Thread: How do you throw a sophisticated halloween party?

Tweet

This year I decided to have an intimate gathering among close friends for halloween. It's going to be about 25-30 people so I want to do something really nice and classy. I have read Martha Stewart magazines and they are great as inspirations but there are so many different variations and projects it's almost overwhelming. So how do I make halloween sophisticated but scary?
Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks

Do you know what you want to do theme-wise? That would certainly help out. I know I once saw a link to a beautiful party that was very Phantom of the Opera type style. It was very sophisticated, but still eerie. I'll see if I can find it again...

I would say for the "class" factor, theme it up with a masquerade concept. This allows you to get all sorts of fancy, but yet keep the mystery that is Halloween. That should help with the sophisticated part.

You did say "sophisticated but scary" to address the scary, I would take that masquerade concept, mix it with a Clue style murder mystery. Maybe pick up a couple of those How to Host a Murder kits and pull ideas from it. Theme your invite, set the stage, and allow your guests to participate in a mystery story. Add some horrific twists to the plot and incorporate some classic Halloween wherever you can.

Just some thoughts - good luck on your haunt!

Invite Southfistikated peeple.
Decorate like an old boxing gym, posters from old matches, the smell of sweat, ancient hardwood floors...would ghosts be there?
Maybe just the living? The spirits would be the half brains knocked , pounded loose, forever in limbo and wondering "Wha happened?"
"Who turned out the lights?"

I think the theme is most important. I personally would tend more to the gothic approach. Lots of candles, cobwebs, old books, old photos, etc. Then put your quests into that environment.

Maybe be set in an era suitable to your home. A group of 'Edwardian bright young things' meeting at an old country house for Halloween for example. Agatha Christie style. Or maybe a group of GI's leaving for the war having a fancy dress party. Or are they the ghosts of the men that had already left? Or, depending upon your guests, a recreation of the 60's, lots of hippies, mini-skirts, long hair, etc. Psychedelic, hallucinations, etc.....

If your guests are dressing up, try and get them to keep to the theme. Even superheroes costumes could be allowed, as most originated in the 30's and 40's, but try to get original look rather than modern film versions.

Murder mystery would be good, ask people on the invites, if they are willing to play a part, or just be bystanders. Better to have a few enthusiastic people, than trying to rope everyone in, especially those more reserved.

Try to keep away from plastic anything, if possible. Cover or hide electrical appliances such as Hi-Fis, TVs, etc. Change lighting to flickering candles, LEDs, or dim 20W bulbs rather than glaring modern equivalents. If you have modern furniture cover with dust sheets, throws ,etc. Remove modern ornaments and decorations as far as possible.

The same goes with food and drink, try and keep it in keeping with your theme. Even if the food is modern, serve in old fashioned serving bowls.
Provide labels explaining what they are, but use old or foreign names. Pretend to be sophisticated!

Relabel products, there are lots of websites with labels that could be used.

Same with drink, remove labels from wine, and spirits, and replace with contemporary or exotic versions, for example.

http://www.rezo.ge/design.html?http:...ign/vodkas.htm

Print faded versions of these to get away from the normal branded versions.

I could go on...but maybe some ideas.....

Ian

I like Martha Stewart for a more grown-up sophisticated approach to Halloween. Look on her website:

http://www.marthastewart.com/halloween-workshop

And although some of the prices are a bit much for me, you can look at the Grandin Road Halloween catalogue and get lots of great decorating ideas (actually lots of the stuff they sell IS Martha Stewart.)

http://www.grandinroad.com/mercadoSe...29&Search.y=10

How about a black and white theme? And I really like the masquerade theme, then people could wear fancy black and white dress with cool masks. You couls even take the black and white theme to the food. You can get black caviar, right? And what's more "sophisticated" than caviar??? LOL

You said you wanted sophisticated but Scary?

Well sophisticated I think of as a nicely planned decor with quality items and props. I assume you will have food. Will it be buffet or sitdown tables? I'd definitely use nice tablecloths maybe covered with some spider web lacy material (you can find at fabric stores nearer halloween or they sell them online), a halloween centerpiece (maybe a bucky skull on a silver platter). Bring out silver candlesticks or candelabras draped in spider webs (play it safe with LED flickering battery powered tapers). No paper plates or plastic serveware of any kind. Rent tableware and glassware if you don't have enough to accommodate all your guests.

Now for the scary part. I also like setting something in a particular era. Let's say you want to do England during Jack the Rippers time frame or 1890s in Transylvania when Dracula was written. Dimly lit interiors. A low-lying fog machine placed outside near your guest entrance or a regular fog machine outside near your windows set on a timer would help create an eerie view reminiscent of the fog shrouded streets of London or the foggy fields near Dracula's castle to those partying inside. Don't forget a light source outside so that people inside can see it's foggy outside. That should help set the stage. If you are at all crafty, create some foam board facade windows for the inside from that time period to peer out through. No fireplace, make one out of foam board. Keep it simple yet elegant in style. Look for lacy curtain panels or velvet-like curtain panels at discounted prices--try Ross Dress for Less for example, to help further set your room scene.

Do up your invites along your chosen theme. Let people know they should dress as any towns person of the time period from that region--that allows those who wish to do it up dress like aristocracy while others might prefer a more casual everyday bloke attire (for men who hate costumes--suspenders, hiking boots and flat cap can go along way, accessorize it with a cane or pipe and even more charm).

I personally would plan the evening around a scavenger hunt of some kind. For that size group I think a scripted murder mystery gets to be too unwieldy and people lose interest and drift off. Besides not everyone is into role playing of sorts. But everyone can do a scavenger hunt. Maybe set up in teams of 2 or 3 or 4 and see if you can split couples up. Let them search with some LED battery operated candles in their hands or lanterns equipped with tea lights (to go along with the old world period). In the case of a Jack the Ripper event maybe the focus is to find "Elizabeth" who's been missing since earlier in the evening (maybe Elizabeth is a lady of the night, street urchin, or weathy socialite--give her some background). Give the party goers clues to places or things she might have done earlier that day--maybe they find a shopping list she had written (these would be places around the inside and outside of the house, involve your neighbors if they are game, in fact maybe they'd be willing to dress up and join the crowd when the scavenger part is over). Print up various fliers from the authorities with more clues. At each clue station have something that the group can bring back to prove they've been there (maybe a button off her dress or a curl of hair). Of course at a few of the stations, you'll have a surprise waiting for them! That where the focus should be on "scare". Maybe one of the things Elizabeth did was to put some groceries away. Well maybe there's a head or something inside the refrigerator or one of the cupboards. You get the idea. So where is Elizabeth? Maybe she'll be found dead somewhere or maybe the party goers will find that she's boarded a ship bound for America.

BTW regarding the involvement of willing neighbors. Aside from participation as a station for the neighborhood scavenger hunt, maybe one or two of them would be willing to lurk around the outside windows from time to time to throw a little fright in someone (donning a scary mask and costume all the better!). Who knows maybe one of them might end up being Jack the Ripper who crashes your party at the end of the night all ready to party with someone. Who knows maybe he has been the one leaving the taunting clues and it's him who will surprise them at the end of the evening in a dark room.

Thankyou everyone for contributing your ideas...it is very helpful. And a special thanks to Ghost of Spookie. When doing some research I found a theme I fell in love with that would incoroporate both sophistication and scare....A Witch Tea Party. Okay it sounds kind of corny but I think it can incorporate the two worlds if done right. I see cauldron as a centerpiece, extravagant witches hats, black cats, bats, ravens. Some unique looking but good food.
I know it sounds kind of simple but it's just an idea.
Although Ghost of Spookie really got me thinking.

Maybe a bit late, but if I was going to throw a sophisticated halloween party, I'd go for this one:

18th Century Vampires

http://www.partypop.com/themes/SPEC0010.html

MsMeeple that is such a cool party theme! And I could see where that would be kind of a scare for someone trying to figure out what the heck was going on when they got grabbed. Loved the lighting effect going red when the initial reveal was made. I'm sure no one will forget that party.

HallowYves I think the Witches Tea sounds great too. There was an HGTV or one of the other cable channels a few years ago that aired something like it. The lady who hosted it had started it a few years before where she would invite a group of women (not sure if it was for a tea though) but they all would dress up as witches with some great costumes and hats and it was such a hit among the group they made it an annual get-together and a time for some fun. How will you work in something scary?