How to Plan a Surprise Birthday Party That Stays a Secret Until the Very Last Second
If you’re not the best secret keeper when it comes to giving birthday gifts, navigating how to plan a surprise birthday party can be especially challenging. Everything from creating the guest list to accepting RSVP responses has to be done carefully and strategically — otherwise, one slip could ruin the surprise. Is it stressful? It can be. Is it worth it? Definitely.
As long as you’re diligent in your planning, you can throw a successful surprise birthday party and have it go off without a hitch. To show that it’s possible, we asked three professional event planners to break down their best surprise-party strategies, from what to put on the invitation to making sure that your unsuspecting honoree arrives at the venue on time.
Here are our expert-approved tips on how to plan a surprise birthday party!
Set Your Party Budget
The first step to planning any party is to determine how much you are willing to spend on the occasion. The venue, catering, decorations, invitations, and party supplies are all things to consider when nailing down a budget.
"It all adds up," says Tara Tonsetic, founder of event-planning company Give Grace to Gather. "So, account for total spending based on your vision for the party."
Decide Where to Host
If you happen to live with the honoree, this tip is especially important: To avoid them feeling any hassle to clean up after a party they weren’t expecting, you’ll want to consider holding this event away from home.
"Location, location, location" is key, says Annemarie Schumacher, the event planner and lifestyle blogger behind Make Every Day an Event. To prevent any headaches, Schumacher suggests booking a private club, restaurant, or event space if your budget allows.
"A crowded parking lot or a street full of cars won’t spoil the surprise in the final minutes of the ruse, since those situations are not uncommon at those types of venues," Schumacher says.
Create a Guest List
Putting together a guest list might be the most challenging part of throwing a surprise birthday party (after, of course, surprising the guest of honor). This is because some attendees may be outside of your usual social circle. Your guest list might include friends, family, and even coworkers of the person whose birthday is being celebrated.
"Maybe they have a best friend at the office, or they are on a softball team or a reading group. [You want to] involve someone from their family and each part of their life," says Heidi Hiller, owner and creative director of Innovative Party Planners.
For some, reaching out to guests will be easy. For others, a bit of snooping on social media might be necessary, depending on how well you know the honoree.
Send Out E-Invitations
For a surprise birthday party to be successful, everyone but the honoree has to be in on the secret. The easiest way to spread the word is through invitations, which Schumacher says should be done mostly, if not completely, online via services like Evite and Punchbowl.
"You certainly don’t want a paper trail spoiling the surprise," Schumacher says. "With these methods, RSVPs can be received and contained within the platform, eliminating any possible chance of a phone call or text spilling the beans."
On the e-invitation, you’ll want to clearly state that the party will be a surprise, as well as when the guest of honor is expected to arrive, and explicit instructions regarding what guests should do if they won’t be able to make it in time for the big surprise moment. If this happens, they can delay their arrival, Schumacher says.
Enlist a Helper for the Arrival
If you're planning to greet the party guests at the venue, you may want to enlist a second helper to arrive with the guest of honor. This person should make plans with the honoree, pretending that their birthday celebration is just an outing for the two of them. The helper can also text you when they're en route to the event, so you can let the guests know when to stand by for the big "Surprise!" moment.
The key to making the coverup believable, Hiller says, is making sure that the helper is involved in planning where and when the event is. If they're a close friend of the honoree, they "can help weave the tale and make it more believable," Hiller explains.
You must coordinate your coverup story with the helper ahead of time. Otherwise, as Hiller says, "Chances are, the stories won't add up, and a slip might be made along the way."
Plan Beyond the "Surprise!"
Even though pulling off a successful surprise-party entrance takes a lot of coordination, don’t let the moment when everyone yells "Surprise!" be the only memorable part of the evening. This is their birthday party, too, so make sure the rest of the event is just as thoughtfully planned.
If it’s a cocktail party, will there be a signature drink inspired by the honoree? If they love to dance, will you hire a DJ or create a playlist? Other ideas include a tasting at a vineyard to toast a wine connoisseur or a library-themed soiree to make a book lover’s day.
The surprise party you plan should be inspired by the guest of honor and speak to their interests. It’s their special day, after all. Think about what they like and don’t like, brainstorm activities they haven’t tried before, and consider what their party guests would also enjoy.
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