Halloween is a great excuse to put on an event. Whether you’re going all-out scary, or adding more subtle Halloween touches, there are so many different Halloween themes and ideas out there to be inspired by.

Here’s a selection of  different Halloween themes, decorations, food & drink ideas for you to consider using at your Halloween event this year. For more inspiration make sure you visit our Halloween Themes & Ideas board on Pinterest.

Classic Spooky

It wouldn’t be a Halloween event if it wasn’t spooky would it? For this you need to think about low lighting, spider webs and (of course) pumpkins! If you’re marketing your event as a Halloween party, this is generally what people will be expecting to see.

Asking guests to dress-up will add more of a punch too, so consider running a competition to incentivise people to come in spooky costumes. The better the prize the harder people will try! Your guests may expect to be scared throughout the event, so why not buy some sensor-based props that pop out when people walk in front of them. You can get some really good quality products that should give people a scare they won’t forget in a hurry!

Elegant

Step away from the usual Halloween themes and create an elegant looking event. To keep the Halloween element, consider going down the route of black and gold or silver items for furniture and decoration.

The other option would be to create a Victorian-styled party, which always has a spooky yet elegant element to it. Think candles, candelabras, skulls, taxidermy, black flowers, old frames and furniture. You can ask your guests to dress up as Victorian ghosts and even have serving staff dressed as Victorian maids and butlers.

Popular Themes

Why not pick a popular theme for your event such as Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter or a murder mystery?

A popular film theme allows you to be specific about your decorations as they will most likely be noticeable features within the film itself, for example with Alice in Wonderland, you could have cards, teacups, clocks, roses etc all things taken from the film (and book) itself.

In terms of murder mystery, think Cluedo, murder weapons, crime scenes and waiting staff dressed up as characters such as Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlett. This creates a more immersive feel to the event, and who doesn’t like a good whodunnit? These themed events will make it easier for people to dress-up for, as they can find inspiration from within the films and themes themselves.

Food

If you’re looking to add just a hint of Halloween to your event then Halloween themed food could help.

You can make it as gruesome as possible, like the hotdogs that look like dismembered fingers, or be a bit more playful like the Frankenstein marshmallows or boo-nana pops.

The beauty of creating gruesome or fun Halloween food is that most people will take pictures of unusual looking food. This will then be shared via social media, and because food is one of the most shared categories on most social media channels, you’re likely to reach a large audience through your attendees.

Drink

People like to eat, but they like to drink too! If spooky food doesn’t really fit in with your event (or you don’t have the budget to supply it), you may want to try some Halloween themed cocktails. The images below show just a couple of drinks you could make; from blood coloured cocktails to black ones, from luminous shots to the classic brain haemorrhage shot.

The beauty of these is not only will they look unusual, you’ll also be able to give them an unusual name. It’s amazing how much more likely someone is to buy a drink with an unusual name just to say they have had it; you only need to think about how many people order a Sex on the Beach!

Conclusion

There are all different ways to use Halloween themes for your event; whether you want a full-on spooky event or just want to add a bit of Halloween through food & drink, it’s a great excuse to have some fun or maybe even possibly scare a person or two.

For more inspirational Halloween themes & ideas, check out our Pinterest board.