5 Tips to a “Spook-tacular”Halloween Party

Every year we host a Halloween Party for our close friends and neighbors. It’s fun to see everyones creative costumes and act like a kid for a night.

The weeks leading up to Halloween can get crazy, so finding time to plan my own party is the last thing on my mind.  Fortunately, I’ve got my planning down to a science, but it didn’t happen overnight. I’ve gone through my fair share of trial and error, but I am finally at the point where I can relax and feel like a guest at my own party.

If you are hosting a halloween party these 5 tips will help take the stress out of your next event:

1. Choose “finger food”. Most people are busy being social leaving food an afterthought. Items that people can grab with their hands have a greater chance of being eaten than something that requires utensils.

2. Pass the Hors d’Oeuvres.  Circulating food is the best way to make sure people eat. I used to put all my food out on a table in hopes that people would gravitate to it, but that didn’t always happen.  Taking a tray of chicken skewers around to your guests is a great way to distribute food while mingling with your guests.

3. Offer a signature drink.  We are drinkers and so are the majority of our friends, so a stocked bar is a must with our crowd!  To make your party unique, it’s nice to offer a signature drink to your guests in addition to your regular selection.  If you have a pitcher ready to go, it speeds up the line at the bar, which is always a good thing! You can offer a non-alcoholic version for non-drinkers and kids.

4. Have a playlist ready to go. Whether you plan on streaming music from Pandora or Spotify, or making a playlist from your iTunes library it’s a good idea to have your list ready to go for when the first guest arrives.  Good music truly does set the tone for your party.

5. Hire Help.  Depending on the size of your party and your budget, you may want to hire someone to help prepare, serve and clean up. It allows you to focus on your guests rather than worrying about getting dessert out on time.  Plus there is no greater feeling at the end of the night to turn around and see an empty sink! It doesn’t cost as much as you might think, and for $100 it is well worth it.

For a good laugh, here is a picture from our Halloween Party last year.  Can you guess who we are?

I’ll give you a hint: Miss Scarlet, with the revolver, in the conservatory…

Happy Organizing!