Theme Guide
1920s Prohibition glamour — decor checklist, signature cocktail menu, dress code that doesn't require a costume rental, activities, music recommendations, and three budget tiers from $300 minimalist to $1500 full production.
The speakeasy theme is the most-requested formal class reunion theme of the last decade — and for good reason. It signals 'this is a real event' without requiring black tie. It's universally flattering (low lighting, fitted styles), photogenic in every photo, and the cocktail menu does half the work of making the night feel intentional. It works at any venue from a rented warehouse to a hotel ballroom to a private home.
The bar to clear is mostly atmospheric: dim the lights, hang one good photo backdrop, print menus that look the part, and play the right music. Get those four things right and the theme works even if half your classmates show up in normal cocktail attire. Get them wrong and a thousand dollars of Art Deco decor still feels like a high school dance.
The 1920s setting also gives the event a real emotional through-line: the reunion itself becomes a frame for thinking about time, change, and the era when our grandparents (or great-grandparents) were young. A short toast referencing the era — "100 years ago, this room would have been hidden behind a brick door" — lands as more meaningful than a generic welcome speech.
The Bee's Knees
2 oz gin, 0.75 oz honey syrup, 0.75 oz lemon juice — shake, strain into coupe
French 75
1.5 oz gin, 0.5 oz lemon, 0.5 oz simple syrup — top with sparkling wine in a flute
Sidecar
2 oz cognac, 0.75 oz orange liqueur, 0.75 oz lemon juice — sugar rim, shake, strain
Gin Rickey
2 oz gin, 0.5 oz lime juice, club soda — built in a highball over ice
Bathtub Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
Fresh lemonade, splash of grenadine, sparkling water, garnish with mint and a sugar rim
Old Fashioned (named for a classmate)
2 oz bourbon, sugar cube, 2 dashes bitters, orange peel — built in a rocks glass
🎉 With Reunly
Run the entire night in Reunly
Budget ($300)
DIY decor, Spotify playlist instead of live music, BYOB or limited bar, costume code 'wear black/white/gold + one period piece'. Centers the room dim with candles and serves three signature drinks at a self-serve bar.
Mid-tier ($700–$900)
Add a 3-piece jazz trio for 90 minutes, professional bartender, printed personalized menus, photo nook with rented backdrop, and casino tables for play. Lights professional rentals stay home.
Full production ($1500+)
Live 4-piece jazz band for 3 hours, full premium bar with signature cocktails on consult with a mixologist, professional event lighting (uplights in amber/gold), a hired Charleston instructor for a 30-minute lesson, and rented Art Deco props throughout. Photo booth optional with attendant ($400–$700).
1920s glamour, but flexible. Women: flapper dresses, drop-waist styles, feather headbands, long pearls, T-strap heels, finger waves or short bobs. Men: pinstripe suits, vests, bow ties or skinny ties, suspenders, fedoras, two-tone wingtip shoes. Communicate clearly in the invite that black/white/gold suits also fully count — many classmates won't want to buy a costume. Set a 'minimum effort' guideline like 'one piece that nods to the era' to keep participation high.
No — but a signature cocktail menu makes the theme work. Three to five themed drinks: the French 75, the Bee's Knees, the Sidecar, a Gin Rickey, and a non-alcoholic 'Bathtub Lemonade'. Print menus on parchment, name a few drinks after classmates ('The Class President's Old Fashioned'). Beer and wine are perfectly fine alongside — speakeasies served those too.
Decor for 50 guests runs $200–$400 for a basic execution (Art Deco backdrops, candle lanterns, feather centerpieces, vintage signage). Add $200–$500 for live jazz, $100–$200 for printed menus and a custom 'password' card, and budget $500–$1000 for the bar if you're providing premium spirits. Total range: $300 for a minimalist execution to $1500+ for a full production with live music and bar.
First two hours: an electro-swing or modern jazz Spotify playlist (Postmodern Jukebox, Caro Emerald, Parov Stelar — keeps energy up). For 30 minutes during the main social hour, hire a 3-piece jazz trio if budget allows ($300–$700 locally). End the night with a transition to upbeat swing or even modern dance hits so the dancefloor doesn't die.
A 'speakeasy password' at the door (printed on invitation, classmates whisper it to enter), a craps or blackjack table with play money, a signature cocktail competition where classmates judge a few entries, a Charleston dance lesson (book a 30-minute lesson with a local instructor for about $150), and a 'best 1920s look' contest judged at midnight.
No. Almost any venue works with the right lighting. The key is darkening the room (lower house lights or kill them entirely), using candles and string lights for warm ambient glow, hanging long velvet or burlap drapes on bare walls, and creating one 'photo nook' with an Art Deco backdrop. The theme lives in the lighting and the music more than the architecture.
Reunly handles RSVPs, dinner choices, music requests, and the night-of run-of-show.
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