When it comes to birthday celebrations, each one is just as important as the next. So if you’re planning a birthday party for a friend or family member, here are some top tips to make sure it’s a hit!
Choose A Theme
Depending on who the party is for, the theme could be anything from a pirate-themed kids party to a one where everyone dresses up as the birthday boy or girl. The theme is something you’ll need to decide on first before you start planning, so think about the person in question and ask yourself what they are known for or love. You may be able to pick one or two things out or perhaps just ask them to discuss birthday ideas. You can then choose one and keep it a secret so that it still leaves them with an element of surprise for their birthday party.
The more unique the theme is, the more memorable it will be with your guests, so be creative and think outside of the box.
Pick A Budget
Having a budget is a great way of not overspending. When it comes to a birthday party, it’s a bit like Christmas where you can get a little bit tap-happy with the credit card and the last thing you want to do is run up a giant bill. Know how much you have to spend, maybe you’re doing it all on your own or you can get other friends and family members to chip in to help. Make sure you are specific in everything that you need and give an estimate of how much it will cost and how much you have to go towards each thing. Any money you save could then go to aspects of the party that you weren’t going to have or couldn’t afford.
Go Venue Hunting
Next up on the to-do list for your birthday party bash is to find a venue to host it in. Now you could go for the free option which is hosting it in someone’s home but that all depends on numbers. For any bigger party, you’ll want to hire out a nearby community centre or a private function room in a bar or restaurant.
What do you want from the venue? You may want bar service or food options that you don’t need to order in. Perhaps you need the ability to play music, and maybe some sort of sound system installed in the venue would be useful. All of these features that you require need to be thought about when shopping for your venue. It’s probably going to be the biggest expense on the list so make sure you’ve booked it and know how many numbers you’ve got coming before you send out the invites. Your budget might not be able to cater to a bigger venue. It’s good to look for a venue early on too because the chances of your venue being booked may be high if you plan a birthday party during a particular time of the year. Even if you pay a deposit, it’s better to get it secured sooner rather than later.
Send Out Invites
Of course, a birthday party is not typically as extravagant as a wedding is, but with every celebration or occasion, there needs to be invites that are sent out. Luckily a lot of us nowadays communicate via email, and therefore you could save money by sending paperless invites where RSVPs can be done through email. Your invites should reflect the style and theme of your party and if you need to ask for any dietary requests. Make sure to include the location of the party, the start and finish times and if you’ve got a dress code, make sure you specify that too. You don’t want guests coming casual if you’re planning an extravagant masquerade party.
Plan The Food
Food is very important for a party because you want to make sure that all your guests are suitably fed and watered. It’s good to know what certain guests might be allergic to or have an intolerance. Dietary requirements can be very complex nowadays so try your best to cater, but if someone has a very complicated dietary requirement, they’ll probably bring their own food to be polite. You also want to think about what type of food to serve at the party. Are you thinking a finger food buffet or a sit-down meal? Do you plan to make the food yourself or hire a caterer? A lot of chain restaurants do event food so it might be worth shopping around to see where’s best. In a world where you can get cupcakes delivered straight to your door, it’s much easier to organise external caterers. If you’re making your own food then you’ll need to make a list and buy the food in advance. Give yourself enough time to prep it without panicking and if you need assistance, ring round to your friends for help.
Party Games
Some parties might not require it and are too adult for party games but playing games at the event are suitable for the younger generations. Traditional games like pass the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey etc, are all still going strong and having some prizes to award the winners is a great way of creating excitement amongst guests. For the older ‘kids’ aka the adults, drinking games are always a great ice-breaker for those who may not know each other. They are also a good way of starting off the night before you go out onto the town, you’ll likely spend less out if you drink most of it in.
Planning a birthday party can be a little stressful, but it’s also a ton of fun. Make sure you start your venue search early and know your theme, the numbers for the party and what you require before you go looking. Set a budget so that you don’t go overboard and plan all of the party games and food that will be needed for the big event. It’ll be a party to remember!
~A~
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