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Halloween Party Ideas for Families

Halloween Party Ideas

Are you thinking of having a Halloween party in October – if you’re not, you should. If you do decide to come to the decision to have one, then here are some tips.

1. GENRE OF HALLOWEEN PARTY

As I said before, it will be important to establish the angle of your festivities and stick to the plan in every way. This means considering a single Halloween theme and making sure that theme is reflected in everything from the original invitation to the final event. Without this everyone is going to be left to their own interpretations and this can make for all kinds of results. This means that the stylish guests will all come in stunning contour, the comedians in hilarious garb and the lazy bones will come as the “unremarkable office person” or something equally lame.

2. HALLOWEEN THEMED FOOD AND DRINK

Catering is an especially important aspect of a corporate event because the food and drink supply offers so many opportunities for relaxation, mingling and conversing –– even jumping out of a conversation once the awkwardness becomes unbearable. Therefore, hosts will do well to put extra thought into their food choices. There are some leading industry mixologists that have skills in concocting visually amazing drinks like neon cocktails -- there are even flaming drinks and juggling bartenders for added entertainment.

Never underestimate the efficacy of such crowd pleasing additions when planning your next Halloween event. It is a good idea to get especially themed food as well. For example, select autumn friendly veggies for a fall harvest and serve a selection of seasonal food.

Try having a “centerpiece” cake that can add a special display of your Halloween theme. This can add a special beauty to your event and then be sliced up nicely and given as a party favor to each of the guests. Those with even rudimentary cooking skills will be able to produce their own cake and even create an impressive visual display with cookie cutters food dyes and decorations.

3. HALLOWEEN DÉCOR

Halloween décor is really what the celebration is all about so pull all the stops when accomplishing your theme. Not only do the right decoration emphasize and enhance the theme but they make the event a memorable occasion. When you get the decorations just right they will be talked about for a long time and highlighted in many attractive photos, and this is always a good thing when you're conducting a corporate event. This is also the best time to introduce the subtle but all-important details that are discussed in No. 10.

4. VENUE

Getting the venue just right is another important way to make your event remarkable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having the event in the cost-effective environment of your home, but it will be important that you adapt what you have to make the setting as spooky as you possibly can. Home events can be made more attractive and practical by renting a large marquee for the home. These can make the perfect spooky-cave-like entrance that allow guests to wonder at the terrors within –– and keeps the terror of clean-up out of the house!

The inside of the venue can be draped with black sheets and wall coverings to make the setting even darker –– if you include special lighting, this effect can really stand out. Keep all messy games and other activities inside the marquee and the final clean ups will be much easier, preemption will save big on home cleanups.

But, for larger corporate events and high-budget Halloween events there is nothing like booking a classy hotel or appropriate old manor to host the event. This adds the essential ingredients of authenticity and style to the occasion. These places can always be tailored perfectly for good lighting and special effects. Many will even have special decoration amenities that should be considered to maximize the effects of the décor of your event. The location chosen should be a cornerstone from which the rest of the event is planned.

5. MUSIC

The music for your Halloween party is going to make or break the entire atmosphere so it should be planned carefully. Everyone will expect and want to hear some tasty Halloween classic, but if you allow this to be the sole theme of the event your party will be remembered as “cheesy”. You will need to strike that fine balance and in our experience it works best by beginning with the Halloween flavored song and dance –– include such all-time favorites as the Monster Mash, Thriller. This should be enough to convey the message that the DJ knows what day it is.

After about 30 – 40 minutes of Halloween music, it will be time to change things around with some great party classics like the “Macarena” and “You Spin Me Round”. Take some time to interface with your DJ as they usually have a good idea about some Halloween special lists that can be edited and amended for your event.

6. PROJECTION OF HALLOWEEN IMAGES

This is a great way to take better control of your event and has been found effective so many times it works like a charm. All you need is you average company projection system, or rent one, and use it to display some especially frightening scenes from your favorite scary movies. This can be used to hold a specific frame of reference just in case the theme was not well established before.

Playing scenes from favorite movies is a great option as it gives people plenty to talk about and compare to their favorite horror movies. You can also take this time to display some of the nicer pictures being collected by your photographer. This way all the greatest Halloween costumes and moments can be displayed for all to see and remember.

HALLOWEEN ICE BREAKER GAMES

Whether you have an unfamiliar corporate event or a family and friends party, playing some games is a great way to break the ice and begin having fun. Bobbing for “Poison Apples” is always a fun idea and so is crack the skull –– but use a Piñata. Choose games that keep up with the theme you have selected and make sure there is plenty of setup to make it all fun.

8. HALLOWEEN ENTERTAINMENT

Many parties will automatically include a DJ as part of the festivities, but there will be good reason to take a higher-budget operation to the next level. There are also fire jugglers, flair bartenders and magician to add some wonder and magic to the merriment. These extras are well worth the additional investment as they can increase the spectacle and makes the entire event a greater visual treat. You can expect your guests to speaking of this forever.

9. SURPRISE YOUR GUESTS

You need to think about how your event will be different in a way that no one really expects. This will often call for some of that out-of-the-box creativity that changes the party into something no one expected it would be. One idea that has had a lot of success is hiring actors to come and pretend to be a part of the function. Imagine everyone’s surprise and alarm when the actor jumps into their persona on cue and begins a Fright Night style adventure that no one was expecting and no one is sure how to react as “Gary the Bartender” suddenly transforms into a hideous zombie. There are many directions this activity and take, just be sure to match the idea to the guests who will be at the party as you don’t want to unintentionally trigger any heart conditions.

10. THE FINISHING TOUCH

The finishing touches are the smaller details that may go unnoticed at first but will certainly be remembered in detail as the event is recalled at a later date. This can include small table decorations like battery operated skulls and other items that make great party favors. For a classier event, consider candle lanterns to light up the event as they really add a charming and mysterious aspect.

Candles dripping with wax over spooky gravestones and skulls is a perfect Halloween look that never goes out of style. Then think of stringing up lights around the place to make the scenery more festive. Little pumpkins and ghosts are always a nice touch –– who said scary and spooky can’t also be cute and endearing.