The spooky season is almost upon us, and for many, this time of year is better than all the other holidays combined. Halloween is an opportunity to get some cheap thrills from scary stories, visit ‘haunted’ locations, dressing up as your favorite character – scary or not – and carve out some Jack-o-lanterns to light up at night.
No matter what your age, it is a lot of fun around this time of year, and if you love Halloween and want to go all out celebrating it this year, why not host a ghostly ball? This is a great idea for both big parties with family and friends if you want to raise money for a charity, or perhaps even promoting your business. Either way, here are some must-have things you need at your Halloween Ball.
1. Live Music
No ball would be right without live music from talented artists that draw people to the dance-floor all night. There might already be a few local bands that you know who would be willing to perform for your event, but if not, use websites to find a variety of musicians who would be suitable such as jazz bands, blues bands, rock, swing, etc.
You could even include other forms of entertainment that would work well for this type of evening such a someone who can read Tarot cards or an illusionist. Just make sure that you book any performers well in advance as they might get booked up quickly around this time of year.
2. Fancy Dress Mandatory
There are always a few people who think they’re too cool for fancy dress, but it’s all part of the fun on Halloween! If you want to truly capture the spirit of this holiday and get everyone in the mood, let people know that they have to come in fancy dress – even if it’s something as simple as cat ears and drawn-on whiskers.
To give people more incentive (if they need it), offer a prize for the best costume, this could be cash or a gift voucher for a popular retail brand, or to get a discounted meal at a popular restaurant, etc.
3. Decorations
You need to go all out on the decorations if you’re going to have the ultimate Halloween Ball, as this will play a huge part in creating the right atmosphere for the night. Speak to the venue about any restrictions they might have regarding this, such as keep fire doors clear, keeping guests out of certain areas, etc.
Once you know what you can do with the space, you can start having some fun planning the overall décor. Perhaps you can make the place look like the inside of a haunted mansion? Or a creepy Victorian cemetery? You might even lean more towards a folk horror vibe and make it feel like an eerie woodland.
Whatever you decide, make sure you set aside a good part of your budget on the décor to help set the tone.
