How To Throw The Best Halloween Party

We get it. You're throwing a Halloween party and you don't want to sacrifice elegance in favour of spiderwebs, garish orange pumpkin motifs and plastic bats. Look no further, this is the gothic party of your dreams. Think Morticia Adams meets Cruella De Ville. Dark, evil and so damn chic.

The best Halloween parties are the ones that embrace the celebration’s pagan roots. Originally, Halloween marked the end of harvest season and the beginning of darker winter days. It was considered to be the point in the year when the veil between our world and the next is thinnest. The earthly boundaries of the living and the dead blur and lost souls rise up to perform the danse macabre. Many believe that at this time of year, the spirit world can make contact with the physical world: it’s a night when magic is at its most potent so celebrating in an appropriately dark fashion is a must.

The old tradition of carving Jack ‘O Lanterns was said to ward off evil spirits. And now, those scary pumpkin faces attract them in the form of trick or treaters. Everyone gets in the spirit of it at this special time of year. A Halloween party done well can be the best.

Here are 11 do’s and don’ts for the ultimate Halloween party:

Do keep it authentic. Carve your own pumpkins. Avoid plastic. Burn some sage for that authentic spirit-banishing scent.  

Do make up a devilish cocktail with a scary name. Preferably make it red. Like a true witch,  set up a ‘Potion Brewing Station’ and invite guests to bring an interesting bottle.

Do encourage a dress up theme. A modern Dead Famous or Halloween superstars, monsters from literature and movies. The more people run with this the more fun you’ll have.

Do plan some party games. Apple bobbing may sound naff but it’s all about the atmosphere. Monster heads up – otherwise known as the rizla game is always fun. Ask your guests to prepare a ghost story to tell by candlelight at the witching hour.

Do make some on-theme nibbles. Pickled onion eyeballs, ghost shaped cookies, mini pizzas with eyes. A few spiders scattered among the plates wouldn’t go amiss.

Do request a smoke machine. The effect of smoke pouring from the dancefloor before your guests enter is one that cannot be replicated.

Do hide some skeletons in the closet. A few scary touches in unexpected places are the details your guests will remember. A singular red balloon floating in the downstairs bathroom. A skeletal hand peeping out to rest on the arm of a sofa. A tiny ghost hanging out in the coat room. And of course, hundreds of damn bats.

Do create a scary but danceable Halloween playlist. Gothic overtures for when your guests arrive, ramping up to darkly upbeat hits. Thriller is of course a must.

Do stay in character. If you’re a vampire we want to see you biting necks. Zombies – you know what to do.

Do light up your porch. Set the scene before they even set foot in the house. Jack O’Lanterns, tea lights; the more the merrier.

Don’t forget the ice. Nothing is more of a party fail than a warm drink…

House of Hud’s Ultimate Halloween Party Décor List

Lighting: It’s all about atmospheric lighting at Halloween. Spooky uplit corners, artfully draped fairy lights and of course, hundreds of candles. Our range of lighting options are vast.

Interior: An interior as black as midnight with sparkling lights, plush black velvet and black furniture will be sophisticated and bang on theme. As our Halloween muse Wednesday Addams famously said, “I’ll stop wearing black when they invent a darker colour.”

 

Decor: We create bespoke chandeliers for each event and Halloween is an opportunity to go to town. Willow frame chandeliers dripping in bats, crystal chandeliers with blood red flowers. Spiders web trailing from the centrepiece with spider web cushions scattered around

Skulls: We have a collection of beautiful old skulls and horns which are the perfect addition to a gothic Halloween Party. Place on tables among candles; a reminder of the blurred line between the living and the dead.

Dia De Los Muertos – Day of The Dead: The Mexican’s celebrate this time of year in a far more colourful and vibrant way. Families create ofrendas (Offerings) to honour their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers. House of Hud have an interior perfect for this theme. Viva La Fiesta is a bold, Mexican-inspired tent inspired by travels in South America and has 'Day of the Dead' and 'Frida Kahlo' inspirations.