Candy, wine & wigs! A wacky nutcracker party! (And it’s not even Christmas yet!)

It’s no secret, I love donuts! But let’s face it, I’m not that discriminating when it comes to sweets. Candy, chocolate, dessert, some kind of pink cocktail… it’s all good to me! So it should also come as no surprise that when Halloween’s around the corner, I get super excited. Not only because I can take the candy out of hiding (because I’m sharing it, people!), but because that also means the holidays are coming up fast. Woo hoo! Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s mean food, sweets and a reason to party. ’Tis the season! Bring it on! I think I’ve found the perfect way to kick off the entire holiday season: Combine all the holidays — starting with Halloween — into one wacky, weird, festive party. What’s the theme of this fab-sounding, all-inclusive soirée? Wait for it… The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

I know, brilliant! It’s like The Nightmare Before Christmas meets Alice in Wonderland meets The Nutcracker (obviously). That’s a whole lot of movies meeting, but somehow it works. This is one party where you can pull out all the stops. Nothing’s too extravagant, nothing’s too over the top. Correction, everything IS over the top. As it should be! Think fantasy theme gone wild, and a little spooky. Now that’s a party I want an invite to!

Halloween + The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: The holidays on steroids!

A theme like this offers endless potential for decor. Begin with the Four Realms and you’re off to a good start. Choose a different realm for each “party zone” so you can go all out with your decorations and really capture the full feel of this crazy movie. The Land of Sweets is the obvious choice for a dessert station. My favorite! Plus I got to use my collection of oversized lollipop props. If you’re a fan of cake pops, get baking! This is the perfect party for those. You in the kitchen isn’t gonna happen? Make them with donut holes instead for a quick hack. Add your own icing and you can say they’re homemade. Yum!

Next up, the Land of Snowflakes and the Land of Flowers. Pick one for a photo booth. I’d go with the flowers since setting up a pretty area with blooms galore is a cinch. Love making fancy arrangements? Go for it. For an easier (and cheaper) option, fill lots of little jars and vases with flowers and single stems, add some candles to the mix and you’ve got a beautiful backdrop for photos. As for the Snowflakes, that could be a drink station for all your white beverages: white wine, martinis, maybe a slushy lemonade. If it’s chilled and snowflaky, it’ll work. Still have snowflake cocktail napkins lying around from last year’s holidays? Now’s the time to use them so you can get new ones for your party in December!

Now, for the fourth and final realm — known descriptively as the Fourth Realm! — may I suggest another drink station? Because why not? This one for all your dark drinks. Red wine, sangria, concoctions with bourbon or tequila, and a signature Fourth Realm drink that says “Danger!” Have fun coming up with that recipe!

Where to find The Party Goddess! ideas galore?

If you’ve been one of my loyal blog followers, you know that we publish these image roundups weekly. We feature a particular event for a particular client so you can go deep on the particular theme. If you know what’s up, skip this part. New visitors, take a look below…

In case you missed it, here’s what we’re doing, mentioned in the first blog. (And if you already know what’s going on, skip to the first photo!) Every day we’re posting event photos & inspiration to my Instagram page to give you ideas for your own events. And, of course, to encourage you to hire yours truly, one of the top event planners in Los Angeles, for your next soirée! In terms of format, we’re trying to capitalize on the whole hashtag calendar world and take advantage of #WeddingWednesday (#WW) and #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT) by posting wedding photos and cool stuff we’ve done on Wednesdays and on Thursdays, harkening back to a past client’s event, be it a celebrity, or just one of us tastemakers.

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Monday:

Who’s that gorgeous ginger? Just in time for Halloween, it’s Mother Ginger debuting a couture gown to match her raven locks — or whatever’s happening on top of her head! This creepy beauty stood guard at a Halloween party with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms theme. And she was orangealicious!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Tuesday:

It’s the Land of Sweets! Literally. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms party is the perfect place to display oversized lollipops. And real lollipops. And sugar plum fairies. Or cake pops. Throw in some other desserts — as in, dessert station — and you’ve got a pretty sweet party!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Wednesday:

She may look like a bride who ran into a little trouble on her way to the wedding, but she’s actually a “guest” at a Halloween party with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms theme. All you need to recreate this look on your own is a party dress, some mice, then do your lipstick in the car! Happy #WeddingWednesday!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Thursday:

It’s mistletoe! Or is it? Maybe we should call it mice-tletoe. Or would that be mice-eltoe? However you spell it, I love this larger-than-life “mistletoe” from our party for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms! They were actually upside down trees, with mice decorations. Because, of course. Do you think anyone stopped under for a kiss? #TBT

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Friday:

Bar checklist for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms theme party. Disembodied hand holding wine glass? Check! Big old black gloves? Check! Red wine called Morgan’s Blood? Check! Mirren’s Venom? Check! Looks like we’ve got all the ingredients for a spooky Halloween nutcracker party! #TGIF

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Saturday:

Welcome to The Land of Flowers! These gorgeous, enormous blooms were the perfect addition to The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Halloween party, where nothing was too over-the-top. They made the perfect backdrop for photos at this fantasy-meets-spooky party!

Event Photos and Inspiration – Plus, tell me what else you want to see on the blog!

So, what do you think of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms decorations? Are you about to start planning your own Halloween nutcracker party? Let me know in the comments below!

And because we love that you love parties, we’re giving this away for FREE! It’s our Super Secret Party Tips Guide that has tons of useful tips for fetes of every shape and size. Check it out!

xoxo M

P.S. So, are you ready to plan your Halloween party? Need a few more ideas? Then check out: Scary Good Halloween Tips I Shared On KCBS TV!, Cheers For Fears! Best Halloween Cocktails! and I Could Totally Do That! Best Halloween Hacks!. You can find more interesting blogs and images on our website, or just contact us to book your next event! And if you like this blog, would you be so kind as to share it with a friend?

Want to See More of Our Event Photo Weekly Roundups to Get Tons of Ideas?

Click on the links below:

Spooky Alfred Hitchcock Halloween Party Ideas

7 Into The Woods Themed Halloween Party Ideas!

10 Alice In Wonderland Halloween Images