Happy Plan-a-ween! You think Frankenstein is scary? Nothing is more frightening than not having a plan in place. Here at EOE even the best planned event days have their fair share of horror stories.

Are you scared your pocus punch isn’t going to be goolish enough? Do you have these amazing last minute ideas but have no idea how to pull them off? You came to the right place! Keep reading to learn all about how us Ellie event planners execute in a pinch.

WHAT WOULD ELLIE DO?

Scope CREEP

First thing’s first, what are we planning here? A quick get together with friends after work? A haunted house extravaganza with all the bells and whistles? Outline what you are planning to accomplish before you get started and get lost in the beauty that is Pinterest or our favorite- Amazon Prime! It’s easy to go overboard. Trust us.

Know Whether You’ll Be Having Goblins and Ghouls or Vampires and Werewolves.

If you are just going to dress up and serve red wine because, ya know, it’s Halloween, that might not be enough to wow your guests. Understand WHO is attending and what you want their EXPERIENCE to be. If you are looking to scare some people, dressing the dog in a bat costume might not cut it!

Don’t Assume The Guest Has Their Own Crystal Ball

As fun as guessing games are, guests are horrible at it. So, if it’s a costume party, make sure your e-vite says so. If you are having a contest for the scariest monster, make sure your guests know. Nothing worse than being the only one dressed up while everyone else is in their sweatpants (which could be just as scary)

A Little Bit of Last Minute Magic

There’s something about Halloween that feels like just about everyone waits until the very last minute to prepare for. Lucky for us last minute requests are our middle name. They are so common in the events world that we have mastered (almost) every loophole. Let us introduce you to our favorite duo, Pinterest and Amazon Prime. One provides the inspiration the other makes it come to life in two quick days via some magical broomstick. Does it get better than this?

How to Give Your Night some Witchcraft and Wizardry

If you are anything like us, your wardrobe is a variation of a few shades of black. The issue is, not everyone is going to want to dress up in a costume or any article of clothing that isn’t orange or black.  If you know that at this party cat ears just aren’t going to cut it – what can you do?

1. 1. Buy fun props for people to put on. After a few creepy cocktails, your guests may be more willing to throw on that blonde wig.

1. 1. Make your costumes approachable. I never met a person who would say no to a solid pair of shutter shades. Maybe a wand? Red plastic lips? Do easy things that people can easily take on and off but will allow them to still feel adult
      while acting a little silly.

1. 1. Give out awards. One of our favorite things in event planning is a good ole competition. You would be amazed what a custom plastic engraved trophy or unlimited bragging rights will make people do. Create a runway, get score cards, and make it worth the guests while to compete with each other.

1. 1. After years and years of attending halloween parties, the typical red colored punch served out of a pumpkin or overdone sugary apple ciders, we are ready to step up our halloween drinks to options that are a bit more sophisticated. Some of these drinks look too spooky to drink, but we promise they are tastier than they look. (Just arrange for someone else to fly your broomstick home) Check them out here.

1. 1. Avoid any #partyfouls by taking 10 minutes to create your own music playlist instead of relying on a premade one. Nothing kills the vibe of a poppin’ dance floor like the Kidz Bop version of Monster Mash. Don’t get us wrong, traditional halloween songs are still great, just make sure you have consistency and songs that are upbeat to keep the party “alive”.

1. Lighting is everything. At our events, this means overhead bistro lights and votive candles to set the scene for dinner, or ensuring a presenter is well lit on stage with a specialty installed spotlights. But for your Halloween bash, don’t let this #protip squeeze by you. If your event is lit correctly with shadow-y uplighting, mysterious glows of purple and green, and flickering yellow flames (faux please. Let’s not go there) This will set the tone of your event without having to buy so many props or decor. Simple but thoughtful lighting is the perfect way to keep it sophisticated and spooky.

Don’t let your next event scare you.  Need party people who know how to monster mash?  Drop us a note at rsvp@eastofellie.com