Planning an epic birthday bash is no breeze. There’s a lot of thought going into the theme, decor, food, cake, invites, and more. Then comes the execution of your plan.
With that said, we know it can be overwhelming and that’s why we came up with a guide on how to plan a birthday party. We cover all that you need to consider while throwing a birthday party so you can tick off one thing at a time.
Keep on scrolling to plan the best celebration ever for your birthday boy or girl and make sure they have a ton of fun!
If you know the tastes of your guest-of-honour, planning a party they like becomes easier as you can make the right calls more confidently. Learn all you can about the birthday boy or girl's preferences before starting.
Before you start planning, you need to think about what time of day is best for all your guests. If most of the guests are kids, having an afternoon party makes sense while adults may prefer a dinner party.
Then, there’s the budget, which is essential for decision-making. So, allocate a budget for the cake, food, party decor, invites, and party favours.
Having a theme makes planning a party much easier. You can narrow down decor options, venue options, and even food items based on the theme.
Otherwise, everything is open-ended and you won’t know how to make it all come together and make sense.
At the very least, narrow down a colour palette. You can keep the decor and cake within that palette to make things simpler.
Pastels are very popular right now. You can also go with a neutral black-and-white colour palette or pick colours that match the vibe of the season.
Make a decision on where you would like to have the party. For a low-key party, your home or garden is perfectly fine.
If you have a bigger budget for a kid’s birthday party consider options like hosting a party in a pottery studio, bowling alley, miniature golf course, etc.
For a more sophisticated ambience, look for local banquet halls that are available at your chosen time. You can also look for rental outdoor party venues for a spectacular garden party.
Getting the food right is an absolute necessity when it comes to any kind of party. You can keep things simple and go with pizza rolls, sliders, pigs in a blanket, chicken wings, or garlic cheese flatbreads to go around as appetisers.
Salads, baked corn cheese batons, creamy chicken corn soup, beef stroganoff, steak, or pasta are dishes you can consider for the main course.
Additionally, pecan pie, brownies, lemon tarts, and mint cookies are great options for dessert.
Send evites is a great option as you can save time and money but it’s also very convenient. Plus, it’s good for the environment. If you’re good at graphics designing, you can easily prepare a birthday invite that goes with your theme.
You can’t have a birthday party without a cake. For inspiration for the cake, look for elements of the theme that can be utilised.
For a Disney Princess-themed party, a cake with a model of a princess wearing an elegant ball gown may be appropriate. For a superhero theme, you can swap that with the birthday boy or girl’s favourite superhero.
You can use the interests of the person as inspiration. If someone loves to read, maybe a cake that represents their favourite novel. For golfers, you can make a cake resembling a golf course. Anything and everything is possible.
Having live music, and a few fun games like trivia quizzes, bingo, heads up, Pictionary, etc. can make your party much more fun. You want your guests to have a good time, and for that, you need to plan the party's entertainment.
You can also hire magicians, celebrity look-alikes, or comedians to spark life into your party. For example, you can hire a look-alike of a famous person from that era or hire a tribute band if your theme is based in the 70s or 80s or Hollywood.
Balloons, flowers, danglers, props, photo ops, centrepieces, drapery and fabric, DIY crafts, posters, and banners, are all decorative items you can combine for the decor.
Remember to pay special attention to the tablecloths, silverware, dinnerware, and cutlery you use as these are all aesthetic elements. As long as you keep within the colours of the theme you chose, your decor will look nice.
If you’re planning to do your own cooking instead of getting a chef or catering, you need to shop for groceries. Moreover, there are decor pieces and party favours for your guests that you’ll need.
Before the night of the party, you should start prepping everything that can be done beforehand. Afterwards, you can cook with ease on the day of the party and it won’t be as hectic.
If you’re catering, start talking to vendors at least a week earlier or more depending on the number of guests.
Once they send everything over to the venue, you need to inspect whether it’s all good. Consider hiring servers if the party is going to be big.
You also need to get a start on the decoration on the day of the party if you’re doing a small one at home.
For a larger gathering, you can consider a full-service party rental and the venue will provide you with decorating services. You can also hire other vendors for the decoration as well.
Now that everything is taken care of, there’s only one thing left to do; enjoy the party. You did your bit and arranged a wholesome party. Now, take pleasure in that success and enjoy it with friends and family.
While you’re at it, make sure your guests are having a good time as well. Chat with them and move through the room to make everyone feel welcome and at home.
Bring out your planned games and fun activities to engage your guests and have a blast while you’re doing it.
Hopefully, with our guide on how to plan a birthday party, you will arrange a spectacular birthday bash enjoyed by all.
If you want to centre your party around activities like pottery painting, petting farm animals, bowling, or gaming, some vendors offer full service for arrangement.
However, other themes may be more open for socialisation and mingling but require more involvement on your part. But it’s worth it with guests enjoying good conversation and entertainment like live music.
