Tips for Having a Costume Party

When you think of having a costume party, what comes to mind? If you live in the United States, you are probably thinking about having a Halloween party.

When to have the party.

But what about masked balls and parties that take place throughout the world at Carneval (or Fasching or Mardi Gras as it is called in other areas of the world). Those require costumes and masks too.

And how about having a random costume party whenever you want? Nothing says there has to be any rules!

The good news is that no matter why you want to have a costume party, the routine of throwing it is exactly the same. Oh, and I am going on the assumption that this party is for adults. :)

Do you want a theme?

The next thing to ask yourself is if you want your party to have a theme. For example, you can have pirate themed costume party or one completely centered around Harry Potter or the Twilight movies.

Or how about a Tim Burton themed party - the costumes can be from Beetlejuice, The Corpse Bride, or any of his other movies.

Or, you don't need to have a theme at all. That would certainly make things easier on your guests and help them find something that is completely creative.

Your next step is to get everything set up, and that includes the decorations, food and drink. What you decide to set out has a lot to do with your personal tastes as well as what time of year it is. If it is Halloween, everything that you do will likely be with a Halloween theme.

Decorating for the Costume Party

Your decorations will depend on your theme. Is it a regular costume party? A Carneval celebration? Something for Halloween? Think about your theme and then set out the decorations accordingly.

What to Drink

What kinds of drinks are common at a costume party? The short answer is, whatever you want. Cocktails, beer, wine, it all works. My only advice is to choose one or two types of beer and wine and stick with one or two kinds of cocktails, if you decide to choose cocktails at all. Guests will often bring wine or beer as a gift, so you'll have more than enough.

What to Eat

It normally makes sense to leave out an array of finger foods and leave it at that. It's a lot of work to have a dinner party, and it seems out of place as a costume party. If you wanted to serve a "meal" you can do it buffet style or just stick with the finger food thing and just put out enough food for people to turn into a meal.

If the party has a theme, you can lay out foods that have to do with the theme. For example, if it is a Halloween party, you can leave out plates of "scary" foods that are in Halloween shapes and also dishes of Halloween candy and other treats.