Making The Most Of Milestone Birthdays
Most of the time we look forward to the big milestone birthdays, but sometimes they can hit us hard. If you have a loved one or close friend that is about to turn a certain age, you may want to consider their personality as you plan out their birthday festivities.
While some people may want a rather large party to celebrate their big birthday with everyone they know, some people tend to like something low-key and laid back.
If you do go for a bigger affair, do you make it a surprise or let them in on the fun? There is much to think about as you plan for a milestone birthday, and you want to be sure to get everything just right. If you don’t take the guest of honor into consideration, you may just end up with a disaster on your hands. So think it through and then get started on planning that special birthday gathering.
Consider Their Feelings
You obviously know the guest of honor pretty well or else you wouldn’t be throwing them a party. So by all means, take the time to listen to how they feel about this big birthday. If they are dreading turning thirty or feel over the hill at forty, then a big bash may not be the answer. Key into what they feel and what really matters to them, and then plan accordingly. If they are having a hard time with this milestone birthday, then you want to keep things on a smaller scale and perhaps just celebrate with a nice dinner or something more low key.
If however they are really excited about this birthday, joke about it a lot, or tend to be one who likes the spotlight, then go all out with a surprise party! Plan according to their personality and their feelings about this milestone, and that will always serve as an excellent guide.
Alternative Ideas
There’s always the idea of having a big party, and that usually goes over quite well. It’s a great opportunity to invite everyone that is important to the guest of honor in celebration of them and their big birthday. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a big party, but you can also try one of these fun alternatives:
Ladies Luncheon: Hosting a formal lady’s luncheon or tea for your good friend is an elegant and memorable way to celebrate turning forty.
Big Night Out: Go for a long weekend to Las Vegas, Chicago, or your own city with a group – this, of course, involves more planning and money, but it’ll make for a huge bang! Invite a core group of friends who can afford this, and either all travel together or meet in a certain location in the city. Book a limo, a few hotel rooms for everybody, and finish the celebration with a sumptuous buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Spa Day: Who says a celebration has to include food? Reserve an afternoon at a local spa and pamper the birthday girl. See if the business offers a location for special treats and cake for a celebration afterward.
Theme party: Find out what the guest of honor enjoys. Cats? Go all out in decorating with a cat theme – 40 images of cats on the lawn, various “kitty treats” as appetizers (take regular foods and call them something that would be appealing to cats) and silver bowls for food. Or, do they love traveling to Hawaii? No matter what the season, host an extravagant luau party – complete with tiki torches, leis, Hawaiian music, grass skirts, and cocktails!
Dinner Cruise or Bar Hop: Consider hosting everyone on a dinner cruise that goes around town, which makes a nice alternative to staying in one location. Rent a limo for the night for a bar hop.
Think Through the Details
No matter where you host the milestone birthday party, you want to be sure to cover all of the details. Find cute and tasteful decorations appropriate for the age that they are turning. If it’s for a woman, then go for a tiara and a decorated wine glass they can use for the night and keep as a souvenir. If it’s a guy, find a hat, shirt or some other tasteful decoration to distinguish him as the guest of honor. If you are going for a surprise, be sure that it’s something that the guest of honor will welcome. Then carefully plan out the details so that they are really pleasantly shocked.
No matter what the venue, just be sure that you’ve coordinated plenty of adult beverages, good food, and of course a cake that showcases their milestone age. Cater it to what they like and you will surely have a hit on your hands!
