Halloween, one of the greatest party holidays, is right around the corner. If you’re thinking about throwing a Halloween bash but aren’t quite sure where to start, take a look at this guide to throwing the ultimate Halloween party. It’s sure to lead you to a ghoulish good time.
The first thing you need to decide is where you want your party to fall on both the “scary” and the “gory” scale. It’s very easy to overdo either one without thinking about it. Take into consideration your guests – if your party is for children, you’ll probably want to tone it down a notch. Teenagers and adults, however, might enjoy more of a spooky evening.
Once you know where you want to fall on a scale, pick a theme for your party. Do you want to have a vampire-themed party? A witches’ outing? A black and bone occasion? Your theme will help you with your decorations, your invitations, your food options, and any party activities.
This leads to the fun part: decorating. Halloween is a holiday where it’s always fun to do a little more, so let your imagination run wild! And don’t limit yourself to inside your home or venue. Start outside with a spooky graveyard, cobwebs, sound and lighting effects, jack-o-lanterns, a haunted mansion sign, or hanging ghosts to welcome your party goers. Continue the decorations through the front entryway and into the main party area. Your guest will be sure to love the complete transformation of the space.
Once inside, there are certain party basics that should always be taken into consideration. No matter your theme, you want to make sure that there are enough places for people to sit, and adequate tables to hold any food items, party favors, or activities. The linens and table decorations will go a long way in adding to the overall feel of the space by creating the perfect backdrop.
Once the place is ready, there are two final areas to consider: food and activities. There is so much opportunity to have fun with Halloween-inspired treats. You can have ghoulishly-decorated sugar cookies or witches brews served out of a cauldron (with dry ice to create smoke). If you are tipping more on the gory side, try using red food coloring to create the appearance of blood, or sugar shards to resemble broken glass. If you really want to freak (or gross) out your guests, consider buying plastic spiders and hiding them throughout the food table.
For activities, there is a whole range of possibilities. Create or rent a dance floor to let your guests get their ghostly groove on. Have a cookie decorating station where people can make their own jack-o-lantern inspired treats. Set up a haunted house that your guests can roam through. If you are throwing a costume party, it’s always a great idea to set up a photo booth so that your guests can have a fun reminder of their creative characters.
Above all, Halloween is a time to let your imagination go wild. By following these guidelines, and letting your own creative instincts kick in, you will be well on your way to throwing your best Halloween party ever.
