# Anyone ever have TOO MANY people at their party?



## RattleMeBones (Sep 15, 2010)

I know people always strive to have good parties and getting people to come, but has anyone ever had a problem of having TOO MANY people come?

We've kinda had an opposite effect over the last few years of some who are trying to get attendance.

In 2006 that our family/friend party needed to be revamped. Prior to I wasn't heavily involved in doing a lot of the house decor. I set up a haunted garage a couple times and people did like that, but it's gotten to a point now that I get a bit worried every year that there's too many people coming. 

Not to complain about our attendance numbers over the last few years, but when the house is a certain size you can't really make it bigger to facilitate people and getting around is tougher. On average we get about 50+ people showing up! That's a lot of food and booze!

I feel the pressure every year because everyone who comes to our party now says it's THE place to be and people ask almost all through spring/summer when the date is for the party and I always feel the need to take it one step up.

Here's some of my overboard decor over the last few years (sorry some pix are taken with a flash and ruins the mood lighting I set up):










Custom 7-foot tall smoke-shooting bazooka Resident Evil Nemesis













































The garage is now a dance floor area with nice dj lights and loud music. This has become the major draw every year and have now just focused sole attention on decorating this area every year instead of random areas of the house.










I just wished the house was bigger at my parents place! Size is always my limitation for facilitating these parties!

Halloween is my absolute fav time of year. I would put more into the decor if people more appreciated what time goes into all the setup. That's kinda why I now just deck out the garage because most people are in there a lot of the time to loosen up and I find that some of my decorated rooms don't get a lot of visitors, so why do it?


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## Halloween Princess (Sep 23, 2008)

Great decor. I definitely feel the same way. We invite about 50 people & most all show up. Every year people ask to bring a friend (or two, or three) and I usually say no. If 10 people brought an extra person, it could add up fast.


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## RattleMeBones (Sep 15, 2010)

YES! It happens every year. We get the "Is it okay if I bring a couple friends?" and then sometimes the friend of the friend brings a friend. Ugh! 

I guess it's nice to have people that love what we do. I do love hosting for people I actually know. Maybe we need to start doing cover charges drinking up all the alcohol on those newbies! hehe....


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## gooosehunter (Oct 13, 2008)

WE have around 100 people at our annual party. Our house is modest but the outside room and decks and patios allow for the number of people. Trust me, I know what it takes to put on a party. We used to provide all the food, wine, beer and top shelf items. It adds up to several thousand quickly. Add in the month it takes to me take down the normal house decorations and put up the halloween stuff and it is a greuling task. Hang in there, it gets better with time.

Dave
Norfolk Virginia


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## snowbaby (Aug 9, 2010)

Last year was our first year to throw a party instead of doing a haunt. We had about 35 people show up and it seemed to be just the right amount of people. However, this year we are kicking it up a notch by sending out "save the date" cards and actual invites. We are sending out a little over 50 invites. If everyone comes, that will make the number around 100 people. I am hoping half don't show. I am actually getting pretty nervous about it too.


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## HeatherEve1234 (Sep 5, 2008)

We've always let people bring friends (the more, the scarrier, right?) but last year was the first year a friend of a friend invited friends...and that kind of sucked. It wasn't so much that there were too many people, it was more that those specific people weren't "connected enough" to us as hosts, too many degrees of separation and that meant no respect. 

They were rude, drank a TON (I provided all liquor, food, etc...this is a major expense) and made huge messes, basically treated my house like a frat (...and I'm 30, we're well over that kind of crap). In general it hadn't been a problem before, but I thought long and hard about what to do this year - and didn't really come up with a solution. I *think* the person I invited (who then invited the friend who invited friends) realized that it was a problem, but I might have to have a chat if she RSVP's again. 

I didn't put anything on the invites specifying to bring friends (but I didn't prohibit it, that would be weird on an invite)


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