# Party hosts: When do you put your costume on?



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

i don't. 

I frantically throw it on if I remember about an hour before, but if it involves wigs, makeup or anything that is more detail orientated, it gets rushed or left out completely. I've gotten to the point where I'm not really even thinking of my costume as a "must do" but as a "maybe" if I have time...


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## Jezebel82 (Oct 4, 2007)

I second the "I don't". I would looove to have even just a second to myself to sit down and relax before the first guests arrive, but typically I let the first few guests in and then run off to put on my costume while my husband entertains them. I'm always running around like a maniac right up until the first knock on the door.


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## Halloween Scream (Sep 29, 2010)

It's always so crazy the day of the party, but I try really hard to get as much as physically possible done up to the day before. After all the work I put into my costume, I'd hate not to show it all off! I'll shower in the morning so it won't take so much time to get ready later, then I enlist my husband's family to help out. They usually come over three hours before to help with last minute prep. We'll work together for a while then I'll get them going on easy things like slicing up the tortilla rolls or placing out the dips while I run upstairs and finish putting on my costume. Usually we're all done with some time to spare so we can take a family picture before all the craziness starts. If you don't have helpful in-laws, ask a good friend or neighbor. As long as you as majorly prepared beforehand and give specific instructions, you should get a moment to collect your thoughts and get yourself looking fabulous!


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## obcessedwithit (Jul 13, 2009)

I take the 2 days off before the party to get the final details done. I go in around 5pm and get ready my cotume stuff is all ready and together so I don't have to find something. (ocd)...lol...anyway, I am usually pretty relaxed the day of the party. I turn on the lights and things that need to be lit up before I go get ready so iI don't forget that and then I am ready to par---tay from dusk to dawn I say.......


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## DappledDawn (Oct 8, 2009)

I'm glad there are others with this problem too. For the past 3 years I've barely had time to throw on my costume. This year I think I'm going to try and put it on 2 hours prior to the start of the party and just finish the last minute preparations while I'm wearing it.


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## Shannie-Boo (Oct 15, 2009)

DappledDawn, that's what I'm considering. Our party is next weekend and we're going to start decorating this weekend. My plan is to get as much done as possible this weekend and during the beginning of the week. Then on the day of, I'll do all the last minute food prep and prop tweaking up until 5pm. Then I'll get all dressed up and do the rest in costume. I'm 4 months preggo, so I made sure my costume for this year is super comfy. It's a loose, ruffly clown costume, so I think I'll be fine finishing the rest of the party prep in costume. 

Thanks everyone. It's reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one that struggles with this!


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## jenscats5 (Oct 16, 2010)

I'll let you know tomorrow!! LOL Mine is mostly makeup, so hopefully I'll be able to get it done as it's fairly intensive....


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## musicL1 (Oct 27, 2009)

Usually about 15-30 minutes before party start time. My parents and my sister & brother-in-law usually come over a little early to help with last minute set-ups and food prep. And my husband usually gets his costume on earlier. Since other people typically show fashionably late, that seems to give me time to get dressed and get makeup on. I usually come running down the stairs when the next guests arrive.  If I wasn't busy until the very last minute, I think I'd probably puke from nerves...but yet I love the excitement.


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## Edward (Sep 24, 2010)

I start working on the party prep in June and continue at my leasure until it's hump time, two weeks before. That's when I really ramp up the warp speed and get my wife in gear with all of her responsibilities. We use a caterer, so that takes off a lot of the load, but we still have special F/X things to set up, make-up to have done, and costumes etc. to attend to. Everything seems to always fall into place just as planned and we just take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the party. Hope all goes well for everyone else hosting a Halloween party, and we look forward to seeing your party pics on HF!


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## Daytonagp4 (Sep 19, 2011)

I usually wait till last min and throw it on right before the first guest arrives. But I agree it's a Pain prepping for a party and not a whole lot of people really understand how much work it takes to do the decor and prep everything. But I like to take the day before off of work that way I KNOW everything is ready!!!


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Im usually last minute. Right before the first guests arrive. My wife is usually still getting hers and the girls on when people are there. lol


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## seelie8504 (Oct 15, 2008)

I definitely can sympathize with everyone! I didn't have a party last year because I was out of the country until about 10 PM the night before Halloween...but the year before I was running around like a mad woman the day of the party! To top it all off, I found out right before the party that one of my friends was going as the same thing I was so I tried to find something different and ended up just throwing on some black clothes and some vampire teeth and saying I was a vampire. This year, I plan to have all my stuff together and get as much done the day before as I can so I have some time to relax before the party!


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## HKitten (Sep 20, 2009)

Last year, we fell into that trap completely - underestimated how much time we needed for everything so when the first people arrived, we were both still trying to get into costumes!

This year, I'm getting ready far earlier - I'm doing as much as possible in the days leading up when it comes to decoration, and I'm hoping to get ready a couple of hours before things like the food need doing, so that I'll be dressed in time!


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## tgoodman (Sep 25, 2009)

I don't put a lot of effort into my costumes... they're usually things that can be thrown on in a hurry. I figure I'm throwing the party and providing food/drinks/prizes, so, to "hell" with having an original costume! I need something I can throw on quick for all the reasons everyone else mentioned. One attendee always criticizes my costume every year, as if I should make more effort... never mind all the food, beer, decorations, prizes, games... uggh. People who never THROW parties, don't have a CLUE how much time/effort goes into them -- especially if you don't just throw it together and hope for the best.


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## Minshe (Jul 7, 2011)

I start decorating and getting things ready a minimum of two months ahead of time--but I have my party in the basement so I don't have to work around the decorations being in the way of my everyday life (the rest of the house is decorated--but much less than the party room). Like Edward things ramp up one to two weeks before the party. I have everything done that can be done the day before. The day of the party all I really have to do is a little last minute tweaking, turning on lights, and setting out food. We start putting on our costumes and make-up on about 3 or 4 hours ahead of time--I usually have to do my make-up and my husband's so I need that much time. I also want to be able to greet Trick or Treaters in costume if our party is actually on Halloween. 

I am a little anal and probably a bit OCD too, which in this case probably helps. I hate having to rush to get last minute things done. I also have sandwich trays, veggie trays, and cheese trays made so I can just pick them up. I do a crock pot or two of things and some chips and Halloween candy. I feel like food is one of the places I can save myself some stress if I just make it easy. I like to enjoy the party as much as I can and I can do that better if things are all set to go.

To summarize--do everything you can do well ahead of your party, try to keep things as simple as you can for your self on the day of the party--especially with food, have everything all set and ready to go on your costume(I try everything on several times ahead of the party and know what I am doing with hair and make-up), have all your costume pieces in one place. One other thing--I always start my parties later 8 or 9--it gives me and my guests plenty of time to get ready--especially good for guests who have young children that they need to deal with. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy what you have worked so hard for!


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Usually, just before time for the first guests because I am still trying to finish up. This year, I am hurt from a bad fall week before last. I had my witchy party last night and I am so worn out today. My knee is so swollen and I have lots of new bruises all around the knee and sides of it. They are big deep bruises. I guess from being up too much. I have an MRI o scheduled on tuesday. I just hope I don't end up having to have surgery and mess up the Boo bash on the 29th. 

I got into my costume about 20 minutes early last night and didn't even have time to put on makeup! I was so disappointed. I even changed my mind about what I was wearing yesterday afternoon. I had a new evening type dress to wear (from GW) and it was really cool looking, but really needed me to wear dressy shoes or heels and have the hair and makeup right. I have bought several dresses at thrift stores in the past few months to use for future witch costumes. So, I decided to wear a big comfy flowing black dress. Since I couldn't locate the necklace I wanted---it had already been put up with some of the decor we didn't use--so I pulled on a floor length spider witch cape over the dress and went without makeup! That way I could wear comfy shoes, too. 

Now, I have the fancy dress left for next year when my theme for the witchy party will be Putting on the Witch! Ironically, this year's theme was Life's a Witch and it has been right up to my accident and then today getting stung by a honey bee on the lips when it landed on the top of my canned root beer. I have learned to go with the flow and not stress----well at least I go with the flow. I am still trying to figure out how to not STRESS!


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## Lisaloo (Sep 27, 2011)

Last year, I snuck into my costume mere minutes before guests started arriving. It was a pretty simple costume though, (Rosie the Riveter) so it worked out fine, although I was sweating from all the rushing around. This year, I have a more intensive make up job (sugar skull), but it's still pretty simple overall, however I plan on having everything ready except lighting candles at least 2 hours prior to the guests' scheduled arrival time. That's the PLAN at least, ha! I did enlist the help of two friends for the pre-party preparations, so that should ease the burden quite a bit.


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## dippedstix (Jul 2, 2009)

obcessedwithit said:


> I take the 2 days off before the party to get the final details done. I go in around 5pm and get ready my cotume stuff is all ready and together so I don't have to find something. (ocd)...lol...anyway, I am usually pretty relaxed the day of the party. I turn on the lights and things that need to be lit up before I go get ready so iI don't forget that and then I am ready to par---tay from dusk to dawn I say.......


OK, I obviously needs some tips from you!! No matter how organized I think I am, party day is always crazy and down to the wire!! I would LOVE to be relaxed the day of! I do have a LOT of help this yr in setting things up so hopefully it won't be too bad!


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## yummum29 (Oct 22, 2008)

Well, I guess I am a little of both.. I am NOT relaxed! I am extremely organized (most of my food is made and in the freezer, now) House is almost totally decorated. The morning of the party , I am usually up by 4 am, thinking. I use it though, to get going on my day. I always leave time for me to get ready about 2 hours before. But I am still stressed out, and crazy. I am having it on the friday this year, so all of these rules may fly out the window!! At least I have it off.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Well, just as in years past, I was dressed only 10 minutes before the first guest arrived.


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## Haunt Brewing (Sep 26, 2010)

I always do costume first before I finish party prep. I'm usually more disappointed that my costume doesn't look how I wanted, than something party related isn't done. My friends usually stagger in, so it gives me some time to finish setting out the food or something like that. I never have those minutes of relaxation though. No matter how early I start I am always frantically finishing things when the first guests arrive. 
This year I doing my own makeup and two of my friend's makeup so I will be starting even earlier!


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## jenscats5 (Oct 16, 2010)

So yesterday about 5:00pm (party was at 7:00pm) I began hubby's "costume" - big fake wound on his forehead. Didn't take more than 1/2 hour. So then started on mine.....Contacts & fake eyelashes took the most time....rest was makeup. Neither of us wore a special costume.

Fortunately, I prepped a LOT of the food the day before & early that day, so it wasn't a mad rush to get ready.


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## Twohazy (Oct 16, 2009)

Our party is this Saturday and we've been doing the decorating for days and days. Still not done with that! I took this Friday off work to prepare all the food and jello shooters. My costume (black widow spider) will probably take an hour or so (makeup, wig, etc.) to get done and the party is at 7:00, so I'll start the processs around 5:30. I've got family and friends coming over early Saturday to help finish setup, so I should be able to sit and "chill" for 30 minutes before the first guests arrives. 
That's my plan anyway...hopefully they work out this way!


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## ZombieSlayerMummy (Oct 3, 2011)

I try to get party prep done then go put it on...generally I'm still upstairs when our guests begin to arrive though . Hopefully this year I will be ready and posed to receive everyone with my costume perfect, the food hot and everything ready to go!

I have much more of a jump on decorating this year so hopefully I will be ready when the day arrives.


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## Mizerella (Aug 6, 2009)

I am going to do my makeup and hair really early and if I have to do a last minute run to the store looking crazy so be it! 
I'll probably throw my costume on last minute so I don't get it all sweaty from my frantic running around.


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## drzooman (Jul 8, 2010)

I'm with everyone else- every year no matter how early I start decorating I seem to be scrambling to finish my costume before guests arrive. 

This year we started decorating and moving furniture a week in advance and my goal is to have all the decorating and food done the night before the party and have all day the day-of to tie up any loose ends with plenty of time to put on my costume. 

The party is this Saturday (10/22) so we will see how it goes!


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## rosebud89 (Oct 17, 2011)

My party is also this weekend (10-22) & I'm stoked!! 

Last year, I forgot to put my costume on until like 15 minutes before guests started to arrive! (yes i said forgot!) But it wasn't a biggie because there was no make up or wig, just throw the clothes on & go! We were frantic lastyear like most people here. We were right down to the wire with three of us doing it. 

But this year should be different. I started planning and decorating the last week of august, and I will do that every year from now on. We are so far ahead that the only thing I need to worry about is food and turning on lights! For the food, we are ordering party pizzas and wings, easy and everyone likes it! ... It will be there at 8pm, well I have to pick it up (in my costume, which is the sundrop girl so its not tooo crazy) 

We don't have too much going on outside this year, which is good because its been soo windy it would prolly have fallen over by now! 

Hope everyone has FUN and enjoys themselves!! Hopefully i will be able to figure out how to put pics on here.


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