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When hosting a party that includes a sit-down dinner or a games table, many hosts will create a seating arrangement, while others will tell their guests to sit where they like. Some hosts swear by seating arrangements, while others feel it creates a stuffy atmosphere. But what does etiquette dictate? Traditionally, a seating arrangement is […]

Is your best friend tying the knot? As her maid of honor, it’s your job to plan a great bachelorette party for her. Now, we know what most people think of when they hear the words “bachelorette party”. They think of an obnoxious group of ladies on a pub-crawl, screaming, giggling, waving around straws and […]

It’s summer. It’s time to relax and enjoy a day by the pool. When everybody gets hungry, you can just fire up the grill and serve up some hotdogs and hamburgers. The kids love splashing in the pool. The adults love dipping their toes in and lounging around, soaking up some rays. As great as […]

The mercury is rising. Sundresses have been spotted. Pasty legs and arms are getting tan again. That’s right, summer is coming! It’s time to uncover the pool and invite some friends over for a dip. You could just tell everyone to bring a 6-pack, or you could make your pool the place to be this […]

Springtime is the right time for outdoor parties. A lot of kids are born in spring, so it’s also the time for a lot of children’s birthday parties. You don’t have to choose between having a party for the kids and a party for the adults. If you follow these tips, everyone at the party […]

When springtime comes around, it’s only natural to want to get everyone together for a garden party. If you’re not careful, though, it’s easy to make the party all about your kids and exclude your friends who don’t have kids of their own. On the other hand, you can just as easily fall into the […]

It’s finally springtime! The weather is warming up. Trees are turning green, and flowers are starting to bloom. There’s no better way to shake off the cold of a long winter than by embracing the warmth of spring with a garden party. You can really kick off the warmer months right when you follow these […]

Young girls have been throwing tea parties for their stuffed animals, their parents, and the neighbourhood kids for so long that the tea party has become something of a rite of passage for little girls. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be fun to throw a tea party for yourself, your friends, and your kids […]

If you’re throwing a spring-themed party, then we need to talk about what your guests will be drinking. Whether this is a formal garden party, or you’re just having friends over to test out the new grill, there’s a great springtime drink for every occasion. You can mix it up in a punchbowl or serve […]

After a long winter, you might find yourself craving some social time with your friends. You’ll definitely find yourself craving some time out in the warm sunshine. The time for staying in by the fire is over. It’s time to dust off the sundresses and Bermuda shorts. In short, it’s time for a spring-themed party! […]

If you’re planning a spring-themed party, celebrating warmer weather and dusting off the grill, you’ll want to make sure that you serve appropriate food and drinks. You obviously won’t be serving hot cocoa and chili, but what will you be serving? A few things come to mind automatically, when you think of spring and spring […]

As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, you’ll want to get together with your friends more often and enjoy the mild weather. Middle to late spring is a great time to host a fun and fancy outdoor dinner party. You can transform your backyard into a beautiful garden venue for a lovely […]

After a long and bitter cold winter, it’s time to celebrate warm weather and all of these budding blossoms. It’s time to get your friends out of hibernation and enjoy some sunshine. A lot of people have garden parties this time of year, but those aren’t the only springtime parties and events you can host. […]

It’s spring! We’ve sprung ahead. We’re not getting up for work in the dark anymore. The days are getting longer. We’re ready to break out of our winter coats and end our social hibernations. It’s time for garden parties, grilling out, and sitting on the patio late into the evening with friends and family. If […]

As the host or event facilitator, you should always be scanning your crowd to ensure that the party or event is unfolding at a good pace. When I host mystery events, during the “investigation” portion of the evening, I am constantly circulating, checking to see if my suspects have a drink and that the “buzz” in the room […]

We always focus on the planning part of throwing a party or event ? Everything that is before the party, but rarely do we focus on what happens while the party is going on. The truth is, we can plan everything down to the detail, but the party is actually about what happens at the party ? […]

It’s birthday season in our house. For the month of January, I am kept on my toes arranging birthday parties for my two sons, one of whom was born in January, and the other whose birthday falls almost exactly a month after, in February. I’m lucky, because my children are still so small that as long as there […]

Some people hear the words “theme”and “party” and immediately envision togas or ugly sweaters. And while these certainly are types of party themes, the truth is that every party, regardless of how big, small, casual or formal, has a theme. There is a stark difference between a Theme Party and the Theme of a Party. […]

Most of us hosts are obsessive list-makers (and proud of it, thank you very much!). In fact, I have found that the better the host (or event planner), the more lists they create. While there are a thousand apps for party planning, organizing, reminding etc, I have found that most of us hosts have one […]

We are often asked why some of our mysteries don’t specify how the suspects should dress, and the simple answer is: “Not all of our mysteries have a pre-specified ‘theme'”. While some themes are obvious (for example, A Flapper Murder at the 1920’s Speakeasy or The Masquerade Murder), other mysteries are what we call “Costume […]

One of the factors that can make or break a party is the guest list. Certain guests thrive in certain situations while shying away from others. When I put on a murder mystery, I invite different people than I would for my grandfather’s 89th birthday party. This is a simple comparison, but sometimes the lines […]

The number one question I get asked by potential mystery party hosts is: “Can I have fun and solve the mystery too?” My answer, of course, is always, “Absolutely!” Immediately followed by one sentence that I think sums up my philosophy on hosting a party: “I believe that after all the work a host puts […]

For many of us hosts, life is so busy that one day we see a yard haunt as we’re driving down the street and realize that it’s October 24th. We check the calendar, slip out a swear word and wonder if it’s too late to do something fun for Halloween with friends. The answer is, […]

Over the years we have amassed a small collection of murder mystery parties exclusively for women, including Murder at the Spa, The Bachelorette Party Murder, The Masquerade Murder, A Flapper Murder at the 1920’s Speakeasy and Salem Witches. Since we started launching these all-girl’s murder mystery party games, we realised that many of our clients, […]

With the upcoming launch of our new Edwardian/Victorian Era murder mystery party game, we beg the question: WHICH PARTY WOULD YOU HOST – A Downton Abbey-esque murder mystery party or a Jane Austen party? Visit The Mysterious Affair At Stirling Hall Gateway now!

Whether you’re hosting the Murder at the Spa Mystery Party Game or just want a nice evening in with some girlfriends, hosting a home spa party is a great excuse to get together for some drinks, fresh food and relaxation. Throwing a spa party can be as simple or as complex as you like, depending […]

Pursue not the outer entanglements, Dwell not in the inner Void, Be serene in he oneness of things, And dualism vanishes by itself. *** It is one’s own mind that creates illusions. Is this not the greatest self-contradiction? *** In the higher realm of true suchness, there is neither “self” nor “other”: when direct identification […]

Each year, millions of people worldwide jump on the Valentines’ Day bandwagon, buying their significant others flowers, candy and procreating like mad. For millions of others though, Valentines’ Day represents something much different – the thought that society pushes the idea of co-existence on us all, that if we haven’t yet found our soul mate […]

One question we receive a lot here at Shot In The Dark Mysteries is:  How far ahead of my party should I send guest invtations? Here’s a great at-a-glance reference tool for party lead times. For murder mystery-specific invitation advice, read HOW TO HANDLE MURDER MYSTERY INVITATIONS AND RSVP’S.

Apartment dweller? Shoe box home? You can still entertain in your house, you just need these tips to help you make the most of your space – and help your guests feel less like they’re in a sardine can and more like they’re in a cozy mingling area. Because of my husband’s profession, we move […]

One of the factors that can make or break a party is the guest list. Certain guests thrive in certain situations while shying away from others. When I put on a murder mystery game party, I invite different people than I would for my grandfather’s 89th birthday party. This is a simple comparison, but sometimes […]

One of the most common scenarios we hear from hosts that are parents or those holding family events is that there are one or two kids of varying ages. They may or may not be at the reading age and most of the time they may not have the skills required to take on a […]

As summer winds down, many of us will be clinging to the nice weather and entertaining outdoors. As the days become shorter though, there are new party obstacles to overcome – mosquitoes, lack of visibility and other outdoor dangers are heightened when the sun goes down, so follow these tips to ensure you have a […]

An “Interactive” murder mystery party is a truly unique format. Instead of sitting around reading scripts and performing embarassing tasks, your guests are up, mingling and interroging suspects to put together the clues and determine who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit murder. It’s a very liberating and incredibly easy format, which makes […]

There’s nothing worse than receiving a declined RSVP from someone you really want at your party simply because they have to stay home with the kids. Most times, child care issues are just as disappointing for the person missing the mystery party as they are for the host or hostess. Babysitters are expensive, and if […]

Did you know there’s actually a proper way to open a bottle of Champagne or Sparkling Wine that will not only limit potential damage to your venue and guests, but also maintain the integrity of the bubbly? We should hope this is obvious, but just in case, step one is to remove the metal foil […]

Pirate speak is a language in itself, and one of the best parts of throwing or participating in a pirate-themed party. To help you sneer like a true buccaneer, here’s a large list of pirate terms and their definitions. Select a few you’ll use at your pirate party or on International Talk Like a Pirate […]

So now that you know about the difference between murder and non-murder mystery parties, kids’ parties and family-friendly games, the next item you need to know about is the FORM of game. There are only three types of mystery games, although they come in many formats depending on the game and the company providing the […]

There are a number of different types of mystery party games, and the categories vary greatly depending on the company, which can be a bit confusing for someone just starting out with mystery party games. Here we will talk a bit about some of the most common types of mystery party games and what the […]