FULL MOON Supper Party
Let's throw the sweetest, dark, and moody, full-moon Halloween supper party!
As I was scrolling through my Pinterest pins, I saw some beautiful iridescent chargers and this skeleton invitation. I have also been loving the dinner party trend recently, so here is how I would plan a dark and moody Full Moon Supper party in your backyard, as a professional party planner!
Disclaimer: The photos in this blog post have been retrieved from Pinterest to be used as inspiration for your party! If you use this blog as inspiration for your event, we would LOVE to see how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram @thepeachtreepartyplanner
Photos are also links to items that can be purchased for your party! Like this Invitation! >>>
Invitations
Welcome to the first Halloween party of the spooky season! To begin your party planning we must find the perfect invitation to send to all of your friends. If you enjoy hard-copy invitations, then head on over to Etsy for the cutest invites, or try Canva for some homemade invitations if you're feeling creative!
However, Halloween is one of the few holidays where I think I almost prefer an Evite. For smaller, less formal, parties, people like to see the guest list and get a glimpse of who might be there. You can send the Evite in a group text so everyone can see who is invited and follow up with some spooky but fun Giffs to get your guests excited about what is to come! Try a video Evite like this one to really get your guests excited. Watch the video with sound here!
Location and Design
I personally envision this as a backyard party with lots of mini twinkling lights to represent the stars and lots of moody decor. I would get fog machines to create the perfect moody ambiance, uplights under a long banquet table adorned with flower-filled skulls, candles, and a lightweight flowy linen runner. Linen runners can also be hung from the trees or from the house to any tree or fence to make them flow above the
dinner table. Pair this with your pulsating twinkle lights and floating candles and your guests will feel as if they are in another world when the sun sets.
Master Tip #1 : Anytime there are decorations in the sky, it makes the party seem more professional and more exciting to the eye!
Last but not least, these skull fire logs are such a fun find and perfect for drawing people over to the bonfire after supper, which can sometimes be tricky if people are comfortable and in good conversation.
*MasterTip #2: Some might think," If my guests are having a good time at the table, why would I want to move them?" However, when people sit in the same spot for too long, things will eventually get stale. Don't wait for things to get stale before moving to the next activity, or you'll risk losing people and the energy will likely be lower when everyone does finally make their way to the next event, i.e. the bonfire.
Food and Drink
Use food to keep a party going and to set a comfortable and natural pace for people. When guests arrive, there should be drinks and appetizers available, dinner should be served 45 minutes after the party has started, and dessert should keep people around until the end of the party.
*MasterTip #3: Never serve your cake right after dinner. Nobody will be ready for it and people will leave soon after.
Have a good timeline for food and activities and people will feel at ease. When people feel like there is a plan for the night and they will be taken care of, they tend to enjoy themselves more and are more likely to stay throughout the duration of the party.
The first thing that should be served is a batch cocktail as people arrive and light hors d'oeuvres should be around for guests to find.
For this particular party, I would have everything be on theme but not cheesy. So you don't need to make "worms" for people to eat, but you should do a cute gummy eyeball in a cocktail and you should definitely serve something in a witch's cauldron.
Warning: if you use dry ice for fog, I would put it in the cauldron, then pour water over it and have the drink in a separate bowl that will then sit in the cauldron. It is too risky to suggest using black ice in the actual drink. :) Or you can just use it in surrounding bottles like the photo below!
Designing a party is kind of like designing a home, you want to keep the same vibe throughout to make it seem more professionally curated.
I would have most all of the food and drinks be in the same color scheme since food and drinks can basically be decor themselves! Here are a few ideas!
Hors D'eouvres:
Black Sesame Tuna Tar Tar on Crackers
Mixed Nuts
Blackberries, Honey and Brie on Toasted Brioch
Master Tip #4 Be sure to place your appetizers around the party so people don't get stuck hanging out in one place.
When all of the food is in one place, people linger in an area that usually isn't designed to keep energy high. This could make the party feel a bit boring, even though it's not. When you spread food out, people move around a bit more to see what is being offered and will consequently, run into more people to chat with. Double bonus if you put a few appetizers near talking points, like a magic 8 ball or a few fortune teller cards that people can grab out of a "crystal ball".
Supper
I envision this party as a sit-down supper party that ends in great conversation by the cozy "bone fire", which, fun fact, is actually where the term bonfire came from. I would add fun elements to the tablescape that start conversations such as these DIY fortune teller cards, instructions on how to read your neighbor's palm, or even just cute conversation cards such as these.
For the menu, I would serve the following.
Supper Menu:
Big Nice Charcuterie (I like to serve charcuterie with the main meal since people tend to really fill up on it)
Dark Colorful Pasta Salad
Midnight Garden Salad
Butternut Squash Soup served in mini black gourds
Bread Basket and herbed butter
Good and juicy tritip
Desert ( Not To Be Served Until Later, remember Master Tip # 3)
I would definitely do something with dark chocolate, for the look and the taste. Make some good dark fudge brownies (BEST FUDGY BROWNIE RECIPE IN THE WORLD RIGHT HERE), with some vanilla ice cream and rich colorful dark red fruit like pomegranates or cherries.
And for the non-chocolate lovers, make some good homemade popcorn on the stove and offer some s'mores kits at the bonfire!
Party Timeline
A little trick you can use while planning a party timeline is to pretend like you're taking your guests on a tip.
Your guests will "board the train" when they receive their themed invitation, along with spooky reminder texts leading up to the party. They will begin "seeing exciting views" from the train as they arrive at the party and are handed a specialty drink while taking in the decor and activities to come; like the skeleton fire, the twinkle lights hanging from the trees, and a beautiful banquet table.
Dinner will be their "peak attraction" as they sit around your beautifully crafted table with friends, gorgeous food, and fun instructions on how to read each other's palms and fortunes. And as the dusk turns to dark you will make a fun toast, which will cue the next portion of the night, or as I like to call it, "the nightlife attraction".
As a professional event planner, I witnessed many awkward party transitions and I think they are one of the biggest vibe killers, so I really like to have a big fun transition, to make things seamless and spark the energy back up.
The Transition
Once people have finished eating, wait about 15 minutes and stand to make a toast, thanking your friends for coming. You will need a helper here, so make sure to coordinate with them.
When your toast is finished, say something that cues any lights, other than the twinkling lights, to go out and the bonfire to start up. Make the bonfire start big too, to really capture people's attention and to make them want to go over. This can be done by having your helper start a small fire and then when you say the magic words, they will spray on some gas.
The Bonfire
Near the bonfire, I would have a potion station where people can make some fun concoctions. This can be as personalized as you want it to be. If you are an all-natural type of person, you can have people make their own mini "protection potion" i.e. fire cider, by giving them a mason jar with all the ingredients they need/instructions and a small medicine bottle for them to pour the mixture in when it's ready. You can also have them make their own infused alcohol or oil. Just have something creative for guests to make and take home.
The Party Planner's Timeline
6:00 pm Everything is set, candles are being lit, music and party lighting is on, drinks and apps are out, and food is prepped in the kitchen (soup and meat are oven at 250F).
6:30 pm Guests begin to arrive
7:00 pm Begin bringing the food out to the table while guests are still mingling and light the candles. This is a seated and plated dinner, not a buffet.
7:15 pm Ring a dinner bell or chime, and announce that dinner is served!
7:45 pm Make sure everything for the transition is ready and your helpers are good to go!
8:00 pm People will most likely be done with dinner and ready to move on to the next event, so let's make our toast!
8:15 pm Bonfire is in full swing, make sure to tell people about the potion station.
8:30 pm Dessert should be brought out. People can enjoy and mingle until they are ready to go home.
And there you have it! Another successful event, held with love, in your home! I hope this post was helpful and that you come back for more tips and tricks from a seasoned party planner! If you end up hosting a party like this one, please leave a comment to tell us about it and tag us in your photos!