Maybe I am panicking too early, but I sent about 60 invitations out this week and a couple people have commented to me that the date maybe an issue, or that they will have to come late because of TOT'ers.

Now, we live on a private drive in a very rural area. The issue is not TOT'ers at our house. And my wife an I are in our late 40s and most of our friends are in their 40s, and I would say that most don't have very youg kids.

My thought was that TOT'ing is usually over by by 7 or so, in fact I think our tiny town of 3000 actually mandates it (but probably wouldn't enforce it), but of course lots of our guests don't live in our town. We said 7:30 on the invite, but even on non-31st parties, the house doesn't fill up until 8:30-9:00 anyway.

Just wondering how big of a deal this might be. My thoughts were guests with kids would let them (or go with them) to TOT at dusk, or just past night fall, then come home, get in their costumes and come to our party, using sitters if needed. Our parties usually go pretty late, and have always been on the Daylight savings time Sat, so people always think they can stay later anyway.

Anyone else having a 10/31 party?

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Omenwood Hotel (Night Spa and Funeral Parlor)

My pics @PhotoBucket {password is "skelly"}

With Halloween being on a Saturday this year, you'll probably get more people than you think.

The problem with invitations (as cool as they are) is 1) some people don't open their mail until the weekend 2) some will open the invite and think "yeah, I'll go to that" but set the invite down and forget to r.s.v.p. 3) other mail gets set on top of the invitation and it gets lost. etc.

I've had this happen and end up having people show up and say, "Oh, sorry I forgot to r.s.v.p.!"

You'll have a good turnout. Have fun!!!!

Well, I included a little fridge magnet with the "Omenwood Hotel" logo and date, AND I think that being on Halloween will actually help people remember, normally its "another" date and something else for people to lose or forget. Probably 95% of the people we invite get invited every year anyway, and most start asking me "when is the party this year" in Sept-Oct.

I find turnout very hard to predict. We've had years where we got less than 20 people and other years where we had 50+, for the same number of invites. You just have to respect and accept that people's lives are complex and sometimes they can't come even if they want to. And some people just aren't Halloween party people no matter what (like some of the neighbors, we live on a private drive with 4 other homes, so we are really not so much inviting as saying "this is the one night of the year we will be loud, lots of cars, and you'll see lightening......!" Get used to it.)

Then again, we have a decent group that say they "wouldn't miss it for the world". One guy is a part time disc jockey and told me he was approached to do a gig on the 31st and he said "Sorry, I can't do that date....."

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Omenwood Hotel (Night Spa and Funeral Parlor)

My pics @PhotoBucket {password is "skelly"}

It's hard to plan how much food to have and other things when you don't know how many to expect. I guess you just buy enough for 50, huh? Or do you do a pot luck?

You know you have great parties when someone passes up other great opportunities so they can be at your house.

Oddly food has never been an issue. Most people RSVP so we get a sense of how many. People always ask if they can bring stuff and we just say any finger food. We usually do some oven heated wings or something like that, a huge beer cooler and some wine and NABs (non alcoholic bevs) and waters. There is always food left over..... that is why we let our teenagers have party the next night!!!

We just rearrange everything on the platters and go again....

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Omenwood Hotel (Night Spa and Funeral Parlor)

My pics @PhotoBucket {password is "skelly"}

We're doing our party on the 24th this year. However, we are in our early 30's and the majority of our guests are our age or younger so the kids would be a problem. We thought about the 30th, but to many people have to work on Friday, as do we, and that would leave us very limited time to decorate. If your guests don't have kids of their own to take out TOTing I don't think you have anything to worry about. You should have a good turnout.

If Halloween falls on a weekend night(Fri/Sat), then that's when my group holds the parties. The kids of any party-goers are welcome, or can be looked after elsewhere.

If that's when you want to hold it, go for it, I shouldn't see why it would be a major problem for anyone.
If some guests are going to come a little later, don't worry, you'll have a more stress-free beginning, and should be a little more 'laid-back' by the time they arrive

I live in the netherlands where there is no treat or treating and halloween isnt a holiday. So we do our parties the last saturday in october....so this year it will be on the 31th!

MsM

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"A true friend stabs you in the front."
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Happy to report we have about 30 RSVPs so far, I know some will not come, but I also know some others who will not reply, but will come. 30 guests is critical mass in my book. I think we invited about 100.

A few said they will come later (Ok, by me, the big event doesn't happen until about 10p anyway) because they want to be home for the TOTers. Some asked why I did it on the 31st, I just reply "shouldn't be a problem. Any kids out TOTing after about 7-8 are older and trouble makers anyway......"


Q for the group: Do you think it is mean/unfair/unethical for us to set all of the clocks in the house back an hour BEFORE the party starts so people won't be inclined to leave too early? DST is that night (well , next am at 2am).

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Omenwood Hotel (Night Spa and Funeral Parlor)

My pics @PhotoBucket {password is "skelly"}

I am doing one on the 31st! My party will start at 9pm to give parents time to take the little ones trick or treating. This is my first party and I am super excited......I have 47 ppl confirmed!