Thread: Am I wrong NOT to have a theme?

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I'm not going with a theme for this year's party. As I've done for the last couple of years, I just send out a "Graveyard Gala"-type of invite, and people come as all sorts of characters. When I have had a theme (such as "Dead Celebrity"), it was fun; when I haven't had a theme, it was fun. Win-win, as far as I'm concerned. HOWEVER, I have two guests who have repeatedly asked me to come up with a theme for the party, as it makes it easier for THEM to come up with a costume idea! Frankly, I like the idea of having a bunny having a laugh with a zombie at my party, or seeing the Pink Power Ranger and Freddie doing the limbo. It also gives ME free reign to dress up with whatever strikes my fancy and to decorate however I please.

Maybe next year I'll plan it with a theme and see how that goes.

Any thoughts?

It's YOUR party at YOUR house, so do what YOU wanna do.

If that's no theme, then go with it & leave it up them to figure out a costume. Their costume isn't your responsibility.

It's funny, I am deliberating this very thing today. Last year was our first Halloween party -- adults only, had about 100 people. We did not have a theme, and it was a big hit anyway. This year I know I'm expected to ramp things up even more (it seems to be highly anticipated among our friends, as they had such a good time last year). But I can't seem to bring myself to lock in a theme. Last year we had amazing costumes that were all over the map, and I would hate to have corralled their creativity by directing them too much.

I may change my mind in the next day or so, but for now I think I'm just going to go with a very general theme, if you can call it that, like a haunted mansion so that anything goes.

The only other possible theme I've been considering is some kind of take on the crime shows (my friends and family know I'm a sucker for the CSI, NCIS type shows). I haven't really looked into all those murder games floating around here, but I can see some kind of murder or true crime theme (only loosely applied) being kind of fun for me. In fact, some of the ideas I had for last year and never got to use might come in handy -- using yellow police tape around the house, outlining "chalk" bodies on the dance floor, an autopsy table buffet, a blacklight "lab" bar for the drinks. That's about the only theme I'm feeling like possibly doing.

As you can see, I'm still thinking! Will be interested to hear what others say.

We have had many unthemed that were very successful. It allow people to do whatever they want go wild and crazy. Letting people make up whatever they can dream of is fun and suprising. Go for it!

We've had a theme every year but never really announced it beforehand. This year we did and people are freaking out thinking they have to dress for the theme. We don't want 50 million witch doctors or voodoo queens at our party so we had to make another announcement that dressing for the theme was NOT a requirement and stressed that originality is a plus for the contest. As a PP said, it is more fun when you have a variety of costumes there rather than everyone looking the same. Next year I think we will keep the theme to ourselves, or just go with something more general.

I say, if you don't want to do a theme, dont. Tell them the theme is just general Halloween fun.

I agree with not wanting everyone to look alike in costume. Now, at my Be WITCHY party they all have to be in some sort of witch attire, but that is different. Even there, I hope for lots of originality.

I am using a witch theme for the party, too, because of my decor. It is a Witches Ball. However, being a good witch, I have all kinds of friends from Scooby Doo, to the witch doctor, to Elvis impersonators, to whatever they think up to wear. The wilder and zanier, the better.

I plan to use some version of the witch theme for a few years. Guess I need to clarify about the costumes.

When I first started talking about doing the Be WITCHY party some of our male friends thought I wasn't doing the regular party and they couldn't come. LOL They are probably some of the same ones who complained last year about having to dress up!

Thanks for all the remarks. Typically, I start to feel a little stressed at this time of year because the party planning really begins in earnest. Seeing everyone's clever party theme ideas and then having these same two friends hound me about a theme made me question if I was doing the right thing.

I was chatting with another friend of mine (coming to the party, doesn't give a rat's behind whether there's a theme) about this issue, and she said I should tell these two a made-up theme so that THEY'LL be happy, and then just go ahead and plan my party the way I want. She's evil and I LOVE her!

We go in spells, too. Some years we have a themed party, and then throw in a non-themed one. I like the variety of costumes that we get on a non-themed year, as well. My friends complain about the lack of direction, too, lol!

I just have an "invite theme". I don't ask my guests to come as any one thing because I like to have a big variety of costumes (it's fun to see what everyone comes as). I noticed last year when I did the blood in the vial invite, I had a few vampires come (I was one myself). I went with a zombie theme this year and I don't mind having zombies come but I don't anyone to feel obligated. My decor is really not themed at all. I add a few things every year but we put so much work into our props, I can't imagine not using them cause the didn't fit the "theme". So I say just have the party & don't worry about a theme unless you just have your heart set on something.

I never have theme and it always works out fine!!