{"id":8848,"date":"2021-11-30T09:25:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T09:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/?p=8848"},"modified":"2024-07-31T14:06:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T13:06:53","slug":"how-to-plan-a-surprise-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/how-to-plan-a-surprise-party\/","title":{"rendered":"How to plan a surprise party"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is nothing more wonderful than being surprised with a party full of all your favourite people \u2013 as long as you\u2019re someone that likes a surprise, that is. But if you\u2019re 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\u2019ve forgotten something really important!<\/p>\n

But never fear \u2013 thortful is here, to give you all our helpful tips and tricks to planning an amazing surprise party they\u2019ll remember forever.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re heading to a surprise birthday party soon, make sure you turn up with a lovely card! To help you out, we\u2019ve displayed a few of our favourite birthday cards<\/a>\u00a0below:<\/p>\n

\"How
\"Very

Very British Problems<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Beautiful
\"Louise

Louise Tiler<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Happy
\"Sophie

Sophie Crichton<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Gov
\"Pottsy

Pottsy Prints<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"From
\"Louise

Louise Tiler<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Squirrel
\"Kalm

Kalm Lettering<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Funny
\"Naughty

Naughty Nice.<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Stranger
\"Emma

Emma Blue<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Woofy
\"Childish

Childish Ramblings<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Funny
\"Pottsy

Pottsy Prints<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"I
\"PopDogShop\"

PopDogShop<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Funny
\"Very

Very British Problems<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div>

\"Happy
\"Naomi

Naomi Park<\/p><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n

And if you\u2019re struggling to think what to jot down inside your wonderfully designed card, we\u2019ve got a blog on what to write in a birthday card<\/a> to help you out.<\/p>\n

Surprise party planning steps<\/h2>\n

Every surprise party has some key elements that you\u2019ll need to include. So here are some handy steps to follow to make sure that whatever happens, you\u2019ve got the basics covered:<\/p>\n

1. Put yourself in their shoes<\/h3>\n

First thing\u2019s 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\u2026<\/p>\n

Maybe opt for organising the party with them and simply getting them a surprise cake or gift instead.<\/p>\n

2. Use your investigative skills<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re certain on the surprise party route, it\u2019s time to put your investigative skills to the test\u2026<\/p>\n

Interrogate your loved one subtly to find out what they like \u2013 colour schemes, decorations, venues, drink choices – it\u2019s all helpful information you can use to create their dream party without them knowing.<\/p>\n

3. Carefully select your guests<\/h3>\n

Check their Facebook profile to make sure you\u2019ve sent the surprise party invitations to all of your loved one\u2019s favourite people \u2013 there\u2019s 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\u2019t know they\u2019d broken up\u2026<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve settled on your guest list, it\u2019s time to invite them. We\u2019ve got a guide on what to write in a birthday invitation<\/a> filled with plenty of ideas which you can adapt for parties of all kinds.<\/p>\n

4. Timing is everything<\/h3>\n

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!<\/p>\n

5. Ensure you have enough space<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to ensure you have enough space at your venue, whether it\u2019s your home or a rented space, to accommodate all of your guests \u2013 a handy tip here is to also make sure you don\u2019t go too big with the venue, because then it can look as if not many people turned up even if they all did!<\/p>\n

6. Organise your music<\/h3>\n

Sort out a banging\u00a0playlist\u00a0or 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.<\/p>\n

7. Don\u2019t forget the food!<\/h3>\n

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\u2019s important you have enough for everyone.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re throwing a surprise party in the warmer months, we\u2019ve got a guide on which you might find handy!<\/p>\n

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\u2019ll be pretty gutted that you weren\u2019t more careful.<\/p>\n

Planning a surprise party over Zoom<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve got friends and family who live abroad, a surprise party might be a little bit trickier \u2013 but luckily for us, even if some of our beloved friends and family can\u2019t 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:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Make sure your backdrop looks good \u2013 your video guests won\u2019t 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!<\/li>\n
  2. Take the time to organise a speech \u2013 if you have video guests and in-person guests, they won\u2019t 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.<\/li>\n
  3. Ensure that everyone has access to food and drink \u2013 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.<\/li>\n
  4. 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\u2019ll all be ready with your \u2018surprise\u2019 cheer when they join!<\/li>\n
  5. It\u2019s also really important to plan events in advance to make sure people in different time zones will definitely be awake for the surprise \u2013 and to send out some timely reminders closer to the event to make sure people don\u2019t forget if they\u2019re not attending a physical party.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Surprise party ideas<\/h2>\n

    Now you know what steps to take when planning, it\u2019s time to think about what kind of party you\u2019re going to throw. Below are some of our favourite surprise party ideas:<\/p>\n

    A costume party<\/h3>\n

    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\u2019re bound to have a brilliant night.<\/p>\n

    Just remember, have a costume ready for the guest of honour to change into once they arrive!<\/p>\n

    A surprise picnic<\/h3>\n

    A more lowkey option, this idea is perfect if you\u2019re hoping to surprise someone who isn\u2019t keen on being the centre of attention.<\/p>\n

    Simply pop to the shops to grab some yummy food and drinks, (we\u2019re thinking sandwiches, cakes, and bubbly) then head down to your nearest patch of green space to set up ahead of the guest of honour\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

    A fancy at-home dinner<\/h3>\n

    Next, we have the option of hosting a fancy surprise dinner party. Cosy and elegant, this option is bound to impress. You\u2019ll need to cook up some delicious food, stock up on various drinks, then set the table for an evening of fun!<\/p>\n

    You could even go all out with a personalised cocktail menu based on the guest of honour!<\/p>\n

    Cosy games night<\/h3>\n

    Finally, how about hosting an intimate games night with close friends and family? This is a simple option, yet you\u2019re bound to have a lovely evening.<\/p>\n

    Simply ask your guests to bring along their favourite games, then order in a bunch of food for the perfect cosy, low-key party.<\/p>\n

    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\u2019re able to keep it a secret, you should be able to create an experience they\u2019ll never forget!<\/p>\n

    Make sure you\u2019re completely organised for the big event by getting them one of our hilarious and cheeky to hand over once you\u2019ve surprised them. You can even add on a bottle of delicious bubbly or tasty chocolate with our\u00a0handpicked gifts<\/a>\u00a0too, if you\u2019re really looking to impress!<\/p>\n

    And before you go, make sure to head over to the thortful blog<\/a> where you\u2019ll find plenty more insightful guides. For instance, why not dive into our blogs on adult party bag ideas<\/a> as well as how to make your birthday special for yourself<\/a>?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There is nothing more wonderful than being surprised with a party full of all your favourite people \u2013 as long as you\u2019re someone that likes a surprise, that is. But if you\u2019re planning a surprise party for someone you love, you might be feeling a little daunted at everything you have to do for it,…<\/p>\nRead More<\/a>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":8849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[462],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPlanning a Surprise Party | Surprise Party Ideas | thortful<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A surprise party can be a great gift for our loved ones, but can be a nightmare to plan! 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