If you think Halloween is a holiday for the kiddos, then you haven’t been to the right parties. Rebekah Johnson, founder of Bergner & Johnson Design, shares eight tips for hosting the most happening Halloween party on the block.

No. 1: Get Specific with Your Spookiness

Kids can have the trick-or-treating, but adults get to party. “Fall-themed events such as Halloween parties are probably more fun for adults than Christmas,” Johnson says.

“Creating a narrow theme can make for a gorgeous ghoulish event. Once I created ‘Mrs. Havisham's Wedding’ for a Halloween party. It allowed for a tattered elegance: broken chandeliers, dripping moss, dead vines growing all around, and black roses hanging on a broken tarnished silver candelabra.”

Another idea: Vampire themes. These can be modern vampires or the traditional, cape-wearing kind. And your setting can be an upscale neighborhood or an old mansion, respectively.

No. 2: Keep a Few Fangs Lying Around

Johnson reminds party hosts to have a few extra costume pieces around, such as masks, fangs, makeup, top hats, etc. so those guests who didn't really think about it can spruce up their costumes. When you send out the invitation, encourage guests to dress up and send a link to a costume rental store to make it easier.

No. 3: Ice, Ice Baby

“Have fun by placing dry ice in drinks to create smoking cocktails,” Johnson says. Silver trays with rock salt or dry ice can also be fun serving platters. “Dry ice in pumpkins works well too. I also like putting votive candles in mini pumpkins,” she adds.

No. 4: The Monster Mash

A great playlist is necessary for a party. Says Johnson, “I always mix in some vintage classics with new tunes, so there are surprises all night long. For Halloween I mix in vintage Disney Haunted House tracks to take the group back to childhood. If it’s a large event, get a band or a DJ to do all the work.”

No. 5: Keep Costuming Consistent

Johnson reminds us to ask the wait staff to dress appropriately so they mix in with the party theme.

No. 6: Go Green

Johnson says lighting is key for a Halloween themed party. “It’s what turns a normal setting into something scary and dark,” she explains. “Normally we avoid green lights for events, since it turns skin an unflattering shade, but at a Halloween party, it's the perfect hue to achieve a creepy effect.”

No. 7: Halloween Alternatives

Maybe you’re not into the October holiday but like the whole idea of dark theme. Johnson says that an alternative is a “Day of the Dead” theme. “It gives a Mexican flavor to the party with the food, costumes and drinks. It could be a party of deceased luminaries like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera,” she says.

No. 8: Keep the Good Times Coming

“Remember the key to any great event is creating a fun and exciting environment that makes your guests want to dance,” Johnson says. “Never lose sight of the top priority: having a blast.”

Learn more about event decorating solutions on by visiting Bergner & Johnson Design online and on Facebook.