Planning a Surprise Birthday Party

Written by: evalyn.dorais.cockt
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010

First you need to set a party date. You need to appoint someone to plan a fictitious activity with the guest of honor. Invitations need to clearly state that the party is a surprise. The party time on the invitations needs to be at least 30 minutes prior to the arrival of the guest of honor, so plan accordingly. Include on the invitation an alternate location for parking on the day of the party so as not to alert the guest of honor that a party is taking place.

Involve the guest of honor's family and friends when planning the surprise. They can be very helpful when setting up the fake activity event. They can also provide valuable insight into things the guest of honor likes. This can help you choose party food and decide on a theme idea. Utilize them to help you create the guest list so you are sure not to inadvertently leave someone out.



When planning a surprise birthday party for children, it is a good idea to route the invitation through the parents of the guests. This will prevent an accidental giveaway of the surprise to the guest of honor prior to the party date.

Decide where the surprise party will be held. This will depend largely on your budget. If you are planning an outdoor party, you need to plan an alternative location ahead of time in case of bad weather.

Plan the party decorations and food around your party budget. There are some excellent theme party ideas you can use depending on the age of the guest of honor. If the guest of honor grew up in the 60's for example, they might enjoy a party with 60's music and decorations that revolve around that time period. If the party is for a child, a great theme could be based around their favorite superhero or cartoon character.

There are brick and mortar party supply stores that offer a wide variety of decorations and party favor ideas. There are also many party supply sources online which make shopping a breeze, and the items are quickly delivered right to your door. Do your party shopping well in advance of the party. Make a checklist early in your planning to keep you on track of everything that must be done. Prioritize the list and take special note of all activities that can be done prior to the party date.

Plan to have refreshments for the party guests to enjoy during the wait. Something commonly forgotten when planning a surprise party is the surprise plan itself. Have the plan made well in advance and be certain to inform party guests of the plan as they arrive. Distribute confetti and noisemakers as the guests arrive so everyone will be ready at surprise time.

Throwing a surprise party is not really that difficult. It does require a little bit more planning than some other types of parties, but it is a lot of fun to see the astonishment on the guest of honor's face at a surprise party well planned and successfully pulled off. Going to the extra trouble of having a surprise party for someone makes them feel really special on their eventful day.

Brady Smith is a party planning enthusiast. For information on Surprise Party Planning, visit http://www.planningpartyideas.com.

Brady Smith

Read also: