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Continued from Page 2 Planning your Birthday PartyOther Factors: and Party ExamplesIs your birthday party intended to celebrate a milestone, ie. a 16th, a 30th or 40th birthday? What is your budget? What is the age and gender of the guest of honor? The answers to your questions may surprise you and open doors to some possibilities you hadn't thought about.Plans for a nine year old might include a sleep-over with six close friends including pizza, cake and a trip to the movies. Sweet 16s can run the gamut from intimate to grand. Here are three parties that I've attended as an entertainer: A grand celebration in a hotel ballroom, complete with DJ, three caricature artists, a magician, and other entertainment. A large informal family celebration at home. Some food was brought in; some was prepared by the family. And the guest of honor baked her own cupcakes. (They were delicious). The last was a small group of girls who were close friends. They invited a Tarot reader to spice up the evening. Another common type of birthday celebration is the Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It has its own considerations. Click here to read more.
When the guest of honor is an adult, there's a lot of flexibility.Here are two examples of birthday parties I attended in my role of caricature artist. In both cases the guest of honor was 90+ (there's no upper limit on age:) In both cases, guests enjoyed themselves. The first was held on the grounds of the family's lovely home overlooking a lake. It was largely an outdoor function with catered food. It had the feel of a low key picnic. This was a family centered party with five(!) generations of family present. There was a large shaded patio and the home was open for guests to wander through. The more active people had the option of outdoor activities such as volleyball. But mostly people relaxed and ate, enjoying each other's company. Caricatures entertained the guests and gave them a treasured momento to take with them. The second birthday party was a sit-down luncheon at a lovely restaurant. Most of the guests were contemporary friends of the guest of honor with some family members were present. The group was outgoing and spirited and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.They enjoyed the low key music. It set a pleasant atmosphere and let them converse. Other examples: When asked how he wanted to celebrate his 80th birthday, my Dad said he wanted to be with his immediate family. So we created a way for him to spend time with his family-scattered geographically. So, we are planning a family vacation.
Tip: For families with diverse inerests, consider a cruise. Family members can go their own way during the day and meet for meals. A husband rented a room at a restaurant and arranged for a number of friends to come to a surprise 40th birthday party for his wife. He also arranged for a couple male strippers to come onsite in the middle of the festivities. She loved it. They are both flamboyant characters and it worked. Admittedly this is not for everyone. Know your guest of honor-and know your guests. But the bottom line is that your birthday party can be as unique as the person whose life you are celebrating. Keeping these points in mind will make planning your birthday party a breeze.
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