How to Throw a Surprise Birthday Party
I used to always shy away from a surprise birthday party – simply for the reason that they were too complicated to organise and somewhat a hassle – or so I thought. The reality is that they do take a little planning, but not as much as I thought. Starting to organise a surprise birthday party for my friend, I found an easy way to handle it all. Let me share with you a few tips on how to throw a surprise birthday party the easy way.
Plan
Sit down with a piece of paper (and a glass of wine, if you like) and get your thoughts out and try to answer a few questions. It will give you a good overview of the project.
Who am I throwing a surprise birthday party for?
Knowing the person and his/her interests will give you an indication of what you can do for the party. If the person is more sophisticated, you probably don’t want a lot of silly games (which can be fun for others), but might want to make some cocktails and get some appropriate music.
Do I have enough time?
The more time the better – obviously. Don’t be too stingy with time. Especially if you want to invite surprise guests, you will need some time to track them down. Remember that you need to allow the guests enough time to schedule the surprise birthday party. Give yourself 4-6 weeks for a party of around 25 people.
Can I do it alone?
There two points to it. Firstly, will you need help to prepare it all? If none of your friends can help you, then focus on the fun part and get some party catering to arrange to food for the birthday party. Secondly, when arranging everything yourself, experience has shown that it’s more difficult to keep the secret. Get some help and make sure the surprise stays a surprise.
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Prepare
Perfect Timing
When planning a surprise birthday party for someone, the actual date seems an obvious choice. However, the person might expect it. The best surprise parties happens in the week leading up to it. Another way is to confuse and divert the to-be-surprised person, so he/she won’t expecting anything. Take the person out for a birthday treat and when you come back to the house all friends are waiting there.
Food & Drink
Although the focus is on the surprise, you still want the guests to have a good time. If food and drinks are on the spot, people will remember your party. Here is some information on how to make your party food talked about and instant appetisers.
Food tips: La Dolce Vita and Canapés and Tapas
Inviting
Make sure people know it’s a surprise party and don’t blow it. Inviting people via social media is an easy way to get the word out and keep track on the guests, but make sure that the event is set on secret. You don’t want it to be popping up the birthday person’s feed.
The Actual Surprise
How will you reveal the surprise? This is probably the most tricky part of the surprise birthday party. Plan it well – you don’t want blow it in the last moment. Consider guarding the birthday person with someone on the day of the party. This person can control the situation, while you make sure the party is on spot.
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