Ah, Halloween. The one night a year when consuming an unholy amount of chocolate and scaring the living crap out of the people you love is not just socially accepted, but encouraged. Personally, it’s my favourite celebration of the year.

Regardless of whether you’re planning on hosting a Japanese horror movie-themed bash or a sexy lil’ coven soirée with witch potion cocktails and a cauldron bubbling upon dry ice, planning the perfect Halloween party takes both creativity and an eye for detail.

Luckily for you, we’ve crafted a checklist with the big details you’re going to want to remember whilst you mull over the finer ones. This is going to be the best Halloween yet, I tell you.

Decide on a Vibe

First things first, you’re going to want to decide on the sort of vibe you’re going for — and boy, do I have some good suggestions for you.

Firstly, I present to you the classic yet utterly timeless haunted house theme, featuring cobwebs, jack-o’-lanterns, eerie lighting, and a soundtrack of Monster Mash and the Scooby Doo theme tune.

Or perhaps you might want to consider a gothic masquerade with velvet drapes, dark chandeliers, and guests in elaborate masks, sipping blood-red wine in candlelit corners. Picture dark roses, black lace, and a playlist filled with eerie classical music.

Maybe you want something a tad more interactive, such as a good ol’ murder mystery dinner party where guests play characters and uncover clues to solve a murder most foul indeed. You could even add a supernatural twist, with ghosts and ghouls being part of the mystery.

If you’re looking for something a little more unusual, have you ever been to a ghost ship party, or explored a vampire’s red-accented lair, or even suddenly found yourself in a space designed to make you feel as though you’ve entered the ship of an alien?

Regardless of what you go for, once you decide on the vibe, everything can follow; from decorations to costumes to whether or not you will require a ritual sacrifice of the last slice of ghost-shaped pizza.

Choose the Venue

Once you have a clear theme in mind, you can begin to look at venues. Depending on the sort of vibe you’re thinking of, you might consider a gorgeous industrial or a railway arch vibe.

Regardless of the venue you choose, bear in mind to pay attention to the capacity, accessibility, and any restrictions the venue might have (like whether they allow open flames, smoke machines, or a very hot guest list).

When life gives you the idea for an epic event, all you have to do is match the vibe with a solid space. And luckily for you, we’ve got some pretty sick places here.

Guest List and Invitations

Speaking of, next you’ll need to think about who you actually want to attend this incredible party— do you really want to invite that one colleague who you swear is stealing your kombucha? Or that friend-of-a-friend who said your rollerskating Instagram account is stupid? Only choose people who deserve to go to the sickest Halloween bash that London has ever seen.

Then, you get to have fun with the invitations, using them to really hone in on the spooky spirit of your event. Consider including a costume theme, RSVP details, and maybe a cryptic message that hints at the surprises to come.

Once all of that is sorted, send out the invitations early so that everyone has enough time to conjure up the perfect costume (and then why not have a lil’ Best Costume ceremony at the end of the night? This can be more iconic than cringe, I swear).

Decorations and Entertainment

I can already see you flexing your party-planning muscles, and believe me, I’m enamoured.

Next, you can transform your space into a haunted haven by adding unique features such as a haunted mirror that distorts reflections, creepy portraits with eyes that follow you, or life-sized animatronics that suddenly spring to life when guests walk by.

Set the ambiance with candlelight, flickering LEDs hidden in carved pumpkins, eerie shadows cast by cleverly placed lights, and fog machines that roll a ghostly mist across the floor.

Then, in terms of entertainment, you might consider adding a spooky photo booth, pumpkin carving contest, fortune teller station, ghost story circle, witch hunt, or potion-making bar.

I’d better get an invite, I swear.

Food and Drinks (the best bit)

Finally, we have arguably the most important factor to consider: the food and drinks!

No Halloween party (or party in general, tbh) is complete without an array of delightfully ghoulish goodies, and this is one thing that you can have some crazy fun with. Some ideas include:

• Witch’s Fingers: Sponge fingers shaped like fingers, with almond slices as fingernails and red icing or jam to mimic blood
• Stuffed Cockroach Dates: Because why not traumatise your guests?
• Pumpkin Guts Spaghetti: Spaghetti squash tossed with tomato sauce and served inside said squash
• Spooky Toffee Apples: Toffee apples dipped in black or dark purple sugar coating, perhaps with white chocolate or icing on top and a little sugar spider sitting on the web (although personally, I despise the feeling of having both the apple and the sugar stick in my teeth, so use this suggestion at your own risk)
• Pumpkin Devilled Eggs: Devilled eggs dyed orange, with green onion slices as ‘stems,’ making them look like mini pumpkins (I know, how cute!)
• Bat Wings: Chicken wings marinated in a dark soy or balsamic glaze to give them a bat-like appearance
• Spooky Cheese Board: A cheese and charcuterie board with skull-shaped cheese, salami roses, and crackers arranged to look like a graveyard
• Zombie Brain Cake: A red velvet cake shaped and decorated to look like a brain, with raspberry sauce for a bloody effect.

And then, you can work on a devilishly themed cocktail menu, including drinks such as a black magic margarita, classic Bloody Mary, or a ghostly White Russian. Serve in fake syringes, blood bags, a punch cauldron, or potion bottles to ensure that your guests have the most incredible spooky night of their life.

I tell you, Halloween planning is where I shine.

Final Touches

All you have to do then is make sure to double-check everything before the big night. Are the decorations in place? Is the food ready? Have you used enough fake bloody to stain everything you own?

A quick run-through will help you catch any last-minute details and ensure that everything runs as smoothly as a ghost ship. Happy bloody haunting!