MeckMom.com

Now that you’ve decided to take the plunge and host the party of the season, it’s time to get to work.  Here’s your first set of to-dos.

Step 1: Pick a Partner in Crime
Although you can certainly manage this party on your own, sharing the excitement with a co-conspiritor is a great way to add a little spice to the planning process.  Just be sure to recruit someone that’s as determined to keep the secret as you are.  For example, when my mother-in-law, Ellen, and her friend hosted this party originally (they were the first Wanda Witches) they were so committed to keeping their secret that they managed to hide it from their spouses as well as their guests.  I’ve never been quite that sneaky.  My husband has been my best resource when it comes to pulling off this party year after year, but I love hosting it with friends as well.  The first year I tried it I worked with one of my best friends, Teresa.  We barely knew each other at the time, but after a month of scouting for clue locations, shopping for brew ingredients, and sneaking around to cover our tracks we became very close.  Whether you’ve been friends for years or you’re hoping to kick off a new friendship, choosing a friend or two to help you out and share in the secret can be a great way to boost the excitement.

Step 2: Pick a Date for Your Party
You’d think the best night for a Halloween party would be around the 31st, but surprisingly that’s not the case.  In fact, the closer you are to Halloween, the tougher it is for people to RSVP.  Give yourself a little distance from all the school, church and neighborhood events by hosting your party in mid-October instead.  You’ll find your turn out is much better and you won’t stress yourself out by cramming all the Halloween fun into one weekend.

Step 3: Make Your Invitation List
I’ve found that the ideal Wanda Witch party consists of 5 or 6 teams made up of 6-8 people (or 3-4 couples).  Any more than that and it can get a little tough to manage.  Generally, you can assume that about a 25 percent of those you invite will decline, so I suggest making a list of around 25 to 30 couples.  If you’re having a hard time coming up with that many names, you may want to call for reinforcements.  When I hosted this party in Erie, PA I had only lived in the city for a few months.  I had no idea who to invite, so I called my two new friends in the area.  I told them I was hosting an anonymous Halloween party and needed their help to make the guest list.  I wouldn’t give them any details about he party itself because I wanted to use them as team captains, but I did take their suggestions on which couples to invite.  Thanks to their advice, I was able to get to know tons of fun couples in the area in one night. 

To get started on your party planning, simply download the free Guest List file below.  It’s available in both MS Word and .PDF version.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Download: WW_Guest_List_RSVP.doc



Download: WW_Guest_List_RSVP.pdf