Costumes, Decorations, and Candy, Oh My!

As teenagers, we tend to not go out and trick or treat anymore, but we can still get into the Halloween spirit by throwing a party! Dressing up and having fun is the whole idea of Halloween and it is a great time to have a get together with your friends. Follow these simple steps to have a
great party in no time.

First, the location of the party should be determined. This should be done first because the space that you choose will determine the maximum amount of people that can be invited to the party.

Therefore, the next step would be to decide who you want to invite to the party. Once you have a set guest list, send out the invitations about two weeks before the date of the party. Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, so you can use any day of the weekend. On the invitation, be sure to include the date of the party, the location, the theme, whether or not to wear costumes, the time that the event will begin and end, and an RSVP date.

The budget of the party is a critical step in planning. You need to meet with whoever is going to be paying for the event and agree on a price limit. This way, you will not end up running out of money.

Next comes the fun part: decorations. You can either choose to have a scary or traditional themed party. If you are having a scary party, it would be best to have it at night or with low lighting to create a creepier atmosphere. A simple tip to remember is that fake spider webs can turn any everyday object into a great party decoration. Try using pumpkins, creepy creatures, spooky music, dry ice, plastic spiders, streamers, etc. If you want to have a traditional party, any time of day will work. Whatever correlates with the theme you choose will be sure to be a hit. Check your local party stores for more ideas or look through your attic collection of old decorations because they could come in handy as well.

In order to keep your guests entertained, create a playlist of the newest music and have it playing during the party. This way, the guests can either dance or socialize while listening to tasteful music.

You may also want to plan games to break the ice among your guests or some other kind of entertainment for the teens to engage in. Maybe you will want to tell scary stories, watch a
horror movie, or go to a haunted house after the party; be creative, it is your day.

Now that the date is getting closer, it is time to start deciding the menu of your party. Make sure you set out plenty of finger foods, drinks, and desserts for your hungry guests. Also, do not forget to set out paper plates, plastic cups, utensils, and napkins. Have a variety of food so that the picky eaters can have plenty of choices. A good money saving idea is to ask your guests to bring their favorite desserts to share with everyone.

On the day of the event or a couple of days before, start setting up your decorations and clean up the space you are going to have your party in. Greet your guests at the door and have the music playing already. Do not forget to take pictures of you and your friends so that the memories of the party will last a lifetime.

By: Katelyn Presnell