Costumes
It’s the only time of the year when it’s truly permissible, so why would you avoid it? Embrace it. In the invitation mention the dress code. Here it was “Arrive dressed as your favorite Tortured Artist.”
Decide on a decor theme
I mentioned here that our decor was inspired by vanitas, the term used to describe the brevity of life and nearness of death that was reflected in rotting fruits, skulls, taxidermy, and candles (see our decor ideas here) and a costume based on it. We chose not to do rotting fruits but just living fruits as we didn’t want to gross out our guests. A piece of fruit at each place setting is the perfect adornment (see above image).
Add in the spooky to your Halloween party
I’m not generally a fan of the spooky element, but to make the beautiful vanitas work, we needed that extra creepy feel. For the table runner, we added in some ghost faces. I wanted something subtle that you wouldn’t detect right away. Surprise! Check out the full DIY here.
But also make it gorgeous
Though it’s a bit spooky, it should also be a bit gorgeous, right?! That’s how we like to do it here. Sarah Winward did the gorgeous flowers and used the styrofoam skeleton heads as vases. I love how they turned out. Drip fruits and flowers across the table for that lavish, over-the-top feel.
Black candles (perfect for the Halloween party atmosphere!)
Good, subtle lighting is a must. We lit our party with black candles, the only way to go. We got ours from Save-on-Crafts, who is the cheapest and has the best supply around.
Customize the event
Spooky Halloween party artwork
Dessert that mimics the theme
It’s all in the details, folks. I was so excited for this vanilla bean skull cake. I think it truly made the party. And it was delicious, so there’s that. Get the full tutorial here.
A delicious autumnal menu
Good friends with good costumes
We had a ball putting this party on, and there’s still a bit more. Get a behind the scenes look at the making of the party here!