If you’ve never hosted a Murder Mystery dinner party, it is definitely something to consider to make some fun memories! Many years ago, we hosted our first murder mystery dinner after getting to know some wonderful people on our Israel trip. Everyone really got into it and we had such a great time. This time around, we’re having couples from our neighborhood over and I can’t wait. Hosting this type of party couldn’t be simpler, keep reading to find out how to host a murder mystery dinner party.

How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party – Dinner Menu

Y’all know I’m not a cook, but my husband is! However, this dinner party isn’t like Thanksgiving where so much of it is centered around the meal. To keep things simple and delicious, we’re serving soup. Jeremy is in charge of the chicken cous cous and I’m making the potato soup. Having soup allows us to put the meal together ahead of time and then it can stay hot right up until our guests arrive. There’s nothing better than homemade rolls to go with soup, so I’m making easy fresh rolls to pop into the oven right before so that they’re hot and fresh for dinner. For starters, I’m just putting together a graze board, also known as a charcuterie board. Our murder mystery dinner party is just a few days before Halloween so my Halloween decor is coming in handy and I’m using a plastic skeleton to dress up the graze board snacks. This graze board doesn’t have perishables, they’re more sweet and savory snacks, but you could absolutely do an appetizer graze board for this sort of party. We also have a self-serve drink station and then some fall-inspired desserts for later. Here’s our menu:

• Chicken cous cous soup
• Best potato soup
• Buttery dinner rolls
• Apple crisp shortbread bars
• Pumpkin pie bites
• Peanut butter smores cookie cups

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How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party – Decorations

With Halloween right around the corner, my home decor already fits in so nicely for the dinner party. So, I was able to focus on the tablescape and party room to create a dinner party feel with spooky fall vibes. The centerpiece is low so that we can see each other at the table, and the putting it together couldn’t be easier. I first placed down a burlap table runner and then a magnolia leaf garland to make up the bulk of the centerpiece, then I placed three small pumpkins and some gourds, evenly spaced out. I had a few more stems on-hand to add different textures and to add some fullness to the gaps. I also got some pheasant feather stems to add a new texture and they’ll be used at our Thanksgiving table too. Lastly, I grabbed some little terracotta pots (from Quinn’s birthday cupcakes) and some Dollar store votive holders and filled them with LED votive candles. The battery-operated candles have an unnatural yellow color, but it’s perfect for a spooky murder mystery vibe.

The place settings are set with a charger, a plastic plate, and a napkin with each guest’s name. My handwriting is horrid and I couldn’t ask Sawyer to write 12 names for me, so I came up with this little hack and it worked out great! I just typed the names onto a Word document using a cursive font that I liked, and I changed the font color to the lightest grey I could. Once printed, I just traced over each name using a white paint pen. So the name cards have a handwritten feel, but in a nice script. Check out the quick video below to see what I mean.

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How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party – The Game

In my search for a good murder mystery game, I did a bunch of research. I wanted something affordable, something the host could play, something that didn’t require a bunch of props or work on my part, and something that was straight forward. I found several options, but landed on this game that I found on Etsy. I get to choose the number of players and their genders, and the game is emailed to me immediately. I can then email each attendee their character, or print them out. As long as I don’t open and read the confession, I can play without knowing who the murderer is. I will read the rules, introduction, and autopsy report at the beginning of the game. There are no scripts, but I’m excited to see my guests get into character and see just how competitive people get to solve the mystery. Once we’ve had time to mingle and ask questions of each other, I’ll call the game and we’ll each vote for who we think the murderer is. The murdered doesn’t know who they are either, so if they’re really good at solving mysteries, they’ll be in for a shock.

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How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party – Shop the post

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Since the party hasn’t happened yet, I will be sure to capture some photos of the graze board and other things of interest from the party, and then update this post. Be sure to subscribe to my blog so that you get updates on all my DIY projects, designs, decorating, and parties. I hope you’re inspired and will maybe consider hosting your own murder mystery party – it doesn’t have to be around Halloween, and it doesn’t have to be a dinner – the possibilities are endless.

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