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The key to pulling off a successful birthday party? A little cake and a lot of fun. Whether it\u2019s a celebration in honor of a child or an adult, you can make this year\u2019s occasion truly special with a party full of family and friends. Along with candles and cake, there are several other factors to finalize before the party can start. To help ease you into the planning process, we\u2019re excited to share some expert insights that break down everything you need to know for hosting a memorable and modern birthday party.<\/span><\/p>\n Informed guests are happy guests. In fact, any details surrounding your birthday party can be easily communicated ahead of time\u2014all you need is an invite!<\/span><\/p>\n Elana Hopman, owner of <\/span>Annabel Reese<\/span><\/a>, recommends arming your guests with the information they need. \u201cA party runs smoothly when it feels organic, and no one is wondering where to go or what to do next. Before the party, this means sending an invitation with all the necessary information to prepare (like time and date and what to wear). On the day of, I like to focus on details like place cards and menus, or small signs describing food and drinks. These details don\u2019t take much time or money to create, but guests appreciate not having to ask questions of the host,\u201d explains Hopman. Brett Galley, founder and Director of Special Events at <\/span>Hollywood Pop Gallery<\/span><\/a>, reiterated the importance of the invitation: \u201cYour invitation is your calling card so make sure it reflects you & your celebration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Planning a party is only half the fun. The other half is expressing your creativity and personal style. <\/span><\/p>\n Clara Isabella Boatto and Eva Zoe Trevisan of <\/span>Design Anarchy Studio <\/span><\/a>encourage you to, \u201cBe uncommon. Don’t limit yourself to what you see on Pinterest. Instead, opt for a celebration that truly reflects your personality. For instance, if you love cooking, invite a chef to lead a pasta or pizza-making class with your guests for an experience they won’t forget. If you love cocktails, have a mixologist onsite to serve a signature cocktail in your honor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Whether you want to spend $30 or $3,000 on your birthday celebration, you\u2019ll need to establish a budget. <\/span><\/p>\n Sarah Carroll of <\/span>Small Shindigs<\/span><\/a> explains, \u201cMy number one tip for planning a party is to have a budget in mind and prioritize the items that are most important to you. This will help you get clear on where you want to put your money and what you want guests to enjoy most. For some, that’s the food, for others it’s decor. Once you have that list, it will be easy to spend your time researching what matters most to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Themes have a way of making a party feel extra special, but that doesn\u2019t mean you have to go completely over the top. <\/span><\/p>\n Vanessa Valiente, the creator of <\/span>V-Style<\/span><\/a>, explains, \u201cThemes can detour some guests from coming and enliven others, so create a theme that no one has to shop for. The best way to prevent people from skipping due to the theme is to choose one that is already in their closet. I recently threw a color theme party that requested everyone be dressed in color. The party was truly sensational. Everyone commented on how all the colors energized and entertained them. A friend said to me, “I can’t believe how much more fun I was having because of the way we were all dressed.”<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless of the theme you pick, be sure all of your party details coordinate. \u201cMake sure your food, your decor, your activities (games!) and even your cocktails tie back to the theme,\u201d says Erica of<\/span> HTW Podcast<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Want your party to be memorable? Incorporate a visual statement! <\/span><\/p>\n Event Producer <\/span>Brian Worley<\/span><\/a> says, \u201cWhen planning any type of party, I always like to have one large or memorable statement piece of decor or activity. \u00a0Something that is personal to the event and also makes people remember the event. At a recent 40th Birthday party, we did a 40\u2019 dessert buffet with the birthday boy\u2019s 40 favorite desserts. Everyone know he loves sweets and dessert!\u201d When thinking of how you want to personalize and make a statement, Galley adds that oftentimes \u201csmall touches can make the greatest impact,\u201d so don\u2019t overlook the little touches that can bring the party together. <\/span><\/p>\n Make sure all your guests feel included and welcome. <\/span><\/p>\n Executive Producer and Filmmaker April Washko<\/a> explains, \u201cMy biggest party planning tip is to have at least one person in charge of ‘connecting the dots.\u2019 Someone’s job the whole evening should be to make sure no one is sitting in the corner by themselves left out of anything. If someone prefers to hang alone or take a break or something that’s fine, but I’ve thrown many parties, mixers, and premieres, and I always make sure I have at least one person out there to introduce people, chat with the people who seem alone, and make connections.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing like a birthday party activity to draw people together. <\/span><\/p>\n Emily, Head of Events at Fueled<\/a> explains, \u201cThe hallmark of a great event is making sure every detail is unique. If you plan a party with activities that people have experienced before, they will lose interest faster and won\u2019t consider it memorable if they\u2019ve already experienced similar activities in the past. Moreover, if there is a group activity that draws people together, I find that people tend to have a better time. For example, when I planned my barbecue for SXSW, I made all attendees rate the hot sauces to determine a winner and also had a cornhole tournament. People loved coming together for some friendly competition.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ciara, personal party host and marketing strategist for Fueled<\/a>, recommends planning an activity where guests can create something. She explains, \u201cWhen guests are involved in the main activity of an event, it not only helps to break the ice and create bonds with other guests, but it also provides entertainment they can take part in (and potentially learn from). Some ideas for kids: arts and crafts or creating your own sundae (or other type of food). Some ideas for adults: a gourmet cocktail class or cooking something together (homemade pasta, dumplings, or a fun dessert). Guests will love being involved and will be happy they don’t have to worry about the mess or clean up afterward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Lucy of <\/span>Hello Baby Bump<\/span><\/a> explains, \u201cWhen it comes to planning a memorable party, my number one tip is to always have music playing and something available to do. Parties become boring if everyone is just chatting away, and there may even be bouts of awkward silence. If you constantly have music playing, it sets the atmosphere and encourages people to dance and have fun. Having activities or things available to participate in also decreases the possibility of boredom. They don’t have to be expensive either, things like a ping pong table, musical chairs, a deck of cards, musical statues, or a dart board are great options.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n One of the best things about a birthday party? The food. Whether it\u2019s a full meal or simple snacks and treats, food is a key element to any birthday celebration. <\/span><\/p>\n Chef Shelley of <\/span>Chef in the Burbs<\/span><\/a> explains, \u201cFood can make or break your event. Good hosts consider the time, length of event, and type of guests when planning a menu. Is it an afternoon birthday for your bestie? Then there\u2019s no need to serve a meal, but if it\u2019s at noon you should provide lunch. For a cocktail party from 5 – 7 p.m., light nibbles are fine and your guests won\u2019t expect a full meal. At a party for an 18-year-old, you will need to have plenty of food available. The best thing you can do is set expectations on the invitation. Stating that \u2018light refreshments will be served\u2019 or \u2018dinner will be served\u2019 lets your guests plan accordingly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Valiente adds, \u201cAlways plan for snacks or food to be served half way through the party. This prevents guests leaving because they’re hungry or guests overindulging in alcohol.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n What other party planning or hosting tips would you recommend? Share with us on Twitter<\/a> or Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The key to pulling off a successful birthday party? A little cake and a lot of fun. Whether it\u2019s a celebration in honor of a child or an adult, you can make this year\u2019s occasion truly special with a party full of family and friends. Along with candles and cake, there are several other factors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[229,236],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parties","category-social-and-special-events"],"yoast_head":"\r\nShare Event Details<\/span><\/h3>\n
Make it Personal<\/span><\/h3>\n
Plan a Budget<\/span><\/h3>\n
Establish a Theme<\/span><\/h3>\n
Make a Memorable Statement<\/span><\/h3>\n
Assign a Mingle Master<\/span><\/h3>\n
Activities<\/span><\/h3>\n
Plan a Menu<\/span><\/h3>\n