Entertaining Expert Offers Tips for Planning Your Halloween Party

Halloween is approaching quickly. Whether you are planning a Halloween party for yourself or your children, party planning is frequently stressful. Who should I invite? Should I decorate with the ugly, green witch decorations or the classy orange pumpkin decorations? What kind of food should I serve? Bo Niles, an editor and writer who specializes in design and decoration, answers these questions and offers planning tips for Halloween parties in her new book "What Goes with What for Parties: Planning Made Easy."

Bo Niles shows you step-by-step how to plan for your next party. First, there is a short quiz about your entertaining tastes, will help you determine what entertaining style you fall into. Once you know your entertaining style, you will learn about all the facets of putting together a great party in accordance with your style. Niles’ main party planning tips are:

 Make sure you invite a good mix of people. Bo says, “A party is only as good as its guest list. Your guest list should reflect a mix of individual personalities who can ‘interact’ with sensitivity, energy, and wit. A good mix of guests blends people with mutual interests with those who can discuss new topics that might come up during the party.”
 Plan your menu and shop for the ingredients early. According to Bo, “If possible, your menu should reflect your sensitivity toward your guests’ dietary restrictions or biases. Do as much shopping as you can as early as possible, then double-check to be sure you have everything you need to make the cooking go smoothly. You don’t want to have to make a last-minute run to the supermarket just because you are half a teaspoon short of a critical ingredient.”
 If you decide to decorate for the party, take decorating clues from how your rooms already look. “Whether or not to decorate is up to you. Your guests are coming because they believe they will have a good time at your house,” says Bo Niles. “If you do choose to decorate, take a cue from the way the room is decorated. Colors should coordinate with the décor, if possible.”

Bo Niles has worked for such magazines as Country Living, Mademoiselle, House Beautiful, American Home, and House and Garden. Ms. Niles is the author of several design books including White by Design (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), Living with Lace (STC), and Timeless Design (PBC International), and A Window on Provence (Viking Penguin), a travel memoir.





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