Halloween is right around the corner, and it’s never too early to start planning a Party. If any holiday event requires a little extra planning time, it’s a Halloween bash. From wine delivery for concocting a witches brew to decorating ping pong balls for eyeball pong, there are a lot of hacks to ensure you host the spookiest party of the decade. Here are some tips so you can start planning today.

It Starts With an Invite

Though it’s not part of the party, a good, physical invitation is key to a Halloween party. Not only does it serve its purpose of giving the invitees a physical reminder of the party, but it can also give them an idea of what to expect, not just in words. The style and theme of your invite will say a lot about the party itself; if you put in a lot of effort to create crafty, spooky invites rife with Halloween puns and language, it’ll be clear to your potential guests that this party isn’t going to be like the parties that take place the rest of the year.

In addition to setting the theme and communicating the party’s date, time, and location, an invitation also gives your guests time to get their costumes ready for the big night. So send your spooky invites out a couple of weeks in advance if possible or at the very least a week.

Lights and Decor

You can’t host a Halloween party without making the venue resemble a haunted house. This is best achieved in your home as you know all the best spots and ways to hang decor, but Halloween decorations and spooky lighting are a must no matter where you are. Nix the overhead lights and aim for orange and white hanging lights if possible, with the addition of lamps, so it’s not too dark. A skeleton hanging somewhere on the wall is a must, jack-o-lanterns are cute and fun to make if you have time, and an excellent cobwebbed tablecloth can go a long way. Add fog or machine to the mix if you want to take it up a notch. It’ll bring your spooky theme to a new level if it doesn’t irritate the guests.

Spooky Snacks

Thanksgiving and holiday baking are wholesome and festive. Still, there’s no better baking season than Halloween due to the fun of creating spooky treats and snacks. When you’re hosting a Halloween party, the visuals matter more than ever, and the food is no exception. From appetizers to desserts, you can make every edible option something on-theme, an array of spiders and mummies and ghosts and pumpkins, all treats and snacks in costume, just like the guests. A few favorites of mine are:

• Mummy Jalapeno Poppers. Just wrap your usual recipe in crescent rolls and add some eyeballs.
• Halloween Deviled Eggs. You can go with a traditional deviled eggs recipe plus a little sriracha to make an orange pumpkin center, or add guacamole to the middle and go for a green monster look.
• Ghostly Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Use white chocolate and mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth, and the fruity dessert is immediately a Halloween hit. The same tactic works for bananas on a stick, too.

Themed Drinks

Party beverages are always a must; with Halloween, you have the added fun of creating any concoction and calling it a potion. For best effects, get yourself a caldron. Get some plastic goblets or other fun Halloween glasses for guests to drink out of, and give your cocktail a name that works with the theme, like “witches brew.” Halloween sangrias are perfect for serving groups, as they’re best in large batches, and you can give it fall flavors like cinnamon and cranberry.

When buying and making drinks for a party, wine delivery and alcohol delivery is your best friend. Why add another trip to the store, another handful of bags and ingredients, when you can get wine delivery and make the perfect sangria the morning of the party without leaving your house? Wine and alcohol delivery services can bring you everything you need to keep your guests happy while you take care of the in-house things. Between the baking, the snacks, and the decor, don’t add another errand to your list. You can pick from various wines, liquors, beers, and other fun beverages, and some services even offer extras you might need, like limes, bottle openers, or other drink accessories. Plus, if you ever need more drinks during the party, you can have alcohol delivered in minutes. It’s the perfect system for a host.

Ghouls, Games, and Entertainment

Finally, what’s a party without games to get the guests worked up? Halloween has classic games like bobbing for apples (or bobbing for alcohol for the adult version, with guests aiming to score a mini booze bottle), costume contests, and donuts on a string. Still, you can make a Halloween version of just about any game. Turn beer pong to eyeball pong with just a couple of markers, get a cornhole set and paint it with Halloween colors, or play ring toss with pumpkins for starters. With the witch’s brew flowing and spooky lighting and decor, the ghosts, ghouls, and guests will be in the mood to play.

Get Started!

It’s never too early to start planning the Perfect Halloween Party, so we recommend starting sooner rather than later. The more time you have, the more epic you can make it. And don’t forget to put on Monster Mash radio to accompany the fun and games. So, get yourself a cauldron and a costume, start loading up the candy bowl, and get to work!

The post Trick or Treat! How to Throw the Perfect Halloween Party appeared first on The Collegian.