Halloween party RSVP
Guests reply and enter the costume contest in the same breath.
What's inside
Guests who come name their costume, offer a snack and pick a contest category; a group entry is asked for its group name. Guests who stay home get their own goodbye.
- 1Your name
- 2Coming to the party?Yes, costume and allToo scared this year
- 3What are you coming as?Only if “Coming to the party?” is Yes, costume and all
- 4A spooky snack you'll bringOnly if “Coming to the party?” is Yes, costume and all
- 5Entering the costume contest?ScariestFunniestBest groupJust here for the candyOnly if “Coming to the party?” is Yes, costume and all
- 6Your group's nameOnly if “Entering the costume contest?” is Best group
Running a Halloween party with a contest
Send the link two to three weeks before. Costumes take planning, and group costumes take a group chat, so early invites get better entries.
The contest answers give you a judging sheet before the night. You know how many scariest entries to expect and which groups to call up together, so judging takes ten minutes, not forty.
Rename the categories to fit your crowd: best couple, best homemade, best pop culture. Keep four or fewer, so each prize still means something.
Running something for the kids on the street too? The trunk or treat sign-up gives every family a parking row and a theme.
Halloween party RSVP questions
Can a whole group enter the contest together?
Yes. Anyone who picks best group is asked for the group's name, so you can match the members on the night. Each member replies on their own, which also gives you an accurate headcount. Ask groups to agree on one spelling of the name in their chat, or you'll see three versions in your list. Export the replies and sort by group name, so you can call each group up together.
Do guests have to enter the contest?
No. The last option is just here for the candy, and the question is optional. Guests who skip it still name their costume, so you can call it out at the door. Some guests only decide to enter after seeing the competition. Keep a few blank lines on your judging sheet for walk-up entries, and close the form the day before so the rest of the list is final.
Can I use it for an office or bar Halloween party?
Yes. Change the title, the time and the place in the intro. For a bar, delete the snack question and keep the costume and the contest. For an office, send the link in your work chat and make the costume question optional for coworkers who'd rather come as they are. Many offices hold the contest at lunch, so remote staff can watch on video.
- Trunk or treat sign-upFamilies claim a parking row and name their theme, so no two trunks match.
- Oktoberfest party RSVPGuests reply, count the veggie sausages and sign up for the stein-holding contest.
- New Year's Eve party RSVPGuests reply, claim a couch and seal a resolution you read out next year.
- Secret Santa sign-upEveryone shares wishes and what to avoid, so nobody gets another mug.
- Galentine's party RSVPFriends reply and leave an anonymous compliment for someone at the table.
- Lunar New Year dinner RSVPFamilies reply, count kids for red envelopes and claim a dumpling-folding shift.
- Diwali party RSVPFamilies reply, bring sweets and enter the rangoli contest as a team.
- Iftar dinner RSVPFamilies pick a Ramadan evening, and each evening stops at the places you have.
- White elephant gift exchangeKnow how many gifts are coming, and how many are gloriously weird.
- Friendsgiving RSVPFriends claim a part of the meal and share what they're thankful for.
- Cookie exchange sign-upBakers claim a cookie kind, so you get variety instead of five sugar cookies.
- Letter to SantaKids write to Santa and add a drawing; every letter lands in one place.
- See all
