Halloween Party Ideas

Being a San Diego Wedding DJ I have had the opportunity to see some amazing parties. From private mansion in Rancho Santa Fe to simply bars and clubs throughout this beautiful county, there are a lot of fun-filled destinations for someone to show off their "other side". I thought I'd give you some cool party ideas first hand so you can spread the word and make sure that whatever party you are throwing or attending will be a true success.

First off, in a completely unbiased opinion being a San Diego DJ and all (that was an attempt at sarcasm) I'd have to say that you need to secure your entertainment, music, or for the budget minded party thrower a nice play-list on your ipod. Halloween is all about setting a vibe or ambiance; a mood. There are plenty of opportunities to get the music covered, just make sure that you have some sort of format to the evening.

Cocktail Hour or Guest Arrival: There is a secret sort of spooky CD called Glen Danzig's Black Aria that I have heard played at a lot of Halloween Haunted Houses as well as from my personal DJ ambient repertoire. It's instrumental and spooky -- don't worry you won't have to worry about rocking out to the goth rock tune "Mother" while trying to set a spooky vibe.

About An Hour Into the Party: Work into some Halloween classics like "Thriller" or "Monster Mash". You can't forget about "Ghost Town" by the specials or "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo. These songs can be played twice sometimes throughout a Halloween party. There aren't too many recognizable Halloween songs out there so you want to weave them into different songs so they kind of stretch out throughout the evening.

Later On: From here on out just play to the crowd. Either some funk and disco (usually a great idea because people are dressed from many different decades) and then eventually as the night progress start to weave in some new music. Also be sure to play some things from the 80's that were very roller derby because that sort of thing will always make people get into character. The quirkier the better.

Decor

This is of course something that should be done to taste. I can say that you don't want to skimp on this and don't forget what you can do with Halloween decorations. Some good ideas are draping black sheets or gowns on the walls and then have the room lit only by black light. That way when people are dressed in white or when they smile it lights up the entire room. It really isn't that hard if you can find a lot of dark colors to drape and it'll keep the place from getting too dirty as most of the decorations and breakable things, TV's etc will be draped with black decorations. This of course should only be used in portions of the party layout because you don't want to over-do a good thing.

You'll want to have some nice lights, rope lighting is great and possibly some statues or decorations to scare people a little. You mainly want to keep the lighting low and spooky. When people are dressed up and in skimpy things, they will appreciate the low light scenario.

Costume Contest

That's right. No Halloween Party has a climax without a costume party. Depending on how many people you have at the party dressed up, you can either have an overall first second and third place, or you can have some categories like 'sexiest' or 'scariest' etc. The best way to judge them? Have the crowd get into it and scream at the top of their lungs to pick a winner. It makes it easy, you just line them all up and if you have a microphone from your DJ and Emcee you ask the audience what they think of each. You can always put together some kind of prize, or if there is money involved in paying for the party or maybe entering the contest, it can go to the winners. Many restaurants will donate to such a cause if you are throwing the party in a professional establishment.

Just remember that being dressed up only comes once a year and it is especially fun to see what people come up with. There is always a lot of laughter and energy in the air and it really invites people to get out of their comfort zone for an evening. I'll try to do a write up on what I experience this year working as a Halloween Party DJ in San Diego!