Holding a surprise birthday party for someone special in your life may be one of those things that you would love to do, but which may seem unfeasible for all manner of reasons. Perhaps you just don’t feel that you’re organised enough to plan a genuine surprise party, or maybe you’ve always been paranoid that the ‘truth’ of the surprise would leak out to the ‘surprisee’?
Whatever your own reasons for not planning such an event thus far, at the sought-after luxury venue Château Bouffémont, we know a thing or two about holding successful parties. We therefore thought we would lend you the benefit of our wisdom in terms of how to make your dream of a surprise party a reality.
Decide what theme would best suit the party
This will naturally depend somewhat on the age and preferences of the person for whom the party is to be held. If your loved one is a child, they may have a favourite toy or television franchise around which the party could be themed.
Meanwhile, for an older guest, a party centred on a movie that they like – with other attendees being invited to dress as characters from that film – could work really well.
Choose a befitting venue
While almost anywhere could conceivably serve as the site of your party, at the very least, whatever venue you choose will need to be sufficiently large to accommodate all of your intended guests. This is why many of us organising a surprise birthday party like the idea of hosting a smaller and more intimate party at a posh restaurant, for example.
But if you want to be much more ambitious with your surprise party, why not rent a gorgeous French chateau? The 19th-century stone-built Château Bouffémont is just such a property, combining spectacular manicured gardens with truly resplendent reception halls and suites and all of the amenities needed for a memorable party, including a Sonos sound system and full service team.
We’re quite the chateau for special parties, not least during the always-in-demand Christmas and New Year period.
Get the date and time right!
When it’s a surprise birthday party that you are specifically proposing to hold, the obvious faux pas that you need to avoid is holding the party after the honouree’s actual birthday – otherwise, they may be confused or presume that you forgot their birthday.
In scheduling a time and date for the surprise party, you will – of course – need to ensure that the birthday boy or girl will actually be able to attend. The closer you are to this loved one on a personal level, the easier it will be to ask them what they’re planning to do for their birthday without them starting to suspect that you’re throwing a surprise party for them.
Whatever time or date you choose will naturally need to be convenient for most of the guests you are likely to invite. Maybe a day or two in advance of your loved one’s birthday may be the best choice if you want to really maximise the ‘surprise’ factor?
Would you appreciate further advice?
There’s just so much that needs to be planned about a surprise birthday party, that it’s understandable that it can quickly become such an overwhelming logistical headache for many people. That’s exactly why you should do as much prior research and preparation as possible!
From the composition of the guest list and deciding what food to serve, right through to contemplating the most appropriate way to decorate the party space and ensuring that the surprise party really does remain a surprise, there’s a huge amount that you need to consider.
For further guidance, why not consult Lifescript contributor Kat DeLong’s own piece on how you can plan the perfect surprise birthday party?
