What makes a great party?

[supernova]

OK all you DU hosts and hostesses extraordinnaire, I'm considering having a Halloween party. :-) And I've never hosted a big party before.

What kinds of things: food, music, make a good party.

Come on, share your party tips here!

Besides, those of us who aren't evacuting need something constructive to do. ;-)

[Sugar Smack]

1. Fudge Stripe Cookays is a known expert!

Okay, but I have a few ideas myself-

Overdo the decoration, always if it's Halloween. I'm talking spider webs for people to walk through, and black and orange streamers, and TONS of candles.
You should load a buffet table with stuffed mushrooms ("toadstools"), your favorite shrimp ("critters"), swedish meatballs ("eye of newt"), then platters of hard salami, cheese and pickles. DEVIL eggs. And you can have a scary-looking tablecloth underneath. Between the platters, you can strew Hershey's miniatures and other Halloween candy. A pair of chattering teeth for the centerpiece, or maybe a mask tied around a basketball.
A party I threw once with my best friend- we got guests drunk enough to comply, then sat them down, molded aluminum foil over their faces (poking little nose holes while we worked) then carefully removed the "masks". We hung each one on the wall immediately afterward.

I hope this helps! I KNOW you'll have fun!

Can I come?

:hi:

[supernova]

2. That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about!

Thanks, Sugar Smack :hi:

I'm inviting all my DU friends. I have to decide on a date. I can't decide on the Friday or the Saturday.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. Black caviar on the devilled eggs

is a tasty, Halloweeny touch...

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. An absence of assholes

and music, but quiet enough that people can still talk to one another.

And good food, and plenty GOOD booze.

But, this is for me and my friends. The vast majority of people seem to think a great party is one with loud music, assholes, spilled drinks, cheap booze, people who can barely string a sentence together, tacky decor, food that they bought frozen in boxes and/or serve in the jar/can it came in, and paper plates and plastic silverware.

I find those parties to be intolerable.

[no name no slogan]

5. The best ingredient: INTERESTING PEOPLE

You can have the best food, booze and/or music, but without good people there, it will still suck.

Have fun!

[hickman1937]

6. Booze, and a reliable taxi service.

Works every time. Good food too.

[MissB]

7. Halloween parties are fun :)

We've done the pumpkin carving thing before. It is a really fun party- lots of drunk people, sharp knives....

Seriously though, we do the pumpkin carving party for halloween. We invite people to bring a pumpkin, carving tool and a treat (side dish). We supply some sort of main dish (bbq or something really easy like a big turkey) and the drinks and the candles for the pumpkins.

It isn't just geared towards kids either - adults have a lot of fun carving up pumpkins.

[sundog]

8. drinks & drugs

:thumbsup:

:P

[HEyHEY]

9. Always supply the food and SOME booze

Like say a twixer of rum and a 60 of something else...a couple cases too. Spend like 100 bucks on booze and some food.

ANd ask around, I throw GREAT parties.

[SOteric]

10. The best parties have people interacting,

I think an assortment of icebreakers can help with that. Tape the title of a horror flick to the back of everyone's costume (no fair anyone peeking) and have them get clues from others attending the party.

[Xipe Totec]

11. The choice of guests

That's the key. You got to get a lot of interesting people from all walks of life and persuasions. If everybody knows each other already, there's nothing to talk about.

[tazkcmo]

12. Is it prom night?

Best thing at parties is good people. Then, good drugs (or even bad drugs in some places)
The forst is required and the second is just prefferable.

Why do you need a theme? Pasting stuff on people's back.....geez. Just talk to each other and goof around and relax.