Seeing as its Halloween I thought I would make this the first blog post as it seems pretty relevant. Some of you will be attending, hosting or have been invited to a Halloween party this year and for those hosting a Halloween party here are a few tips to ensure that your Halloween party stands above the rest and wows your guests!
A lot of people go OTT with Halloween party decorations which can be great or just verging on tacky (still brings out the big kid in us all). Never the less Halloween is all about being over the top and ultimately spooky. Obviously with Halloween parties you can take two routes.. The first being the classic creepy, gore and blood route which is great for a festive, cliché type event.. Or you can go for the glamour/stylish route which is a lot more modern and is very popular these days.
In this blog I am going to address both so depending on what type of host you are – you will definitely be getting more of a treat than a trick.
1. GENRE OF HALLOWEEN PARTY
As previously addressed in my intro, you need to establish the angle you are going for and stick to it. You will need to ensure that the theme is conveyed throughout your event and most importantly the invite! I mean you don’t want the office clown showing up in a giant pumpkin outfit and the fashionista to come in Halloween couture! Of course you can throw it up in the air and just say come dressed as whatever you want but some lazybones may take this as a way out and barely dress up at all!
2. HALLOWEEN DÉCOR
Always go for it with the décor! I can’t stress enough how important this is! The decorations not only enhance the theme but add the extra wow factor for your guests and also get your event known about. If you have cool decorations people remember them, talk about them and take pictures with them, which is always good for cool points from friends or if it’s for a corporate event, promoting. This is a great time to add details (which are talked about in number 10) and really nail the unique aspects of your event.
3. VENUE
Getting this right can be essential for creating the vibe for your event. Of course if you are having your event at home this is more than fine but you can always adapt the space to make it spooky and more themed. Events from home can be enhanced by using a marquee attached to the house, these can be like a spooky cave and the guests can file into the tent and enjoy the abience and music (this also keeps people out of your house… *phew*) This will also provide more space for décor and can be enhanced with black sides to make it even darker, which if you are having lighting aswell can really make this stand out! You can also host games in the marquee which if this includes any kind of water or messy bits can save carpets/floors/sofas etc. For corporate events and higher budget events however hotels and manor houses can really add authenticity and the creepy factor for your party and this can of course be tailored with lighting, decorations and details to either personalise it to your company/name or leave an impression on guests. Often hotels can offer packages as well to suite different clients and usually have props and decorations on site to help with the themes, which is a total bonus!
4. HALLOWEEN THEMED FOOD AND DRINK
Catering can be a really important focus for events if you are hosting a corporate event in particular as attendees (before one too many punches) like to stay in the safe zones (the bar and food) and mingle whilst snacking (to break up any awkward silences with the weird guy that has danced over for a chat) Therefore it is important to put thought into the food and drink choices. We have worked with some great mixologists that specialise in cocktail mixing and often create things like neon cocktails etc. which can be such a great addition and a crowd thriller at events. We often get themed food to use at our events which is a great way of adding personal touched and details to any shindig but especially festive ones! A “centre-piece cake” can be a wonderful addition to private and corporate events as it’s something that can be given to each guest as a party favour or just left to look pretty throughout and draw attention. Food dye and shape cutters can be a godsend for amateur cooks such as myself as they are basic and straightforward to use but give great results (as long as the food is cooked properly and the end product is edible!)
5. MUSIC
Music is the make or break of a party realistically. You don’t want anything to unrelated to the Halloween vibes but then again you don’t want to take them on a trip to cheeseville and stuff Halloween down their neck either. Striking the balance is point and in our experience it is best to begin with some classic Halloween music(such as Thriller, off with your head etc.) as this will get guests that are arriving into the mood and be light hearted. After around 30-45 minutes some other tunes can be involved that are just great party classics (and of course if it is a mandatory ritual that the macarena, cha cha slide and oops upside your head get played at least once!) We work with a range of DJ’s that you can supply a playlist too or they can create one for you so you have freedom to have your say or let them take control (or possibly a bit of both!)
6. PROJECTION OF HALLOWEEN IMAGES
You can really take control with this idea and we use it in so many events, it is so diverse that it can suite corporate or private events! The projection works by allowing you to display motions, images or one constant screen throughout the event. It is a great idea especially for Halloween to have a themed video running of classic scary parts of movies (the bathroom scene from The Shining and the elevating girl scene from The Exorcist etc.) This is a great spooky extra and is a great visual for guests to look at and reminisce about their favourites! This can also be used to display pictures that are being taken of guests throughout the event and therefore everyone can get to see the costumes and ideas of the guests. It’s a good laugh and also a good way to remember the event!
7. HALLOWEEN ICE BREAKER GAMES
These can be a great icebreaker for corporate events or a good chance to get own back on family and friends! Games like “poison apple bobbing” or “crack the skull” can be great ideas! (Not real skulls obviously, just a pinata!!) These are so much fun and are in keeping with the theme. We obviously have hundreds of props accumulated over the years but many games can be made with household items that are gorified with paint, goo or decorations!
8. HALLOWEEN ENTERTAINMENT
Of course a lot of parties will have a DJ (even if it’s the boss of the iPod) but a lot of the time private and corporate clients invite an additional entertainer to attend the event! Ideas such as fire jugglers, magicians and flair bartenders are wicked additional features as they are all visually pleasing for guests and can be quite “on the edge” leaving your guests in awe and talking about your event for months and months!
9. SURPRISE YOUR GUESTS
Being original is all about pull it out of the bag with something no-one would have guessed would happen/be there! Ideas such as having actors attending that will burst out into a routine when a song comes on or a Fright Night type thing where they jump out and spook the guests when they least expect it (refrain from doing this on guests with heart conditions.. it could get awkward!) These can really be memorable and unique and will ensure that no-one goes away without a cold chill down their spine at least one in the night!
10. THE FINISHING TOUCH
These are great to add to your events as many people notice them and take them into consideration when talking about it at a later date. Table decorations such as small switch operated skull lights can be a great addition and even be like party favours! We have used candle lanterns on the lead up to the venue before which worked really well and was a great lead up to the main event. Drippy candle light is also a classic horror movie lighting again adding authenticity! Pumpkin string lights are another popular favourite which are cute and in tune with the theme, these are so simple and yet endearing. (The cute factor even on Halloween is never a bad thing)
FINALLY
The last piece of advice from me is to ensure that you enjoy your party as well, even if you are hosting just relax and have fun! If you do need help with bringing your Halloween ideas to life myself and the team at MGN events are more than happy to help with any aspect of your Halloween event to make it extra special for you and all the guests! Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you have a spooktastic Halloween party!
