How to Plan a Spookily Spectacular Halloween Costume Party

There’s no better way to celebrate Halloween than with a creepy costume party.  Costume parties are becoming increasingly popular amongst adults who want to have fun dressing up and allowing their alter egos to come out for a night.  Whether you want to dress up like a scary clown or as a sexy French maid, a Halloween costume party gives you the chance to have fun and express yourself.

Planning Tips

In order to get started planning a costume party, you need to set a time, date, and budget as well as make invitations, plan a menu, and find Halloween party decorations.  Try not to schedule your party too early because many people like to be home to give out treats.  Send out invitations at least a couple of weeks in advance so guests can R.S.V.P.  It’s essential to know how many people will be attending your party in order to plan effectively.

One great way to hold a Halloween costume party is to pick a theme.  Themed Halloween parties are fun but they do require extra planning both on your part and that of your guests.  Some fun themes for costume parties include dressing up like zombies, clowns, vampires, monsters, mummies, or pirates.  Picking a theme for your party does make it a lot easier to decorate.

Halloween Party Decorations

Good Halloween decorations create a perfectly spooky setting for your party.  Look for fun items such as Halloween candles, colored light bulbs, strobe lights, and black lights to give your home a Halloween atmosphere.  Strings of decorative orange lights can be used to adorn your walls and give your home a more festive appearance.

Of course the ultimate Halloween costume party decoration is the Jack-o-Lantern.  Jack-o-Lanterns are a quintessential part of any Halloween celebration.  Make a Jack-o-Lantern that fits with your party theme.  For example, if you’re having a vampire party, make a vampire Jack-o-Lantern.  Other items that can serve as decorative centerpieces at your Halloween party include mock tombstones, skeletons, and Halloween ice sculptures.

Some other Halloween party decorations that can add a festively frightening touch to your Halloween party are tablecloths, tableware, banners, and punch bowls.  Make your party punch look like a bowl of blood by putting it in a cauldron.  Spooky table cloths with spider webs or blood are perfect for covering your otherwise normal looking tables.  Banners that say “Happy Halloween” enhance the Halloween party mood.

Party Entertainment

Make your Halloween costume party extra spooky by playing scary movies in the background throughout the entire party.  Better yet, get a special effects audio file that features creepy Halloween scenes to serve as a virtual Halloween decoration.  Your party guests are probably going to want to dance so make sure you have plenty of music on hand that’s appropriate for this spooky season and clear out enough space in your living room for your guests to dance.  Musical albums that are perfect for playing at Halloween parties include the “Return of the Living Dead” soundtrack and anything by Elvira.

Don’t forget to plan some fun, spooky games for your party.  Ouija boards are always a big hit at Halloween parties, as is the bobbing for apples game.  You can also turn off the lights, sit in a circle, pass a flash light around, and tell spooky stories.  Don’t forget to have a costume contest and give a prize to the winner.  This incentive will encourage your guests to be extra creative with their party costumes.

So there you have it.  A Halloween costume party is an entertaining way to celebrate this spooky holiday.  If you want to let loose with your friends, enjoy fun games, and have an excuse to dress in a wacky costume, consider planning a costume party this upcoming Halloween.

Author: The Party Hound

Our favorite imaginary dog, 'The Partyhound', didn't write this blog post, as you probably guessed. We like to think he's a smart pooch, but he's not that smart!! 'The Partyhound' simply represents one or more of Partyhound Media's creative staff of researchers, journalists, writers, photographers, and cinematographers. These are actual real live people who are excited to share their thoughts with you. If you'd like to learn more about joining our staff, please throw us a bone! Email: ted@partyhound.com.