The critters are crawling, leaves are crunching under our feet and the air just keeps getting cooler. As we roll towards the end of October, goose bumps crawl up our skin and our cold breathe can be seen as the vapors escape from our mouths. With Thanksgiving in the past, we all now have one thing in mind – Halloween.
Pumpkins are getting carved, and ghosts are appearing in our neighbourhood trees. We seem to be driving past more graveyards, than lawns, and seeing more monsters than scarecrows. But who’s complaining? Not me! This is a holiday we can all enjoy. The kids go trick-or-treating, parents are escorting them safely, grandparents are handing out candy, and all the other adults and teens are busy planning to party!
Finding a costume isn’t necessarily the hardest thing about Halloween. The costume list may be getting bigger, but Halloween-themed party ideas are starting to get harder to come-up with, especially at an affordable rate. If you are hosting your own Halloween bash this year, than you know exactly what I am talking about. No one wants to cheap out when throwing a party, especially when it’s as exciting as Halloween. While your guests will make the party, you need to make sure to have just the right set-up that will entertain your guests all night long.
Luckily, you came to the right place! We have all the tips you need to know in order to throw an awesome Halloween Party.
1) Venue
The first thing you need to keep in mind is the venue. Are you holding it at your house? A hall? A restaurant? Whichever you decide, you need to keep in mind these three things: space, resources and music. Space is obviously number one because nobody wants an overcrowded party. Make sure you pick the right spot that will have sufficient space for all your guests. Ensure to have enough room for people to dance, sit, and mingle around tables.
Resources are your next factor to keep in mind. Do you have enough plates, cups, serving trays, and garbage bins? These are all things to figure out prior to the night of your party. You would rather stock too much than be short come the big night. Another thing to keep in mind is having the necessary resources to execute your party plans. Are your guests helping themselves? Are you serving the drinks? If not, who is? You want to be able to enjoy the night too, especially after all the hard work. Hiring a bartender or server from an event staffing company can be considered or you can ask a friend to make the drinks so that you can relax and enjoy the party! Along with this, you can rent a customized halloween themed mobile bar that can make your party stand out from the others and make it one that is talked about for weeks. There are many ways a mobile bar can benefit your event!
Music is the last thing to keep in mind. Do you have loud enough speakers? Do you have enough music? Where are you playing your music? Hiring a DJ is definitely the safest option and most venues already have a sound system in place. If you are hosting it at your house however, this may be a bit more challenging. Luckily, you can rent speakers just as easily as you can rent a bartender. Prepare some playlists on your iPod, this way you can easily select what type of music to play without the hassle.
2) Decorations
This is the part that is going to make the biggest impression on your guests. Decorations are never shortcoming, so the key here is to have the perfect balance of scare. When deciding which decorations to get, stick to a theme. If you choose orange and black tablecloths, keep the theme running with your plates and condiments. Don’t try to mix too many Halloween colours in one setting.
Be as creative as you want when picking your décor, the more creative you are, the better it will be. Thankfully, there are not many limitations when deciding exactly which decorations to get. Cobwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and spiders are all generic options that you can spread uniquely across the room. If you’re doing it in your house, drape your chairs with sheets to easily make that room look spookier. Buying some bloody tablecloths is also a fast way to spook up your surroundings.
As soon as you lay the coffins, prop the skeletons, and spread the spiders, you will get a better idea of what you’re missing. I find the most important part about your decorations is the little things. Make sure your tables have enough going on to please the eye. Black and white straws, black candles and furry insects are a few small details you can add that will really make a difference.
Throw some eyeballs in the punch, make some broomstick cocktail stirrers and create your own Halloween-themed cups. These DIY ideas will not only be fun, but they will stand out too! Let’s take mummy candles as an example. Using any glass candle, wrap the outside with gauze and just glue a pair of eyes on it. Just like that we have a cute mummy decoration.
3) Food and Drinks
Last, but not least, we have the food and drinks that will be offered at the party. The easiest way to feed your guests is keeping it simple. Order a pizza, or get in contact with a catering company that can help you out. This relieves stress off your back, but ensures your guests are well fed. If you can, skip the dinner! Get your guests to eat before they come, and that way you can focus on only offering snacks.
Serve simple items, like popcorn or chips. You can easily throw some M&M’s in there to add a tasty surprise. Pumpkin seeds are another great snack you can serve. Make some edible blood, and drip it on your pumpkin seeds for a bloody treat. Candied apples can also be customizable to represent red poison apples. Keep little signs beside all your concoctions to distinguish to your guests what kind of spooky pleasure they are consuming.
In terms of drinks, you can keep it simple by making the traditional Bloody Mary, or be creative and choose from this list of Halloween recipes:
Witch Tear Punch
15 – 20 servings
Ingredients:
- 25 Oz (one 750-milliliter bottle) Midori melon liqueur
- 1 gallon orange juice
- 12 Oz Sky vodka
- 32 Oz club soda
Directions
Mix all your ingredients together in a large bowl, and add a creepy garnish!
Black Magic Martini
Ingredients
- Maraschino Cherries/li>
- Cola
- 2 Oz Vanilla Vodka
Directions
Pour your alcohol first, add your cola and skew your cherry on a black and white straw, or any other spooky skewer you can come up with!
Blood Orange Cosmo
Ingredients
- 1 Oz orange vodka
- 1 Oz triple sec
- 1/2 Oz blood orange juice
- Fresh lime juice
- Cranberry juice
- A slice of blood orange for garnish
Directions
Mix your vodka and triple sec in a glass first. Next add your blood orange juice, a dash of lime and a splash of cranberry juice. Garnish with a slice of blood orange and don’t hesitate to drop some edible blood on your orange slice!
Wherever you decide to host your Halloween party, feel free to contact us to help make your night a success! Hire a bartender to greet your guests, make and serve your drinks, and keep the party moving.