adult birthday parties

Adult Birthday Planning Ideas

birthday theme party planning basics
We have come up with an approach that we think works for most adult birthday parties. If you do these seven things your birthday celebration will be a hit!

Start by asking two questions

1. Is it a milestone birthday? You know 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, etc. If so visit our Milestone Birthday Planning Guide and plan from there.
2. Does the birthday person have an overwhelming passion, interest or hobby? If they do you should consider creating a theme party around that passion. The links above are to our most popular birthday theme parties.

the location
When picking a location you really have four choices.
1. Home – Inside. Most people I know are comfortable with this approach. You know your house, you can decorate when you want (or when you have the time) and you “set the rules” for the party.
2. Home – Outside. Same address but a whole different decorating approach and vibe to the party. Some of the best options for personalization (always a great idea for a milestone birthday party) work great outside. Custom banners, cutouts, personalized CDs and bottle labels really work outside. Lots of fun but make sure you have options if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
3. Restaurant/Party Room. Your headaches go away. But will you have privacy? Will you have enough time? Does it fit your budget? This is a good way to surprise someone. Ask the celebrant out to dinner for their 50th birthday and they walk to a table full of guests. Nice.
4. The Movable Feast. Often referred to as the pub crawl this can be great fun and friends can come and go as they see fit. One of the best parties I ever attended went to a club for cocktails, a restaurant for appetizers, a different restaurant for dinner, a ball game, followed by a tavern for a nightcap. Takes some planning and cooperation from the places you visit but you can “customize” an evening for the guest of honor by going to their favorite places.

select a party theme

Picking a theme makes decorating, menu planning and all party preparations much easier. You don’t have to do this, but if you do go this way, select the theme as early as possible. At the top of this page are links to some of our favorite birthday theme parties.

Western

NASCAR

Luau

choose an invite
Once you have your theme, pick an invitation. The invitation is one of your most important decisions, because it lets the guests know in advance what a great party you’re planning and what a great time they will have. You can pick a personalized invitation, or pick up one at a local store or make your own!

decorating tips

Depending on where you are having the party (inside or out) and the time of day, you can go light or heavy on the décor. It helps to make the party more festive, but it’s your choice. Listed below are the items we propose for all of our birthday parties…but you can pick and choose. We have put together a birthday party planning checklist to help with your planning.

At the Front Door – Start with either a sign or a life-size cut-out of the celebrant with a speech bubble is the perfect thing to welcome your guests. The cut-out can be themed or just based on your photograph.

Tabletop décor - centerpieces, confetti, napkin rings, votive candles, matching paper cups are a must! Be creative with any and all of these items, and your guests will be thrilled with the personal touches. Plus, think about using some of our themed paper goods with matching miscellaneous items. The old days of using china are gone… These fabulous party goods can make your table. Or at least consider using them for dessert!

the menu
This really depends on the type of party you are planning and how much work you want to do. You can have a formal dinner or just put some snacks out around the room. A popular standby is a potluck approach. If you are having a big crowd this is a good way to go.

games & activities

If you have a roomful of people you might find good conversation and plenty of enjoyment will be easy to find. With smaller groups (that don’t know each other) you might need an icebreaker to get things started. If you have all couples we have some suggestions.

Don’t forget it’s a birthday party so sharing a story about the guest of honor can be fun or playing a little “Do you remember?” where people give different, and often hilarious, versions of the same event.

party favors
Do your best to give out a memorable party favor - personalized candy bars are very popular. Loot bags are always popular. A little bit of candy and other assorted goodies put in something easy to carry. It’s always fun to use something that fits your theme. For example if you are doing a Luau, or are having a beach party, use some plastic beach pails as your “bag”.