How to plan a surprise party

Are you planning a surprise party? It can be tricky knowing where to begin, especially if the only thing you’re sure of is that they’ll love being surprised by the people they love.

To help you, here are some tips to plan the event, organise the guest list, and keep the guest of honour in the dark until it’s time for the big reveal.

Set a budget

Before you do anything, it’s important to have a budget in place. Knowing how much you want to spend on this event will dictate how many people you invite and where you host it.

If you can get others to chip in, you could find this opens up more possibilities in terms of venue and the food you serve – just remember to split the costs with someone who isn’t likely to slip up!

Form a guestlist

Create a list of people your loved one would want there on their special day. As this is a surprise, you might need to be careful about who you tell.

You could try creating a poll to find out when everyone is free and send this to the trusted few who you know won’t let the cat out of the bag. They can then RSVP for everyone in their household.

Choose the date and place

Is this going to be a big birthday? Or some other surprise celebration? Where you host the party and when will be the first considerations.  

Are you planning on having a limited guestlist? If so, could the party happen at your house? Or will you need to book a function room? Hiring a venue might dictate the date of the party as it may depend on when they accommodate you all, in which case you’ll need to go back to your guestlist to check everyone can attend.

Create a Facebook or WhatsApp group so everyone can see what stage you’re at and easily let you know. From there, you can go ahead and book the space.

Distraction techniques

Throughout the party planning process, you might need to have distraction techniques in place, especially if you live with the guest of honour or if you see them most days. Come up with some stock excuses and see if you can rope in friends or family to take them out of the house while you’re planning everything. 

Choose a theme

Once you’ve got a date and place in mind you can start thinking about the theme. Would they love a casino night? You can easily get all guests on board by playing bingo online or in real life. Alternatively, you might want to theme the evening around their favourite hobbies, places or films.

For inspiration, you could check out Pinterest. There are also apps that can help with everything from designing invites to choosing a playlist.

Create a playlist

Choose a mix of music that includes classic party tunes and the guest of honour’s favourite bands and artists. To make it special, why not ask in the group chat for their input. That will make the evening a real collaboration.

Get them there

With everything in place, it’s time to get the guest of honour to the venue. Make sure you have a plan to get them there and that everyone’s ready to shout ‘surprise!’

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.