It’s the first day of fall and that means Halloween is right around the corner! Are you hosting a Halloween party this year? Here are some tips to help you succeed!

Beverages and cups
If you’re serving alcoholic drinks, plan on three to four cocktails per guest for a two- to three-hour party. And don’t forget to include something alcohol-free and fun for the teetotalers and kids in your group.

Desserts
Cupcakes and cookies are easy for guests to eat and fun to decorate for Halloween (for example: cookies shaped like ghosts and cats and cupcakes topped with orange frosting or mini pumpkin candies).

Setting the Scene
Try different ways of dressing up your pumpkins—spray them with metallic paint for a golden glow or use chalkboard paint to make faces or write messages (a great project for the kids).

Candles
Scatter lots of votives throughout your party and group pillars of varying heights and sizes together. Display a candelabra for dramatic flair.

Spooky music
Try Martha Stewart Living’s Spooky Scary Sounds (which includes knives being sharpened, thumping heartbeats, and howling winds) or Halloween Horrorscapes, which features tracks titled “Blood Hunt” and “Alone at the Cabin” (including thunder, screams, snarling monsters, and chainsaws–definitely not for the faint of heart).

Halloween movies
Play classic horror films in the background (on mute if you don’t want the sound to be distracting) to get guests in the mood, such as Friday the 13th, The Exorcist, or, naturally, Halloween. For less frightening movies that still set the tone, try The Addams Family, Beetlejuice, or It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Costume accessories
Whether you’re hosting a costume party or not, it’s always fun to have some extra dress-up items around. Set out some masks and wigs, plastic fangs, hats, a cape, a tiara, a feather boa—whatever suits your fancy—and let your guests get creative.

Happy planning!