Tips for Planning a Fun Halloween Party

Halloween is the day of the year that has the most parties thrown in its honour. Everyone loves to dress up and attend Halloween parties with their friends.

Many people end up getting several invitations to different Halloween parties that are often on the same night. If you are planning to throw your own Halloween party, how can you get all your friends to head to your shindig and not someone else’s? You need to come up with some unique and fun ideas that will get everyone on your list so excited about your party they won’t even consider going anywhere else!

Tips for planning an unforgettable fun Halloween party:

Choose a fun theme for your Halloween party

Many people don’t bother thinking of a theme for their Halloween party since it seems to be somewhat of a theme already. But rather than just putting up some Happy Halloween banners and fake cobwebs, why not come up with a great theme party idea?

You can do anything from a haunted house or graveyard to a monster mash or horror movie bash. Once you’ve chosen your theme apply it to everything from your invitations to your party food. Guests will love some guidance on what to dress up as, especially if you do something a little different.

Your Halloween party invitations are one of the most important aspects of your party. Invitations are the best way to get your guests excited about your party. Many people don’t even send invitations anymore so even sending out simple ones will help your party stick in people’s minds. Be sure to apply your party theme to your invitations. If you can’t find any invitations at your local party store that go with your theme you can always use invitation templates that you can download for free from the Internet.

You can totally customize invitation templates and add colourful pictures as well. Guests will love to receive these fun invitations in the mail. You should send your invitations out approximately three to four weeks before your party to give everyone time to make plans to attend.

If you’re running short of time sending electronic invitations is a great idea too. You can add animation and sound to e-invitations and even check guests’ responses online. Be sure to contact anyone who doesn’t respond via telephone since not everyone checks their email often.

Spooky Decorations

Your party guests will expect to see your house decorated to the nines on Halloween so be sure not to disappoint. Your decorations should match your theme, so give them plenty of thought. For instance, a haunted house theme should be complete with low lighting, smoke, a spooky soundtrack, and even live ghouls to jump out and scare the guests as they arrive. A horror movie bash might include retro horror B-movie posters stuck on the walls which you can find on the Internet and print off at home.

Decorations can be found just about anywhere in the months leading up to Halloween. Even grocery stores and dollar stores carry a wide selection. Start shopping early so you can get the best selection possible and take advantage of any sales. If you can’t find just what you’re looking for you can always rent decorations from a local party supply shop or even purchase decorations online. The internet has an almost endless selection and you can find just about any party supplies or decorations you will need to match your chosen theme.

You can also make a lot of your own Halloween decorations too. You can find all kinds of fun DIY ideas on Pinterest, like these spooky DIY Halloween wreaths.

Music is an important aspect of any party as well. While some spooky tunes are fun at first, you’ll want to switch over to some more upbeat music once the party gets going. People love to dance so have plenty of high energy songs ready to go. If you are inviting a variety of different people have several different types of music so no ones gets bored.

Tasty Halloween Treats

Food is an important part of any party. While you don’t need to provide a full meal, some creative and tasty spooky snacks and treats will help keep your guests fuelled for the night’s festivities. Turning simple party food into ghoulish culinary delights will surprise and delight your guests. Try making some bewitching Halloween cupcakes or cookies, and put out snacks such as gummy worms and other Halloween candy treats.

— Need some ideas?   15 Cute Halloween Cupcake Recipes

Another fun idea is to serve at least one Halloween themed cocktail or punch. Try to include some fun non-alcoholic drink options for your guests as well.

Don’t forget about the party favours! Although it’s not required, your guests will love receiving a fun party favour to take home with them. Depending on how many people you’re inviting and how much you’re willing to spend, the possibilities are endless when it comes to fun Halloween party favours. A simple idea is candy bags full of traditional treats such as candy corn, or a few homemade Halloween treats. Something more substantial might be a pumpkin carving kit that comes with cutouts and tools. Your guests will love having a little something to take home with them.

Endless Costume Possibilities

Costumes are a given, since this is Halloween after all. If you are having a Halloween theme of some sort, let your guests know on your invitations that they should dress to fit the theme. For instance, if you’re throwing a horror movie bash, you can simply say, “come as your favourite horror movie star or character”. Don’t expect all your guests to comply with your request. Some people have been thinking up their Halloween costume since last year!

If you really aren’t into the scary aspect of Halloween, you can always break with tradition and hold a different type of Halloween party. Have a famous couples party or a crazy hat party instead. Guests can still dress up but might be more creative then a white sheet with holes cut out of it. Dressing up for Halloween is something that both adults and kids can enjoy so great creative and have fun with it!

Having games at your party isn’t a necessity, but they can be a great deal of fun for your guests. Games act as an excellent icebreaker if everyone doesn’t know each other. Any games where you can break people off into teams will help to get everyone talking. Pumpkin carving contests are a good idea, as is bobbing for apples. Be sure to give a prize to the best costume as well.

Your Halloween party is sure to be a success if you take the time to plan. Leave yourself plenty of time and don’t forget it’s all the little details that help to make a fabulous and fun Halloween party. Enlist the help of family and friends if you’re feeling overwhelmed, and remember, planning is half the fun!