pop some popcorn and be amazed by the stunning visuals and melodic tunes.
You can also have other films playing throughout the night containing nostalgic music from the same era. But whatever film(s) you choose, make sure they feature great singing, dancing, and relatable tunes.
Play The Soundtrack During Your Party
We can't forget the soundtrack–or other ABBA classics!
If you’re throwing a heavily themed party around Mamma Mia, consider playing some of these popular songs during your party. There are so many options when considering the best way to weave the soundtrack into the night's festivities:
- Play it in the background (simple and easy!)
- Have a few hours of Mamma Mia karaoke
- Play musical chairs using songs from the soundtrack
Have a Picture Booth
If you like throwing over-the-top fun parties, rent a photo booth for your party.
You can make a sign for Donna's hotel and use island-inspired pictures as the backdrop. Enhance the disco dance aesthetics by adding a tinsel curtain. Your friends can use props, boas, signs containing content from the movie, and other Greek-inspired props for glamorous posing.
Your friends will have a souvenir to remember the evening forever!
Play Mamma Mia Trivia
Who doesn't love a fun game? A quick online search can provide you with loads of Mamma Mia trivia questions to quiz your guests. Get them powered up with special prizes too.
You can ask questions such as:
- What are the names of Sophie's three potential dads?
- What song do Donna and Dynamos sing at the bachelorette party?
- What was the name of the first song in the film?
There are tons of categories from which you can pull questions. Pick out a few of your favorites to engage your guests when the evening calls for a change of pace. Sometimes we have to bring the boogie energy down to let everyone rest their disco feet, you know?
The Best Food & Drink Ideas For Mamma Mia! Parties
Since the film takes place in Greece, why not serve Greek dishes and appetizers! You can include hummus and tzatziki sauce, olive mixes, figs, greek watermelon, shakshuka, mousaka, beef, lamb, spanakopita, and baklava for dessert. You can also make kourabiedes, Greek butter cookies, for easy finger food to satisfy the sweet tooth. After all, who doesn't love cookies?
Alongside inspired dishes and yummy cookies, every party needs a cocktail to liven things up. Having fun tropical, fruity cocktails that are easy to make is excellent for drinks that fit the theme. How about a pina colada with a float of blue curacao? Or an Empress Gin cocktail that changes color? As long as you make it fun and festive, you honestly can't go wrong!
Classic Greek Drinks
If you want to stay true to the Greek locale of the film, a few classic tipples to try are:
- Skinos Mastiha Liqueur, a popular cordial
- Metaxa Brandy
- Ouzo or Tsipouro cocktails
- Agiorgitiko wine or Mavrodaphne dessert wine
- Otto's Athens Vermouth
Nonalcoholic Drinks & Mocktails
You'll want to account for any underage or sober friends who attend, so be sure to have summery mocktail drinks available, so they don't feel left out of the festivities. Also, make sure to have standards like club soda, tonic water, and other non-alcoholic bubbly beverages.
After hours of getting groovy, your guests will need something to make their bellies feel content and ready for more Mamma Mia action.
Mixly Makes Your Mamma Mia Party Prep Simple
For easy imbibing, reach for Mixly products to make drinks accessible to everyone involved.
We recommend the Rosemary Lemon Honey Mixer because rosemary is essential in Greek cuisine! And for all the isle-inspired drinking, opt for the Tropical Bundle of Mixers. The bundle includes Pineapple Basil Lime, Coconut Ginger Lime, and Grapefruit Jalapeno Mixers.
Mixly makes it simple: pick your favorite flavor, add your preferred spirit, and stir. For mocktail versions, it's the same process but with a touch of club soda in place of the liquor. Make the drink-making easy so you can attend to what matters most--putting on the event of your dreams.
Mamma Mia! It's Time To Party.
From Greek cookies to isle-inspired decor, your guests will harness all the Donna and Sophie vibes in no time. Whip out the disco ball, throw on the ABBA-filled soundtrack, and click on over to grab your favorite Mixly mixer to have a boogie-filled evening of fun! This post is your sign to throw the event of your dreams. Why wait?
