Partyology Halloween Party

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Halloween Party

Halloween Information

Theme:
Monster Mayhem, Crazy Clown Caper or Murder Mystery.

Images and inspiration:
Ghost, monster, pumpkin, cemetery, clown, dead people, vampire, sarcophagus, spider, mask, witch, murder, evil doctor, tombstone, jack-o-lantern, werewolf, scary story, mummy, alien, haunted house, weapons, coffin, body parts, pirate, scarecrow, hearse, grave flowers, black cats and voodoo just to name a few.

Date and time:
All Hallows Eve is the best date, and after it's dark will help set the mood.

Budget:
You could spend anywhere from fifty dollars on supplies, to one thousand if you get electronic gadgets that set the mood.

Location:
An abandoned looking building, barn or your home.

Layout:
Place a special scare in a graveyard to set the mood. The entry area should be very dark, and contain another scare, maybe a scarecrow that comes alive to welcome your guests. Only have black lights on inside, and scary music or a movie playing. Serve foods on and in gory containers. Plan a grand finale scare for departing guests, place something in or near their vehicle.

Record event:
Think ghost story, have a narrator narrate and video arrivals, activities, and departures, in a whisper so as not to disturb the undead. Have a photographer take photo's of the crime scene, and set-up a photo spot draw a chalk outline of guests on the ground and put a party sign (with party theme, your name and the date) in their hand to remind guests of the fun they had at your party.

Transportation:
A hearse is the best mood setter, but you could get a hay wagon.

Costumes:
These can run the gamut, if you have a specific theme, ask staff and guests to dress appropriately.

Invitations:
Have a grim reaper deliver your death certificates - I mean invitations that look like death certificates.

Decorations:
Black balloons, dead or black silk flowers, black fabric and streamers.
Set a motion sensor to turn on colored light(s), and a recorded scream when people go by. Place a fog machine near your front entry, strobe lights to replicate lightning angled towards the building, and string colored twinkle lights in the trees.
Put black lights inside towards some fluorescent items and into the room to give an eerie glow. Place battery operated Halloween decorations around the rooms, don't forget the bathroom and kitchen. Cover furniture with white fabric to give the place that not lived in feel.
You may want to create a haunted house in a separate area that people can go through. Always think safety first. Decorate with old trunks, mannequins, rocking chairs, and place old paintings on an angle. Create false walls with two way mirrors, eyes that move and hands that come out and almost grab. Hang stuff from walls and ceilings that will touch them as they walk through, spray water on victims. Don't forget to change the flooring every so often; wood, to rug, to crunchy corn flakes.

Food:
Serve food from a coffin, onto black plates.
Food should be gross looking or labeled as gory body parts etc.. Pasta can look like brains, chips can be bone slivers, dip can be guts, you get the idea. Make a cake into a graveyard with cookie tombstones, licorice fencing and whipped topping ghosts.
Serve blood red drinks out of a black kettle into beakers.

Activities:
As guests arrive have them sign a crime scene body outline mural.
Play get to know you games with questionable content: Who has the most interesting thing buried in their yard, has skinny dipped, has been arrested, has an obvious abnormality, has the most stitches, was born the farthest from here, is a member of the mile high club, is the least likely person to wear underwear, has an obsession with Halloween, goes to bed the latest...
Act out and have guests solve a murder!
Adapt regular games: pin the wart (chewed gum) on the witch, Halloween pictionary, musical tombstones, ghost bingo and spider web tangles.
Take guests through your haunted house, they may want to go through several times.
Award prizes for best, worst, most politically correct, prettiest, ugliest, most imaginative, sexiest, goriest ... costumes.

Gifts:
Send your host a black flower arrangement, or bring Halloween items; alcohol, book of ghost stories or strange facts.

Favors and prizes:
Give prizes that are appropriate for the costume categories: best - Halloween decor, worst - duct tape, politically correct -a voting guide, prettiest/ugliest - a mirror, imaginative - an art book, sexiest - garter belt, goriest - first aid kit. Favors can include Halloween books, light sticks, candy, magic tricks and gag items.

Follow-up:
Send thank you's that look like a crime scene report with guests picture(s) a description of the crime (party), and the trial results - GUILTY of having a good time, case closed!

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