Jennifer here from Create My Event, bringing you some ideas for a fun & fuss-free Halloween get-together!

Hard to believe, but in less than 2 weeks it’ll be Halloween – and what better and excuse to have a little soiree? (Especially since it’s on a Friday this year!) I’m not talking about a full on costume extravaganza, but rather a festive & chic Halloween-themed dinner party for all your favorite friends who still want to enjoy a little merriment on the spookiest night of the year- without feeling juvenile.

To start, the invites. Sendomatic has spooky Halloween Party Invitations – most including scary howls, boos and screams. And, ask everyone to wear a favorite, fun wig instead of full on costume!

For decorations, pumpkins are a cost effective and nostalgic way to go. Get several in various sizes and colors (I love the white ones) and invite a friend or two over to carve the morning of the party). They don’t all have to be faces, some would look great with just a slew of small holes carved in it like the night sky. Arrange them down the center of the dining table when lit.

Put out bottles of your favorite wine with new labels on them that you create that say “Witch’s Brew” or “Poison” with a skull and crossbones. Also, pick up some bottles of Spellbound Petite Syrah – the label and name fall right into the theme!  Use all black and silver table linens and, of course, the more candlelight the better! In fact, try not to have to use any lighting other than candles! Use small cut our gravestones again as place cards with names written in your paint pen.

Find a great Halloween CD or iMix (with “Thriller” on it, of course) and play it as background music while everyone is chatting. Or put some scary movies on a loop on your TV!

Fill some of those old school plastic pumpkin buckets (the kind we used to use for trick or treating) with individually-wrapped Halloween candy for people to munch on. Or pack up individual bags or baskets with candy and put at each place setting for people to take home.

You can have great fun with your food as well. Pumpkin or squash soup is a perfect way to start, followed by a great  beef stew. Martha Stewart had a great idea to make masked potatoes (Rusett and Sweet) and pipe them onto the plates next to the bowls of stew like ghosts and pumpkins. The ghosts’ eyes are black sesame seeds, and the pumpkins have stems of 1/2 pecans and leaves of basil or oregano.

Happy Halloween…have a ghostly event!

{A special Thank You to Erin Gates for her contribution and creative ideas.}

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Thanks for the Halloween inspiration, Jen! Be sure to visit Create My Event for more inspiring ideas!