How to throw a good surprise party: your perfect guide
People love surprises; one way to surprise them is to organise a surprise celebration. The adrenal rush of keeping the big secret to watching the face of the guest of honour is priceless. However, planning a surprise party takes commitment and excellent planning. If you want to surprise a loved one, here is a comprehensive surprise party guide.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- How to throw a good surprise party
- 5. Choose a party theme
- 6. Come up with a budget
- 7. Select the venue
- 8. Set a date and time for the event
- 9. Book the location
- 10. Create a floor plan
- 11. Identify and buy decorations
- 12. Come up with activities for the day
- 13. Draft a menu
- 14. Send out the invitations
- 15. Come up with the decoy plan
- 16. Come up with a music playlist
- 17. Execute the big surprise
- How do you do a simple surprise party?
- What is the purpose of a surprise party?
- How do you stall someone for a surprise party?
- How do you keep a surprise party a secret?
Surprise parties come in many shapes and forms. It could be a birthday, baby shower, engagement or graduation bash. However, achieving success is not always guaranteed, and proper planning is critical. From inviting guests to unveiling the guest of honour, here is a step-by-step guide to holding a successful surprise party.
How to throw a good surprise party
A good party is relative and varies from one person to another. From the secret whispers to the joy as the main guest steps in, a good surprise party is the epitome of anticipation and celebration. One of the best venues for such events is at home. Below are surprise party ideas at home that will be the talk of the town for days.
1. Decide to hold the party
Deciding to have the celebration is the first step. The decision to proceed with the party is crucial as not everyone loves surprise parties. If you are close to the person being surprised, you should know whether parties are their thing.
These are ways to find out if surprising the person is a good idea or not:
- Ask someone close to the guest of honour, e.g. an immediate family member or a partner.
- Cleverly tell the guest of honour about another surprise bash and watch how they react.
- Do a background check to see if they have attended or had such a celebration before and see their reaction.
- Examine their personality. If they are outgoing, they might love to be surprised by a party.
Once the big decision is made, the planning can begin. If the guest of honour is an adult, then have a party for adults. Here are surprise party ideas for adults.
- Organise a surprise experience, such as a spa day, movie, wine tasting, or mixology party.
- You can kidnap the guest of honour and take them to an unknown location.
- You can plan a treasure hunt with clues leading to the location.
- Having several daily surprises, such as a picnic, karaoke, a cookout, etc.
2. Involve the guest of honour
It is exciting and helpful to involve the person being surprised without them knowing. You can pretend to be planning a party for someone else and ask for their input. This will give you ideas of what they like, which you can incorporate into your plan.
3. Come up with the dream team
Source: UGC
You can involve friends, family, colleagues, and other event stakeholders to give their two cents. A good team should have the following key roles.
- Team leader: This person is the communication centre and coordinates the general plan.
- Designer: Executes the party's theme, including getting the colour palette and decorations.
- Finance manager: Decides the budget, collects the funds and makes payments.
- Errand runner: Runs errands and keeps track of the petty cash.
- Food and beverages manager: Organises and coordinates the food and drinks.
- Guest coordinator: Drafts a guest list, sends out invitations, and confirms RSVPs.
- Guest of honour chaperone: Gets the guest of honour to the venue without spoiling the surprise.
4. Come up with a checklist tool
A good surprise party needs a checklist tool and a communication centre to coordinate everyone and track progress. Below are some standard tools you could use for planning the celebration.
- Facebook secret group. Invite guests and stakeholders. Add a Facebook Event and include party details for guests to RSVP electronically.
- WhatsApp group. Create the group and invite people to plan details before the day.
- Slack: This instant message platform lets you start conversation threads for your team members.
- Trello: This platform is good for creating and assigning party planning tasks with scheduled dates.
5. Choose a party theme
Choosing a theme adds excitement and sets the tone of the party. You can consider the guest of honour's character and likes, such as fandoms, hobbies, and work.
You could choose various themes, such as a colour-themed party, a music-themed party, or a holiday-themed party. A site like Pinterest is a great place to draw inspiration with visuals.
6. Come up with a budget
Source: UGC
Having a budget is crucial before you move any further with the planning. Almost every aspect of the party revolves around the budget. With the finance person in charge, ensure you stay within the budget, as going overboard can be stressful for the sponsors.
7. Select the venue
Settling on the venue is among the key things you should do when planning a surprise party. This is because the venue affects many other things, such as dates, budget, and convenience. A good option is a familiar location for your guest of honour. Some options could be a friend's home or their home, a particular restaurant, or a local park.
8. Set a date and time for the event
It is a good idea to lock in the date and time of the celebration. This will allow the team to execute the plan well. For a birthday surprise bash, avoiding having the party on the exact day is a good idea.
Planning a day or days earlier will catch them off guard. Ensure the date and time works for everyone attending and the show's star.
9. Book the location
You must book the venue once you know the date and time and have a location. Ensure that you have paid a deposit if it's a restaurant or has notified the owner if it's a house. This will ensure other plans that need to be made concerning the venue are done before the big day.
10. Create a floor plan
This is crucial as the venue inspires the plan and shows who will be where on the material day. Where will the guests hide? Which door will the guest of honour enter the venue from? And where will the food and drinks be set? A good plan will have the guest of honour sit at a place that will be the main focal point.
11. Identify and buy decorations
Decorating the venue is where creativity comes in. Identifying and buying the surprise party decorations depends on the type of event. They could be balloons, a banner, drapes, etc.
You can purchase simple decorations a day or two before, but if they are custom-made, you organise them in advance. Keep things simple to avoid tipping off the guest of honour.
12. Come up with activities for the day
Source: UGC
A good surprise party must be fun; adding some relaxed activities to the plan is excellent. The activities take the pressure off of the guest of honour so they can enjoy the event. For example, you could incorporate party games, music, and dance. Brainstorm with the planning committee and determine what makes sense for the guest of honour and the attendees.
13. Draft a menu
Having something to eat and drink is at the heart of any party. The menu will depend on the type of surprise party. You don't have to have food, but snacks could also work.
Coming up with the menu is essential; remember to consider the guest of honour and other guests. Plan accordingly to ensure there is enough time to prepare, serve, and clean up on the day of the celebration.
14. Send out the invitations
A party without guests is not a party. Therefore, sending the invitations according to the guest list is crucial. Remember to clarify that the celebration is a surprise and no one should ruin it. In case of a surprise birthday, include only close family and friends.
There are various ways to send out surprise birthday invitations, including WhatsApp messages, text messages, Facebook, Slack, Instagram DMs, etc. Indicate the date and time for proper planning and have guests RSVP.
15. Come up with the decoy plan
Since you are planning a surprise party, creating a decoy plan for the guest of honour is essential. The decoy plan is the story you tell the honoree he'll be doing instead of the actual party. Ensure they dress appropriately for the celebration to avoid embarrassment or discomfort. The plan should be detailed to include transportation and time to avoid ruining the surprise.
16. Come up with a music playlist
Apps like Spotify are great when you want to create a music playlist. Various genres include Jazz, R&B, Reggae, hip-hop, rock and pop. Mix the music to ensure all guests have something they enjoy. Select appropriate songs for every stage of the party, such as before, during and after the surprise.
17. Execute the big surprise
Source: UGC
The big reveal is the moment everyone awaits; making it exceptional is not an option. From where the guests park their cars to where they hide, have each detail on paper. If the party is in a restaurant, you must go the extra mile to ensure it flows smoothly. Ensure the guest of honour is surprised and let the rest of the day or night flow as planned.
How do you do a simple surprise party?
Planning a surprise party is a delightful way to celebrate a particular person. Whether it's a special birthday or a surprise baby shower, the event doesn't have to be complicated, but it can be simple. Below is a simple step-by-step process:
- Assembling the organising team.
- Come up with the budget.
- Create a guest list and send out the invitations.
- Organise food and drinks.
- Choose and decorate the venue.
- Surprise the special person.
What is the purpose of a surprise party?
The primary purpose of a surprise party is to create happiness, joyful, and unexpected celebrations for a friend or loved one. People also organise surprise parties for the following purpose.
- Celebrating special people's milestones.
- Expressing love and appreciation for someone special
- Creating lasting memories with loved ones.
- Foster a deep connection and promote bonding.
- Creates positive emotions for special people.
How do you stall someone for a surprise party?
Stalling a special person for a surprise party needs finesse. You can create a decoy on the day by planning to take them to a different event. While they think they are doing something different, lead them to the surprise bash.
How do you keep a surprise party a secret?
The key to a successful surprise party is secrecy, planning, and creativity. To keep a surprise party a secret, you require some clever tactics. Below are some some simple tricks you can adopt to ensure the secret remains intact:
- Get a temporary phone number for communication.
- Limit your communication with the guest of honour to avoid letting out the secret.
- Create private groups to plan and execute the surprise party.
- Pretend to be planning a party for someone else when getting ideas from the honoured guest.
A surprise party spreads joy, creates memories, and celebrates life with special people. The key to a successful party is secrecy and proper planning. The above article is for you if you want the perfect guide to organise a surprise party.
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