Planning any party can put extra stress on even the most organized people. You should be excited about your party, not stressed! In this article, we’ll share the perfect Halloween party checklist that will help you throw the best party and keep you organized to ensure nothing is forgotten – we’ve also included it as a freebie for you!
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I’m pretty sure we’ve ALL been here before…you’ve been planning your party for weeks, if not months, and the big day has finally come. Only for you to be sitting with your friends or family thinking, “I can’t believe I forgot to make a playlist.” Whatever it may be, we’ve probably all been there. And while your guests might not realize your missing piece, you do and it might be eating you up inside!
When it comes to throwing a great party, being organized is key. You don’t want to have a jump scare as party day approaches – you want to be on top of things! We’ve put together the perfect Halloween party checklist that will help you stay organized and make sure you haven’t forgotten a single detail for your big party.
One Month To Go
Chances are you won’t be hosting the only Halloween party in town, so be sure to set the date as soon as possible.
Once you nail down the date, it’s time to settle on a theme and gather all the information you will need to send out the invitations. Make sure you have decided on the theme so your guests know whether to come dressed up or not.
If you are sending out invitations through the mail, be sure to give yourself some extra time to track down everyone’s addresses. The alternative (and probably more efficient) route is to send out e-vites to your guests.
There are plenty of these available online for free. Check out Evite or Punchbowl to get your creative juices flowing.
Order your party decor. Now that you’ve decided on your theme, starting ordering everything you need! Shipping is pretty quick for the most part these days (I’m looking at you Amazon Prime), but it’s never too early to get ahead in this department, especially if shipping takes longer than you originally anticipated.
Two Weeks To Go
The most important things are decided, so now you have a bit of downtime until you really have to kick it into party prep mode. Take this time to establish the ambiance you’re looking to achieve. Is it spooky? Is it scary?
Make a music playlist that will help set the mood for your party. You could even decide that a background movie is more your style – something scary of course!
One Week To Go
Head to the grocery store. Stock up on anything that you can make ahead of time. Any extra time you can spare as the party day approaches will be better spent elsewhere.
Think about all of the things you can buy that don’t need to be bought fresh a day or two before, like soft drinks and punch mix, ingredients for your desserts, and candy.
Get all of that out of the way! It’s also a good idea to do your first big grocery haul ahead of time in case the grocery store is out of anything you need. This will give you time to check out another store, or wait until your preferred store has restocked what you need.
Three Days To Go
Whether you plan to carve your pumpkins or just use them for decor, you have to buy them at just the right time. Any earlier than a couple days before and you may risk it rotting. You also need to give yourself some time to carve it if that’s your plan.
If you’re hosting a costume party, make sure you have all the pieces to put your costumer together. With a few days to go, it still gives you a chance to pick up any missing parts before party day.
If you’re giving your guests a party favor, don’t wait until the day of to assemble these. Get it out of the way now! It can be as simple as a loot bag with some Halloween candy. Whatever it is, your guests will love to receive a special treat at the end of your party.
One Day To Go
Now is the time to hit the grocery store for the last-minute things you keep forgetting to get. It’s also the best time to grab anything fresh that you need for your party food.
Decorate! Do as much as you can the day before the party to lessen your stress on the big day. Wait for everyone in your house to head to bed before doing this to be sure nothing gets knocked over or torn down accidentally.
Recharge your batteries. Figuratively and literally. Be sure to charge up any wireless speakers you plan on using for the party. Charge up your camera too if you’re using one to make sure you can capture all kinds of fun memories!
Don’t forget to charge your own batteries. Take some time to relax and recharge before the big party. You have a big day coming up and need to make sure you’re not feeling like the night of the living dead!
On The Big Day
Send your guests a quick message the morning of to let them know how excited you are to see them and remind them of any details they might have forgotten.
Get the food and drinks ready. Put out everything that you have prepared ahead of time so there are options ready for when your guests arrive!
If you’re dressing up for your party, take a few minutes to get yourself ready!
If you don’t have a chance to finish everything you wanted to before your guests start to arrive, let it go. The time has come to HAVE FUN! You’ve put in a lot of hard work to plan this party, and now is the time to enjoy it.
This article should give you all the details you need to check off your Halloween party checklist. Click the image below to save a copy of this Halloween party checklist and use it to help you plan the perfect Halloween party.
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