If you’re planning a surprise party, it’s crucial to create a story that will get the guest of honor to your venue without raising suspicions. This might be as simple as asking them to attend a smaller event several days after their birthday.
Another great idea is to invite them to a restaurant and then surprise them with the party there. This can be especially fun if you include out-of-town guests!
Research the Guest of Honor’s Likes and Dislikes
It is important to know what the guest of honor likes, especially if you plan on throwing them a surprise party. This can help you determine how much of a surprise you can pull off. For example, some people dislike being surprised or don’t love full-on parties at all. In this case, it may be best to opt for a more low-key event.
Knowing this information can also help you come up with the perfect gift. For instance, if you know that the birthday boy or girl has a bucket list activity they have been longing to do, this could be your opportunity to incorporate it into the surprise party. Or if they have always wanted to dance, you could surprise them by creating a special group dance or singing performance for them.
Another good way to figure out what the guest of honor would like is by talking to them about their favorite places, foods, and activities. You can even mention a past party they went to and ask what they enjoyed about it.
Finally, don’t forget to ask their family and friends. They may have tried to surprise them in the past, and their input will be incredibly useful.
When choosing a date, it is important to make sure the guest of honor doesn’t already have other plans for that day or time. If you do, it will be more difficult to keep the surprise going. It is also recommended that you choose a location they wouldn’t normally visit on a regular basis to ensure it stays a secret. A restaurant, hotel, or private home are all great options for a surprise party.
Pick a Venue
It can be difficult to choose a venue for a surprise birthday that will allow guests to stay hidden. You may want to create a decoy plan to help you with this. Casually ask a few friends and family members to help, but be careful not to let too many people in on the secret. The more people who know about the surprise party, the higher the likelihood of someone accidentally letting it slip.
Consider a restaurant that has a private room or party area you can rent for the occasion. Many restaurants offer special party packages and menus that make it easy to host a party. You can also book a private room at a club or hotel to hide the guest of honor and their party-goers.
If the guest of honor lives in an apartment building or condo, you can use a rooftop space to hold a surprise party. Clear the space with your landlord or building supervisor beforehand and be sure to bring plenty of chairs, tables, and lighting for the event.
Consider the birthday person’s favorite things to create a unique and special theme for their surprise party. A few ideas to get you started include a TV show or movie, color, hobby, food, drink, decade, band, or foreign city. Choosing a themed party will also make it easier to plan decorations and food options.
You could also choose a location where the guest of honor wants to go on their bucket list. For example, if the birthday boy or girl has always wanted to try axe throwing, you can book a day of axe throwing at a local range and surprise them with their friends.
Plan a Fun Activity for the Other Guests
If the honoree will be around friends and family, try to make it a group party. This will give the guest of honor a chance to interact with everyone and feel comfortable at the same time, which is an important element in keeping them on the surprise track. Also, it’ll be easier to keep the secret from leaking by having more eyes on the situation. Here is a happy birthday video message for you to use if you ever have no idea how to start a birthday message for your loved ones.
Send out the invitations a few weeks before the party and make sure to include the “surprise” element in bold, large letters. Then, casually ask a few trusted friends and family members to help keep the secret. This will cut down on your work, but it’s always a risk that someone may accidentally let the cat out of the bag.
Once all the guests have been notified, have them arrive a few minutes before the surprise party begins. This will ensure that they don’t arrive at the same time and spoil the surprise.
Consider letting each person bring one of the birthday honoree’s favorite foods. It will make them feel a little extra special to see all their favorite foods in the same place.
You can also add in other fun elements to the party like a scavenger or treasure hunt. Or, plan a performance for the honoree. If they’re an amateur dancer or singer, they’ll love the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Another fun idea is to create a photo album of the honoree with all their photos from the day. This is both a great way to entertain the guests and will be a very memorable keepsake for the honoree. You can even get a few of their friends and family to contribute a special message to go along with the pictures.
Arrive with the Guest of Honor
If you’re throwing a surprise party, you’ll need to have a plan for getting the guest of honor to the venue without tipping them off. Choosing the right chaperone is essential for this task. You can choose someone they feel comfortable with and whose company they enjoy, or you can enlist a close friend who knows their personality well. Ideally, this person will be able to distract and redirect them, so they’re not tipped off until it’s time to start the party.
A day or two before the party, set up a group chat on WhatsApp or Facebook to review the details of the decoy plan and make sure all parties involved are on the same page. Make sure you have the contact information for everyone involved (especially the honoree) and note what time they’re expected to arrive at the venue. This way, you can ask a helper to make plans with the guest of honor and text them when they’re on their way to avoid any hiccups in the plan.
Depending on the theme, you can also ask the guests to bring their favorite snacks or drinks to add to the celebrations. This is a great way to ensure that the party feels truly special and personal for your guest of honor!
For extra sentimental value, consider filming the different stages of the planning process and letting your surprisee watch it on their big day. This will give them an idea of how much thought went into the entire affair, and they’ll appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into making their birthday so memorable. It’ll also be a nice reminder of all the people who are wishing them happy birthday!
Reveal the Surprise
Whether it’s for your significant other, best friend, or family member, surprise birthday parties are a great way to show them how much they mean to you. However, deciding how to plan a surprise party can seem difficult because it requires a level of deception that not everyone may be comfortable with.
If you’re planning a surprise party, make sure that the guest of honor knows that they are welcome to bring guests. It’s also helpful to ask guests to keep the surprise a secret so that no one can spoil it by accidentally spilling the beans. You can do this by sending a virtual invitation or creating a group chat to share details with party participants. If you choose to go the digital route, make sure to double and triple check your privacy settings so that the guest of honor doesn’t catch on.
Once you have all of your guests, it’s time to set up the surprise. If you have the budget for it, you can rent a room at a local club or restaurant to host the event. If not, you can host the party at someone’s home or another venue of your choosing. If you don’t want to go all out with decorations, you can still surprise the guest of honor by hiding a gift in plain sight.
You can wrap up a box of candy or a small present, or you could put something more thoughtful inside like movie tickets, a coffee gift card, a guitar pick, or a reusable water bottle. Then, you can tie the end of a string to the object and lead them on a treasure hunt around their neighborhood or backyard until they find it.