Halloween is nearly upon us, which means it’s the perfect excuse for a party! If you want to throw the spookiest, scariest and most memorable party your street has ever experienced, then follow these top tips!
Choose a Theme
If you’re sick of the sight of witches and sexy cats then choose a theme for your party instead. Ask your guests to emulate characters from 80s horror films, notorious figures from history, dead celebrities or even their favorite movie monsters. Choosing a theme will make it easier for people to come up with costumes so there’s a better chance that all your guests will make the effort to get involved!
Choose a Suitable Date
Pick a date for your Halloween party and send out eVites or invitations at least a month before. It’s not usually a good idea to throw your party on the 31st unless it falls at the weekend but try to get your party as close to the actual date as possible.
Have Extra Costumes at Hand
There are always one or two misery guts who don’t dress up, so buy a few masks, wigs and other easy to wear costumes so that unadorned guests can get into the party spirit too. You can buy monster face masks or even entire Halloween costumes fairly cheaply and they can be used over and over again.
Make a Playlist
A quick trawl round iTunes will show you that there are an endless array of spooky songs to choose from so make a fun playlist packed with all the annual favorites, such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, Bobby Boris Pickett’s ‘Monster Mash’ and The Specials’ slow-moving and creepy-sounding ‘Ghost Town’. Don’t forget to slip in some upbeat crowd pleasers that will get everyone dancing too, although be wary of the age of your guests and be sure to choose music from all eras to get the balance right.
Go Overboard With Your Decor
No Halloween party is complete without traditional decorations so invest in plenty of cobwebs, skeletons and spooky lighting machines to fully transform your venue. If you really want to go all out, you could even hire a dry ice machine and fill your home with realistic-looking fog. If you’re really out to impress then enlist the help of a few friends and give your guests a spooky house tour with plenty of ghosts and ghouls jumping out at them along the way to get their blood pumping!
Project a Movie
You can hire or buy digital projectors fairly cheaply and project your favorite scary movies onto a wall whilst your party is taking place. If you don’t have the space indoors you can project a movie outside by hanging a large white sheet from your washing line.
Play Games
Whether you’ve got kids at your party or not, it’s essential to play lots of Halloween games. There are tonnes of games to choose from and kids’ activities will work just as well with adults – they’ll give your guests the opportunity to let their hair down and act like big kids.
Serve Up Some Original, Spooky Food
Food can be one of the most fun elements of a Halloween party and you can really wow your guests with a scary feast. Turn sponge fingers into severed fingers by adding a blob of icing mixed with red food coloring, or invest in a brain jelly mold for a truly stomach turning treat.
Author – Julie Hinson is the product manager at Partyman, an online party accessories retailer than also sells a large collection of Halloween costumes for both children and adults. She’s helped dozens of customers organise the perfect Halloween party and is always happy to offer advice to those struggling to come up with original ideas!