There is nothing more wonderful than being surprised with a party full of all your favourite people – as long as you’re someone that likes a surprise, that is. But if you’re planning a surprise party for someone you love, you might be feeling a little daunted at everything you have to do for it, and maybe even a little scared that you’ve forgotten something really important!
But never fear – thortful is here, to give you all our helpful tips and tricks to planning an amazing surprise party they’ll remember forever.
And if you’re heading to a surprise birthday party soon, make sure you turn up with a lovely card! To help you out, we’ve displayed a few of our favourite birthday cards below:
And if you’re struggling to think what to jot down inside your wonderfully designed card, we’ve got a blog on what to write in a birthday card to help you out.
Surprise party planning steps
Every surprise party has some key elements that you’ll need to include. So here are some handy steps to follow to make sure that whatever happens, you’ve got the basics covered:
1. Put yourself in their shoes
First thing’s first, put yourself in their shoes. Would they actually hate to be surprised with a loud party of people all looking at them? If the answer is yes, then a surprise party might not be the way to go…
Maybe opt for organising the party with them and simply getting them a surprise cake or gift instead.
2. Use your investigative skills
If you’re certain on the surprise party route, it’s time to put your investigative skills to the test…
Interrogate your loved one subtly to find out what they like – colour schemes, decorations, venues, drink choices – it’s all helpful information you can use to create their dream party without them knowing.
3. Carefully select your guests
Check their Facebook profile to make sure you’ve sent the surprise party invitations to all of your loved one’s favourite people – there’s nothing worse than realising you forgot to invite a favourite aunt or long-lost best friend! Or even worse, inviting their ex when you didn’t know they’d broken up…
Once you’ve settled on your guest list, it’s time to invite them. We’ve got a guide on what to write in a birthday invitation filled with plenty of ideas which you can adapt for parties of all kinds.
4. Timing is everything
Making sure all of your guests are there before the guest of honour is key, so remember to send your guest of honour a time slot that is at least 30 minutes to one hour later than all of the other guests. This will ensure you make room for any traffic problems or babysitter issues!
5. Ensure you have enough space
It’s important to ensure you have enough space at your venue, whether it’s your home or a rented space, to accommodate all of your guests – a handy tip here is to also make sure you don’t go too big with the venue, because then it can look as if not many people turned up even if they all did!
6. Organise your music
Sort out a banging playlist or DJ. No party is complete without some funky music to dance to, and a playlist of all their favourite songs is sure to go down well and keep the mood alive long past bedtime.
7. Don’t forget the food!
When it comes to food, the most important factor is to have some. Whether you keep it light with just some nibbles and a big cake, or opt for a full spread with a little bit of everything, it’s important you have enough for everyone.
If you’re throwing a surprise party in the warmer months, we’ve got a guide on which you might find handy!
And finally, remember whatever you do, be very careful during your discussions about the party to not share any information with the guest of honour! Spilling the secret beforehand will ruin weeks of planning and you’ll be pretty gutted that you weren’t more careful.
Planning a surprise party over Zoom
If you’ve got friends and family who live abroad, a surprise party might be a little bit trickier – but luckily for us, even if some of our beloved friends and family can’t make it to a party, they can still join in from afar. Our top tips for planning a surprise party that includes video guests include:
- Make sure your backdrop looks good – your video guests won’t want to see a drab blank wall behind you, so dress it up with balloons and banners and lots of fairy lights for a magical surprise scene!
- Take the time to organise a speech – if you have video guests and in-person guests, they won’t all have time to talk to the guest of honour individually, so having some dedicated time to thanking them for coming will ensure that none of your video guests feel left out.
- Ensure that everyone has access to food and drink – if some guests can make it to an in-person event, send them a small hamper with drinks, cakes, and a card to make sure they feel included and can enjoy a little luxurious hour or two in your online company.
- If you are planning an entire Zoom party where all of your guests, including the guest of honour, are joining from separate laptops, make sure everybody else is in position before adding the guest of honour to the invite list. This way, you’ll all be ready with your ‘surprise’ cheer when they join!
- It’s also really important to plan events in advance to make sure people in different time zones will definitely be awake for the surprise – and to send out some timely reminders closer to the event to make sure people don’t forget if they’re not attending a physical party.
Surprise party ideas
Now you know what steps to take when planning, it’s time to think about what kind of party you’re going to throw. Below are some of our favourite surprise party ideas:
A costume party
The first of our surprise party ideas is to host a costume party! A great way to have fun, bring people together, and create memories to treasure forever. Whether you settle on a theme such as tropical, 90s, or disco, or simply ask guests to arrive in any costume they wish, you’re bound to have a brilliant night.
Just remember, have a costume ready for the guest of honour to change into once they arrive!
A surprise picnic
A more lowkey option, this idea is perfect if you’re hoping to surprise someone who isn’t keen on being the centre of attention.
Simply pop to the shops to grab some yummy food and drinks, (we’re thinking sandwiches, cakes, and bubbly) then head down to your nearest patch of green space to set up ahead of the guest of honour’s arrival.
A fancy at-home dinner
Next, we have the option of hosting a fancy surprise dinner party. Cosy and elegant, this option is bound to impress. You’ll need to cook up some delicious food, stock up on various drinks, then set the table for an evening of fun!
You could even go all out with a personalised cocktail menu based on the guest of honour!
Cosy games night
Finally, how about hosting an intimate games night with close friends and family? This is a simple option, yet you’re bound to have a lovely evening.
Simply ask your guests to bring along their favourite games, then order in a bunch of food for the perfect cosy, low-key party.
There are so many ways you could surprise your nearest and dearest with a wonderful party or night in, and as long as your planning is solid and you’re able to keep it a secret, you should be able to create an experience they’ll never forget!
Make sure you’re completely organised for the big event by getting them one of our hilarious and cheeky to hand over once you’ve surprised them. You can even add on a bottle of delicious bubbly or tasty chocolate with our handpicked gifts too, if you’re really looking to impress!
And before you go, make sure to head over to the thortful blog where you’ll find plenty more insightful guides. For instance, why not dive into our blogs on adult party bag ideas as well as how to make your birthday special for yourself?
